Popular Girl Names That Start With F Throughout History
From Roman empresses and Biblical figures to Victorian favorites and today's chart-toppers, this guide rounds up 80+ girl names that start with F. Each name comes with a verified meaning, so you can pick one with real history behind it, not just a nice sound.
Updated September 7, 2026
AI Summary
Choosing a name that starts with F puts you in good company. Roman goddesses, medieval saints, Victorian heroines, and modern icons have all carried one. The letter has a rare range: it can sound formal and historic (Frances, Florence), soft and floral (Fleur, Flora), or bright and current (Freya, Fiona). With roots stretching from Latin and French to Arabic, Gaelic, and Norse, there's an unusually wide field to choose from.
This guide walks through F names for girls organized by era, from ancient times through today. See how the letter has actually been used across history, not just what's trending right now.
» Still early in the process? Our guide to choosing the perfect baby name covers the broader decision beyond just this one letter.
Ancient Origins (c. 800 BCE–500 CE)
Many F names got their start in the Roman Empire and the early Christian church, where they often carried meanings tied to luck, faith, or family lineage.
Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
Fabia | Roman, feminine form of Fabius, a family name linked to faba ("bean") |
Fabiola | Latin diminutive of Fabia; borne by a 4th-century Roman saint |
Faith | Biblical virtue name meaning "trust, devotion" |
Faltonia | Roman family name; borne by Faltonia Betitia Proba, a 4th-century Christian poet |
Fauna | Roman goddess of fertility and nature |
Fausta | Roman, feminine of Faustus, "fortunate" |
Faustina | Roman, related to Faustus; name of more than one Roman empress |
Febe (Phoebe) | New Testament name; a deaconess mentioned by Paul |
Felicia | Roman, feminine of Felicius, related to Felix, "lucky" |
Feliciana | Roman, feminine of Felicianus |
Felicitas | Latin, "good luck, fortune"; also a Roman goddess and an early martyr |
Felicula | Early Christian martyr, 1st century Rome |
Felina | Latin, "cat-like" |
Fidelia | Latin-derived virtue name, "faithful" |
Filomena (Philomena) | Greek-rooted, "loved"; early Christian saint's name |
Firmina | Late Roman; borne by a 4th-century saint |
Flaminia | Roman, linked to the flamen priesthood |
Flavia | Latin, "golden-haired"; name of the Roman imperial Flavian dynasty |
Florentina | Latin, "flourishing, blossoming" |
Floriana | Latin, "flowering" |
Fortunata | Latin, "fortunate"; early Christian martyr |
Fulvia | Roman noblewoman's name; Fulvia was the wife of Mark Antony |
Medieval and Renaissance (500–1600)
As Latin names spread into French, Italian, and English over the medieval and Renaissance periods, F names picked up new, regional forms.
Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
Fanchon | French diminutive of Françoise |
Federica | Italian, feminine of Frederick |
Felice | Medieval Italian, "happy," from Felix |
Felipa | Spanish/Portuguese, feminine of Philip |
Fiammetta | Italian, "little flame"; a name used by Boccaccio |
Fidela | Spanish/Latin, "faithful" |
Filippa | Italian, feminine of Philip, "lover of horses" |
Fina | Diminutive used by Saint Fina, a 13th-century Italian saint |
Fionnuala | Irish, "white shoulder"; a figure from Irish legend, one of the Children of Lir |
Fiorella | Italian, "little flower" |
Fleur | French, "flower" |
Flore | Old French form of Flora |
Fortuna | Medieval allegorical name tied to fortune and fate |
Frances | English, from Latin Franciscus, "Frenchman" |
Francesca | Italian form of Frances |
Francina | Diminutive of Frances |
Franziska | German form of Frances |
F Names With French Roots
If you're drawn to a name with a French sound or spelling, F has an unusually deep French vein. It's a legacy of how many French names anglicized smoothly into English usage over the centuries. Fleur and Flore both simply mean "flower." Francesca's French cousin Francine developed its own stylish identity over time. And Fantine, a Victorian-era literary name you'll see below, comes from the French word enfant, meaning "child."
Even modern-feeling picks like Fabienne, a French feminine form of Fabian, carry that same Romance-language elegance. If you like the sound of a French name but want something less common, try Fanchon or Flore. Both are far less used today than Fleur or Francesca, but they carry the same heritage.
Victorian and Early Modern (1800s–early 1900s)
The 19th century saw a wave of F names tied to virtue, nature, and a few real-life namesakes, most famously Florence Nightingale.
Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
Fairy | Victorian whimsical name, from the English word |
Fannie | Variant spelling of Fanny |
Fanny | English diminutive of Frances |
Fantine | Victor Hugo's Les Misérables (1862); likely linked to French enfant, "child" |
Faustine | French, feminine of Faustus; popular in 19th-century Romantic literature |
Fawn | English word name, "young deer" |
Fay | English, "fairy," from Middle English faie |
Faye | Variant of Fay |
Fenella | Used by Sir Walter Scott for a character in his 1823 novel Peveril of the Peak |
Ferne | Nature-inspired variant of Fern |
Fidelis | Latin-rooted virtue name, "faithful" |
Flora | Roman goddess of flowers, popularized as a given name in this era |
Florence | From Latin Florentia, "flourishing"; hugely popular after Florence Nightingale |
Florinda | Literary and operatic name used in several 19th-century works |
Florrie | Victorian diminutive of Florence |
Flossie | Victorian diminutive of Florence |
Francine | French-inspired name, fashionable in this era |
Francisca | Spanish/Portuguese form of Frances |
Freda | Germanic, "peace"; short form of Frederica or Winifred |
Frederica | Feminine of Frederick, used among English and German nobility |
Fredrika | Swedish form of Frederica; borne by 19th-century Swedish author Fredrika Bremer |
Frida | Germanic revival, "peace" |
» For more in this same vein, explore these beautiful vintage and celestial baby names.
The F-Name Diminutive Tradition
F names have an unusually strong pattern of nickname-style shortenings, more so than most other letters. Frances alone gave rise to Fanny, Fannie, Francine, Francina, and Franziska across different eras and languages.
Florence did the same in the opposite direction, splintering into Flossie and Florrie as affectionate Victorian nicknames. Fiorella and Fiammetta show the same instinct at work in Italian.
If you like the idea of a formal name with a built-in, softer nickname for everyday use, F is one of the most flexible letters around. You can pick the full name for the birth certificate and let the nickname develop naturally.
Modern Favorites (20th–21st Century, U.S. Focus)
Today's F names for girls range from enduring virtue names, like Faith above, to fast-rising international imports.
Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
Fabienne | French, feminine form of Fabian |
Fable | English word name, from the Latin fabula |
Fae | Modern spelling variant of Fay |
Fallon | Irish surname name, "leader"; popularized by the 1980s soap opera Dynasty |
Fancy | English word name, "inclination" or "ornamental" |
Fantasia | English/Latin-rooted, "fantasy, imagination" |
Farah | Arabic, "joy, happiness" |
Farida | Arabic, "unique, precious" |
Farrah | Alternate spelling of Farah |
Fatima | Arabic; name of the Prophet Muhammad's daughter, widely used globally |
Fatimah | Alternate spelling of Fatima |
Fatou | West African short form of Fatoumata |
Fatoumata | West African form of Fatima |
Favour | English word name, "approval, kindness," common across West Africa and increasingly in the U.S. |
Feather | Modern nature and creative name |
Felicity | Revived virtue name, "happiness"; boosted by the TV series of the same name |
Fern | Nature name revival |
Ffion | Welsh, "foxglove flower" |
Fifi | French and Hebrew, diminutive of Josephine, "God will add" |
Finley | Scottish surname name, rising quickly as a girls' choice |
Fiona | Gaelic, "fair, white" |
Flannery | Irish surname name, "red-browed"; borne by author Flannery O'Connor |
Francie | Retro diminutive, modern nostalgic revival |
Frankie | Unisex nickname style, from Frances/Francis |
Freddie | Unisex nickname, short for Frederica or Winifred, increasingly used on its own |
Freja | Scandinavian spelling variant of Freya |
Freya | Norse goddess of love and fertility |
» If fresh and contemporary is what you're after, explore the top trending baby names at the moment.
Choosing an F Name That Lasts
F turns out to be one of the more flexible letters to pick from. It covers centuries of real use, a strong nickname tradition, and styles that range from formal to playful. Whatever balance you're after between tradition and something newer, there's likely an F name that fits. If F doesn't feel like the right match, our list of popular girl names with G picks up where this one leaves off.
Once you've settled on a name, you're probably also thinking about the nursery, including how you'll keep an eye on your baby. Babysense's Wi-Fi monitors bring live video and phone alerts to any device, wherever you are in the house or out of it. Clear night vision and two-way audio mean you're not just watching; you can talk back, too.
FAQs
What are the most popular girl names that start with F?
Freya, Faith, Fiona, Finley, and Fatima are among the most widely chosen F names for girls in the U.S. today. In 2025, Freya ranked No. 176 among U.S. girl names according to Social Security Administration data, the highest of any F name that year.
Are there any Biblical or Roman F names still used today?
Yes. Faith and Phoebe (from Febe) both have Biblical roots and are still commonly used today. Flavia and Felicia trace back to ancient Rome and are still given, especially in Italian-speaking families.
What's a good French-origin F name for a girl?
Fleur ("flower") and Francesca or Francine, both French-influenced forms of Frances, are popular French-rooted choices. For something less common, Fanchon and Flore carry the same heritage with far lower usage today.
Is Fiona a popular name in the U.S. right now?
Fiona has been a steady, well-used choice in the U.S. for years, thanks to its use in books and movies over time. It's not rising as fast as Freya, but it's still one of the more recognizable F names for girls.
What are some old-fashioned F names making a comeback?
Florence, Frida, and Freda have all seen renewed interest as parents look for vintage names with strong histories. Florence in particular has gone from a Victorian staple to a modern "grandmother name" revival, much like Flora and Fern.
