Girl names that start with C run from favorites like Charlotte, Chloe, Claire and Clara to rare picks like Calanthe, Clemency and Christabel, and this list of 146 gives a checked origin and meaning for every one.
C is a generous letter for naming a daughter. It holds one name in the current U.S. top 10 (Charlotte, at No. 2 for babies born in 2025, according to the Social Security Administration), plus saints’ names, flower names and names from languages around the world.
We grouped the C girl names by style: classic, unique, short, long, vintage, nature, mythology, biblical, international and gender neutral. Then come the hard C, soft C and Ch sounds, nicknames, sibling and middle name ideas, and a quick initials check.
Key Takeaways
- Charlotte is the only C name in the SSA top 10 for either girls or boys born in 2025, at No. 2 for girls.
- Familiar C names for girls include Chloe, Claire, Clara, Caroline, Cora, Cecilia, Catalina and Camila.
- Rare options include Calanthe, Christabel, Clemency, Celestia, Celandine and Chrysanta.
- C makes several sounds in names: hard in Cora, soft in Cecilia, and Ch shifts from Charlotte to Chloe, so check how each name is said.
- Test your favorite with the initials, say it out loud, spelling and nickname checks before you decide.
Table of Contents
Girl Names That Start With C at a Glance
Quick Answer
Every origin and meaning here was checked against the name’s entry on Behind the Name in October 2026. Where the reference calls a meaning unknown, uncertain or debated, we say so.
Start with the best known baby girl names that start with C. For ideas beyond one letter, see our main list of baby girl names, or compare with girl names that start with A and girl names that start with J.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte | French, English, German and more | French feminine pet form of Charles, from a Germanic word for “man” (or, by another theory, “army”) |
| Chloe | English, Ancient Greek, biblical | “Green shoot” in Greek; an epithet of the goddess Demeter |
| Camila | Spanish, Portuguese | Spanish and Portuguese form of Camilla |
| Claire | French, English | French form of Clara |
| Clara | German, Spanish, Italian, English and more | Feminine form of Latin Clarus: “clear, bright, famous” |
| Caroline | French, English, German and more | French feminine form of Carolus, the Latin name behind Charles |
| Cora | English, German | Latinized form of Kore: “maiden” in Greek, another name for the goddess Persephone |
| Cecilia | English, Italian, Spanish and more | From the Roman family name Caecilius, from Latin caecus: “blind”; Saint Cecilia is the patron saint of music |
| Catalina | Spanish, Corsican | Spanish and Corsican form of Katherine |
| Catherine | French, English | French form of Katherine, a name of debated origin that was later linked with Greek katharos, “pure” |
| Camilla | English, Italian, Danish, Swedish and more | Feminine form of Camillus, a Roman name of unknown meaning; a warrior maiden in Virgil’s Aeneid |
| Callie | English | Pet form of Caroline, and sometimes of names beginning with Cal |
| Christina | English, German, Swedish, Greek and more | From Christiana, the Latin feminine form of Christian: “a Christian” |
| Cassandra | English, French; Greek mythology | From Greek Kassandra, possibly “to excel” plus “man”; the Trojan princess whose prophecies no one believed |
| Caitlin | Irish, English | Anglicized form of the Irish name Caitlín |
| Carmen | Spanish, English, Italian and more | Medieval Spanish form of Carmel; the spelling was shaped by Latin carmen, “song” |
| Carolina | Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, English, Swedish | Latinate feminine form of Carolus, the Latin name behind Charles |
| Chelsea | English | From a London district: “landing place for chalk or limestone” in Old English |
| Crystal | English | From the English word for clear, colorless glass; from Greek krystallos, “ice” |
| Cynthia | English, French, Dutch; Greek mythology | “Woman from Cynthus”, an epithet of the moon goddess Artemis |
| Céline | French | French feminine form of Caelinus; also a short form of Marceline |
| Colette | French | Short form of Nicolette; Saint Colette was a 15th-century French nun |
The Social Security Administration (SSA) does not combine different spellings of similar names. Its own example is a C name: Caitlin, Caitlyn, Kaitlin and the other spellings each get a separate rank. The same goes for Catherine and Katherine, or Chloe and Khloe.
It also helps to know that four old names sit behind a large share of this letter. If you like one member of a family, the others are worth a look:
- The Clara family: Clara, Claire, Clare, Chiara, Clarice, Clarissa, Clarinda and Claribel all go back to Latin Clarus, “clear, bright, famous”.
- The Charles family: Charlotte, Caroline, Carolina, Carolyn, Carlotta, Callie and Charlie are all feminine or pet forms connected to Charles.
- The Katherine family: Catherine, Catalina, Caterina and Catrin are the French, Spanish, Italian and Welsh forms of Katherine, and Cate is a spelling of its pet form Kate.
- The Cecilia family: Cecilia, Cecily, Cécile, Cecilie and the pet form Cece.
