These Rich Girl Names Ooze Affluence Popularity
Cottagecore who? Boho, what? These “rich girl” names aren’t about giving rustic or simple or humble. These names are giving prep school, private jet, second homes in the Hamptons or Vale, European getaways every few months with a tropical locale thrown in a couple times a year for good measure. If a name can give you a first impression of a person, a rich girl name tells you she’s got a designer handbag collection, a closet as big as a normal bedroom (and twice as luxurious), and a platinum card. She’s highly educated, well traveled, cultured, and probably has a killer manicure and good hair to boot.
Rich girl names are related to the “old money” aesthetic, but they’re a bit different; while old money names tend to be a little more understated and classic, rich girl names have a more obviously-affluent vibe. They’re the names of the girls everybody secretly wishes they could trade lives with. Preppy, polished, and posh (and OK, spoiled rotten), they make a statement — and that statement is “I’m getting a massage after my tennis lesson.”
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Daphne
Meaning “laurel” in Greek, Daphne was a mythological nymph who was turned into a laurel tree by her father in order to escape the pursuit of the god Apollo. The name has been a mainstay for decades, but has had a recent boost in popularity thanks to the hit series Bridgerton.
Avery
There’s just something about a surname used as a first that screams “rich girl name,” and Avery is just that. Funny, then, to think that it comes from the same root as the male names Albert and Alberich: the Old German elements alb and rih, meaning “elf king.”
Saylor
The meaning of this name is as straightforward as it gets — “sailor,” of course — but we think swapping out the i for a y gives it a bit of class (and sass!).
Teagan
With possibly the best meaning in this entire rich girl name roundup, we’ve got Teagan, which is of Welsh origin and means “darling.”
Harlow
Another surname-turned-first-name, Harlow is comprised of the Old English elements h?r, meaning “rock,” and hlaw, meaning “hill.” But the only rocks this Harlow calls to mind are diamonds, thanks to the help of the glamorous Old Hollywood movie star Jean Harlow.
Emery
It’s a unisex name, meaning “brave ruler,” but on a girl Emery sounds peppy, preppy, and upscale.
Parker
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what this occupational surname means: “keeper of the park.” It’s also a gender-neutral pick, but has an especially crisp and classic sound when used for a girl.
Ainsley
Ansley is an alternatively-spelled version of this pretty name, which comes from the Old English elements anne and leah, giving it the cool meaning “solitary woods.”
Brighton
The meaning of Brighton is unclear; it could be from the Old English elements beorht and tun, meaning “bright town.” Either way, we love the way it sounds like the word “brighten,” giving it a light and energetic feel.
Schuyler
This name is derived from a Dutch word meaning “scholar” — and though this is its traditional spelling (which we think looks more upscale), you could make it more pronunciation-friendly by spelling it the way it sounds: Skyler.
Lauren
As meanings go, Lauren’s isn’t all that spectacular; it comes from a Roman name meaning “from Laurentum” (an ancient Italian city). But it has an upper-crust vibe thanks to associations with cultural icons like designer Ralph Lauren and Hollywood legend Lauren Bacall.
Peyton
Whether you spell it Peyton or Payton, this is another surname that makes a great gender-neutral first name.
Blair
Derived from the Scottish Gaelic blàr, Blair means “plain” (as in a field, not as in the nothing-special type of plain). If you want to soften the look of it a bit, add an E to the end: Blaire.
Sloane
A surname-turned-first-name, Sloane is derived from the Irish surname ó Sluaghadháin (which is … definitely a lot harder to pronounce than Sloane!) and means “raider”. Fun fact: back when Princess Diana was still just Lady Diana Spencer, she and her inner circle of friends lived in a posh London neighborhood called Sloane Square, helping the name to become synonymous with the upper-crust.
Vanessa
The story behind Vanessa is an interesting one. It’s actually a literary invented name, made up by Jonathan Swift for his poem Cadenus and Vanessa (published in 1726). It’s said that he came by this name when he combined a few letters of his close friend Esther Vanhomrigh’s name (“van” and “es”). In the late 1700s, a butterfly species would be named Vanessa, so you could say the name means “butterfly”.
Hadley
The name Hadley has a lovely meaning: “field of heather”, derived from an Old English place name. It was the name of Ernest Hemingway’s first wife, Elizabeth Hadley Richardson, who was referred to as simply Hadley in all of Hemingway’s books she was mentioned in, including his memoir A Moveable Feast.
Piper
Piper is a peppy, cute name with an even cuter meaning. It comes from the Latin pipere, meaning “to peep”, and was used to describe someone who played the pipes or the flute.
Quinn
This gender-neutral name has some serious cheerleader vibes thanks to a couple of pop culture characters who were cheering on their school teams: Quinn Morgendorfer from MTV’s Daria, and head cheerleader Quinn Fabray from Glee. The name Quinn is the anglicized version of the Gaelic surname ó Cuinn, which means “descendant of Conn”. (Conn is an Irish name meaning “wise” or “chief”.)
Penelope
The origins of the name Penelope are debated. It’s definitely Greek, but from there, the opinions are split. Some say it comes from penelops, meaning “duck”, while other sources maintain that it comes from pene (threads), meaning “weaver”. Either way, it sounds upscale — and comes with a host of cute nickname options like Penny, Pepper, Nell, Elle, and Lola.
Eleanor
There’s a super-cool legend behind the name Eleanor. It’s said that 12-century Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine was the first bearer of the name, and that she was originally named Aenor, after her mother. But in the Proven?al (Occitan) language, she was referred to as alia Aenor — or “the other Aenor” — which gave rise to the Eleanor we know today. As a bonus, this regal name also has a lot of nickname possibilities; Elle is our favorite.
