naming ideas

The naming of dolls is a difficult matter. Me, I like names that suit. If I do a historical doll with great attention to period detail, it just doesn't work to name her Kayla. A mermaid should not be Gaea or Ashley; a wood nymph should not be Jane or Christine, and a medieval princess should not be called Dakota (actually, nobody should be called Dakota, but I digress).

So here we have some popular themes and some good names to go with them. Note that I ganked all these off the Internet, where baby name meanings, like reports of microwaved poodles, are often completely made up -- but they're only dolls, after all.

Mermaids

Adella, Alana, Alcyone, Anahita, Andrina, Aphrodite, Ariel, Arista, Aquata, Asherah, Atlantica, Attina, Ava, Calypso, Clytie, Cordaella, Cordelia, Deniz, Derya, Doris, Dylana, Galia, Halimeda, Ianthe, Irmak, Jiang, Kai, Kaimana, Llyra, Lorelei, Lynette, Lynn, Lyra, Mara, Marajha, Mariel, Marina, Maris, Marissa, Mayim, Meena, Melody, Meredith, Moana, Morgan, Morgaine, Muireann, Muriel, Nahal, Naida, Nereida, Nerissa, Niamh, Nilofer, Nimue, Nina, Niniane, Oceana, Oceane, Ondine, Pacifica, Pelagia, Saranna, Saraswati, Serena, Shui, Sirena, Rhea, Rilla, Tallulah, Tiamat, Thalassa, Undine, Vanessa, Vivienne

Faeries

Adina, Aeval, Alata, Aleda, Aletta, Arafel, Ariel, Arwen, Aubrey, Bindi, Breena, Deva, Devika, Donella, Duscha, Elfreda, Elfhild, Ella, Elvina, Erlina, Fata, Fay, Faye, Firiel, Gracilia, Hada, Kallima, Kimimela, Mab, Maeve, Maia, Meinwen, Miriel, Neveah, Nida, Nissa, Nova, Nyx, Odile, Odette, Orenda, Parisa, Parvanah, Peaseblossom, Pixie, Radella, Rhian, Rhiannon, Riselka, Rusalka, Sayuri, Senga, Serafina, Tania, Tien, Titania, Vanessa, Zipporah

Angels

Amala, Ambriel, Angela, Angelia, Angelica, Araceli, Ariadne, Arianna, Avari, Celeste, Celestine, Charity, Chiela, Ciela, Cleo, Dina, Faith, Gabrielle, Hope, Hosanna, Inara, Jera, Joie, Kalani, Ksena, Lani, Malaika, Mumiah, Niamh, Noelani, Noelle, Odelia, Olga, Raphaelle, Tehila, Seraphine, Shekinah, Solange, Tariana, Tevy, Trinity, Tuyen, Verity, Zakiah

Victorian

Agnes, Alice, Amelia, Anna, Annabel, Arabella, Bertha, Charlotte, Christabel, Clara, Clarissa, Dora, Dorothy, Edith, Elizabeth, Ellen, Emma, Emmaline, Enid, Ethel, Florence, Georgina, Gwendolen, Harriet, Hazel, Helen, Henrietta, Honoria, Jane, Josephine, Julia, Katherine, Lavinia, Lily, Louisa, Lucy, Lydia, Rosalind, Rose, Rosemary, Ruby, Margaret, Maria, Marie, Mary, Maud, Myra, Pearl, Sarah, Victoria, Violet

Medieval

Agatha, Agnes, Alyson, Amfelice, Amice, Audrey, Beatrix, Berta, Betrise, Blanche, Cecily, Cedany, Christiana, Claramunda, Clementia, Constance, Edith, Editha, Elianora, Emma, Felicia, Gilda, Giselle, Godeleva, Grace, Griselda, Gunilda, Hawise, Helen, Helena, Hilda, Inga, Isabel, Isemay, Ivetta, Jacquetta, Jennet, Joan, Joanna, Kateryn, Katherine, Letice, Loveday, Lucia, Mabilla, Madselin, Margery, Marget, Martha, Mary, Matilda, Maude, Melisent, Nichola, Petronilla, Philippa, Prudence, Ragnild, Richild, Rohesia, Rosamund, Susanna, Sybille, Theda, Wolfleda, Yllaria, Ysmena, Ysolt

Colors

Coral, Garnet, Raisa, Rhoda, Rose, Rosette, Ruby, Rufina, Scarlett; Rusty, Saffron, Sienna; Amber, Aurelia, Chrysanta, Flavia, Fulvia, Gilda, Golda, Kim, Melina, Oriana, Xanthe; Beryl, Chloe, Chloris, Emeraude, Esmeralda, Jade, Midori, Orna, Phyllida; Azura, Lazuli, Meena, Nila, Sapphira, Sini, Skye, Sunila; Ianthe, Iolanthe, Iona, Jacinta, Lavender, Lilac, Ljubica, Melantha, Porphyria, Violet, Yolanda; Alba, Blanche, Candida, Ceinwen, Gauri, Gwen, Lily, Pearl, Tuyet, Whitney; Ciara, Ebony, Jetta, Kanika, Melanie; Enfys, Iris, Ixchel, Keshet