Heroes

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speaking in a blue suit
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11 Baby Girl Names Inspired By Current Female Leaders

Why not name your little girl after one of the most inspiring women in the world?

by Sarah Bunton
Updated: 
Originally Published: 

The minute you find out whether you are going to have a baby boy or girl is arguably one of the more special moments in a parent's life. Some moms and dads can't stand the wait and want to know the gender at the earliest ultrasound visit possible and others opt to go the surprise route and learn their baby's gender during delivery. Regardless of how or when you find out, if you learn you are having a daughter, you might want to consider baby girl names inspired by current female leaders to give her a meaningful moniker, full of potential and significance.

From breaking barriers in the world of politics and activism to pioneering cultural change and challenging gender-based stereotypes, today's female leaders are nothing short of extraoridnary. With so many options, why wouldn't anyone want to give their baby girl a name inspired by such heroic women? Moreover, as your daughter grows up, she can take pride in knowing that her name has a powerful background.

So if you're expecting, stuck on names, or just want to daydream about the possibilities for your future daughter, check out these baby girl names inspired by current female leaders that are perfect for your tiny trailblazer.

1

Kamala

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Three words: Madam Vice President. There are women who break glass ceilings and then there are those who shatter them then two-step over the shards. That, my friends, is Kamala Devi Harris, the United States first female, African American, Asian America Vice President elect. And the meaning of her name couldn’t be more. According to The List, the Sanskrit translation of Kamala is lotus, but even better, Devi in Hindu means goddess. Lotus Goddess. Yep, sounds right.

2

Stacey

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Politician Stacey Abrams, who served in the Georgia House of Representatives from 2007 to 2017, is being credited with turning Georgia blue this election. Thanks to Fair Fight, the voting rights group she founded, she helped register 800,000 new voters in Georgia, according to Fortune. That’s a whole new level of rocking the vote.

3

Alexandria

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Better known as AOC, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the 31-year-old U.S. Representative for New York's 14th congressional district, not only beat 10-term incumbent by 15 percentage points in 2018, she continues to make waves by challenging sexism, calling out the good ol’ boy system, fighting for the little guy, which makes sense when you consider that Alexandria means “defender of mankind” in Greek according to BabyNames.com.

4

Hillary

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Hillary Clinton made history as America's first woman to receive the nomination to be president this year, according to The New York Times. Whether she wins or not, her achievements won't soon be forgotten. Derived from the Latin word "hilaris," Hillary means "cheerful," and I'm sure any woman would be happy to be the first presidential nominee in the United States.

5

Elizabeth

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Elizabeth Warren became Massachusetts' first female U.S. senator in 2012, according to her official site. She has had an abundance of political accomplishments, which is fitting since Elizabeth means "my God is abundance" in Hebrew.

6

Wen

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Taiwan's first female president, Tsai Ing-Wen, has taken on women's issues and doesn't shy away from challenging a predominantly patriarchal system, according to The New York Times. Wen means "literature, culture, writing" in Chinese and is a perfect option for any ambitious female.

7

Mazie

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Mazie Keiko Hirono is the first Asian-American, Japanese-born U.S. senator and was Hawaii's first female nominee to the U.S. Senate, according to her website. With plenty of firsts to her name and many pearls of wisdom to be passed down to women of color, it's fitting that Mazie means "pearl," and your little one arguably will be just as precious as one, too.

8

Michelle

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Michelle Obama has made waves as a First Lady who is not afraid to speak her mind. She has pioneered several amazing programs such as Let's Move, Give Me Five, and Let Girls Learn. An inspiring name choice, Michelle means "close to God" in Hebrew.

9

Malala

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Malala Yousafzai is a well-known Pakastani activist who fights for women's rights and education in her country after being the vicitm of violence from the Taliban, according to her site.. She also made history as the world's youngest Nobel Prize laureate at the age of 17, which she was awarded for her work for children's education. Although Malala translates to "sad, grieved" in Pashto, it's also symbolic of a female Pashtun warrior from the 1800s.

10

Jacinda

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When New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden was elected in 2018, she was the youngest person at 37 in over 150 years to hold the office. But age has hardly been her only history making move. While the rest of the world was crippled by the COVID pandemic, she kept New Zealand’s numbers in the teens. And has gained further acclaim for having a baby while in office. That’s certainly something to look up to. The name Jacinda means Hyacinth and is of English origin. The beautiful, fragrant flowering perennial that surprises each spring, kind of like the work of this incredible woman.

11

Sarah

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On November 3, 2020, Sarah McBride became the first transgender woman elected to Congress. The 30 year old brings a resume including LGBTQ+ activism and work under Obama to the Capital. In Hebrew the name means “princess” or “woman” of high rank and that she is — maybe your little one is too.

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