Greer
This perfectly-preppy name comes from the same root as Gregory: the Greek gregoros, meaning “watchful”. Oscar-winning actress Greer Garson popularized this as a female name in the 1940s. Alternatively, it can also be spelled Grier, as Brooke Shields spelled it for her daughter Grier Henchy.
Harper
Harper started as an occupational surname for a person who played the harp (shocker!), usually as a court musician — and it’s still used as a last name today. However, in the 1990s there was a surge in popularity when it came to using last names as first names, especially for girls (looking at you, Taylor!), and Harper fit perfectly into the trend. As of last count, it was nearly within the top 10 most popular girl names per U.S. Social Security Administration data.
Leighton
While Leighton is technically a unisex name, it definitely skews female — probably thanks to actress Leighton Meester who played in Gossip Girl. It’s derived from the surname Layton, which is an English place name derived from the Old English phrase for “town with a leek garden”.
Brooke
From the Old English broc, Brooke comes from, unsurprisingly, someone who lived by a brook or stream. It was used mostly for males (minus the E at the end) until it was popularized for girls by socialite Brooke Astor in the 1950s.
Paisley
Paisley is a surname that comes from a Scottish town of the same name. It likely comes from passeleg, which means “church” or “basilica”, though that’s not 100% certain. It’s also the name of a popular fabric pattern!
Brynn
The word bryn means “hill” in Welsh — and that’s where we get the name Brynn, though elsewhere in the world it’s usually spelled with only one N and given mainly to boys, which makes it technically gender-neutral. There’s a college just outside of Philadelphia called Bryn Mawr, which means “large hill” and is one of the first women’s colleges established in the United States.
Fallon
Fallon is derived from the Irish Gaelic surname ó Fallamháin, which means “leader”. It’s still used as a surname, but thanks in large part to fiery and intelligent heiress Fallon Carrington from the 1980s hit series Dynasty, it’s used as a female name too.
Bianca
If you like the name Blanche but it’s a little too Golden Girls for your taste, why not go with Bianca? It’s the Italian version! Both names come from the Germanic blankaz meaning “white”. Bianca has a decidedly glamourous vibe.
Courtney
Courtney likely comes to us from the French place name Courtenay (derived from the Latin curtus, meaning “short”) — though some sources say it could also be from a nickname meaning “short nose”. Once considered a boy name (check out some others here!), it’s now far more popular for girls.
Briony
Though Briony is technically a nature name (bryony is a type of climbing vine that produces flowers and fruits), it has a preppy feel, unlike other nature names such as Willow and Daisy. It was once used for medicinal purposes and comes from the Greek bryo, meaning “to swell”. As it’s pronounced very similarly to Brian, it would be a great way to pay tribute to a Brian in your life. (And if you’re a Harry Potter fan, the way it’s pronounced rhymes with Hermione.)
Afton
In Swedish, afton means “evening”. It’s also the name of a river in Scotland, and is used as a surname to this day. But like many other surnames that have been transferred to use as first names, Afton has a strong, confident feel.
Darby
Darby is also derived from a surname, one that means “deer town” in Old Norse. But despite its rustic meaning, Darby sounds sophisticated and upscale. Similarly, you could use Darcy, which comes from d’Arcy, used to denote someone from the town of Arcy in the La Manche region of France.
Morgan
This strong unisex name is more popular for girls these days, though you can still find male Morgans (Actor Morgan Freeman and country singer Morgan Wallen come to mind!). It comes from the Welsh male name Morcant, meaning “sea circle”. Of course, its association with wealth comes from American financier and investment banker John Pierpont (J.P.) Morgan, whose JPMorgan Chase Bank is still in business today.
Claire
Coming from the Latin clarus meaning “clear” or “bright”, Claire is the fancier French version of Clara. It can be spelled with or without the E on the end, though the presence of the E makes it seem more feminine.
Meredith
Meredith comes from the Welsh name Meredydd, combined from two words meaning “magnificence” and “lord” (as in the rank, not the divine). It’s another that was once used almost solely for boys, but now has flipped entirely and is used almost exclusively for girls, at least in the United States. If Meredith is a bit too old-fashioned, you could go with Merritt instead. Both fit the “rich girl name” vibe!
Regan
You can pronounce this one REE-gan or RAY-gan (like former President Ronald Reagan), but whichever you choose, its origins are the same — it comes from the Old Irish Riacán, which most likely meant “king”. It’s fresher-sounding than the similar Megan and the R-beginning makes it sound stronger, too.
Tatum
Tatum comes from the English surname Tatham, meaning “Tata’s homestead”. (Tata itself could be related to the Old Norse taitr, meaning “joyful”, so you could say that Tatum shares this meaning.) The youngest-ever Oscar winner, child actress Tatum O’Neal, brought the name into the spotlight for girls in the 1970s. But it’s also a unisex name, as Khloé Kardashian used it for her son.
Hollis
Hollis is the new Holly — or at least the rich girl version. It comes from the Middle English holis, meaning “holly trees”. That said, it could be perfect for a Christmastime baby!
Whitney
Whitney just so happens to be the surname of one of the wealthiest and most prominent American families, so even though it’s not a newly-popular pick, it’s a classic rich girl name. The Whitney family is known for both horse racing and their philanthropy; the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York was established by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney. The name was originally from an Old English place name meaning “white island”.
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