Unique and Rare Girl Names That Start With C
Looking for unique girl names that start with C? Behind the Name marks several of these as rare in English, and the rest are uncommon in the United States. Most are still easy to say and spell, and several are built from familiar pieces such as Clara and Christina.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Calista | English; rare in Portuguese and Spanish | Feminine form of Callistus, from Greek kallistos: “most beautiful” |
| Christabel | English (rare) | Christina plus the ending bel, from Latin bella: “beautiful”; the title of an 1816 poem by Coleridge |
| Clemency | English (rare) | Medieval variant of Clemence; also the English word for mercy, from Latin clemens, “merciful” |
| Clarity | English (rare) | From the English word; from Latin clarus, “clear” |
| Celestia | English (rare) | Feminine form of Caelestius, from the Latin root caelum: “heaven, sky” |
| Clarinda | English | Clara plus the name suffix inda; first used by Edmund Spenser in The Faerie Queene (1590) |
| Claribel | English | Clara plus the ending bel; used by Spenser, Shakespeare and Tennyson |
| Corinna | German, Italian, English; Ancient Greek | From Greek kore: “maiden”; a Greek lyric poet of the 5th century BC |
| Cambria | Various (rare) | Latin form of Cymru, the Welsh name for Wales |
| Cosima | Italian | Italian feminine form of Cosimo |
To see where a name stands, use the Popularity of a Name search on the SSA baby names page. The SSA leaves names with fewer than 5 occurrences out of its lists to protect privacy, so the very rarest names will not show up at all. More ideas: our unique girl names guide.
Short C Names for Girls (4 Letters)
Short C names are quick to spell and pair well with a long surname. Most of the ones below started as pet forms or respellings of longer names and now stand on their own.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Cara | English, Irish | From an Italian word meaning “beloved” or an Irish word meaning “friend” |
| Cate | English (rare) | Variant of Kate |
| Cali | English (modern) | Variant of Callie |
| Coco | Various | Pet form of names beginning with Co, influenced by the word cocoa |
| Cece | English | Pet form of Cecilia and other names with a similar sound |
| Cloe | Spanish, Italian | Spanish and Italian form of Chloe |
| Cori | English | Feminine form of Corey |
| Cari | English | Variant of Carrie |
| Cáit | Irish | Short form of Caitríona |
| Chie | Japanese | “Thousand” plus “branch”, “favor, benefit” or “picture”, depending on the characters |
Cara is not a pet form of anything: the reference traces it to an Italian word for “beloved” or an Irish word for “friend”. A few more four-letter choices sit in other tables on this page: Cora, Clio, Cleo, Cruz and Chun.
Long, Elegant and Vintage C Names
Longer C names bring built-in nicknames and a formal option for later in life. Several are the Italian or Latin forms of names you already know.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Clementine | English | English form of the French name Clémentine |
| Constance | English, French | Medieval form of Constantia; brought to England by the Normans |
| Cornelia | German, Italian, Dutch, English, Ancient Roman | Feminine form of Cornelius, a Roman family name possibly from Latin cornu: “horn” |
| Christiana | English, Late Roman | Latin feminine form of Christian: “a Christian” |
| Clarissa | English, Italian | Latinate form of Clarice; the heroine of Samuel Richardson’s 1748 novel |
| Carlotta | Italian | Italian form of Charlotte |
| Caterina | Italian, Catalan | Italian and Catalan form of Katherine |
| Clementina | Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Ancient Roman | Feminine form of Clemens or Clementius, the names behind Clement: “merciful, gentle” |
| Celestina | Spanish, Italian | Latinate feminine form of Caelestinus |
These vintage picks feel familiar from older generations. Many are medieval or French forms of Clara, Cecilia and Christina.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Cecily | English | English form of Cecilia, and the usual English form in the Middle Ages |
| Clarice | English | Medieval form of the Late Latin name Claritia, a derivative of Clara |
| Clare | English | Medieval English form of Clara |
| Claudette | French | French pet form of Claude |
| Carolyn | English | Variant of Caroline |
| Christine | French, English, German and more | French form of Christina |
| Cheryl | English | Elaboration of Cherie, perhaps influenced by Beryl |
| Cindy | English, French, Dutch | Pet form of Cynthia or Lucinda |
| Colleen | English | From the Irish word cailín: “girl”; not commonly used in Ireland itself |
| Chantal | French, English, Dutch | From a French surname taken from a place name meaning “stony” |
| Charity | English | From the English word; from Latin carus, “dear, beloved” |
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Nature C Names: Flowers, Fruit, Sea and Sky
Many pretty girl names that start with C come from the natural world. C is especially rich in flower names, from everyday Clover to rare Celandine, and two of them are orchids. For more, see our flower names list.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Calla | English | From the calla lily and the true calla, two white-flowered plants; perhaps also from Greek kallos, “beauty” |
| Camellia | English (rare) | The flowering shrub, named after the botanist and missionary Georg Josef Kamel |
| Clover | English (modern) | The wild flower; from Old English clafre |
| Celandine | English (rare) | The flower; from Greek chelidon, “swallow (bird)” |
| Clematis | English (rare) | The flowering vine; from Greek klema, “twig, branch” |
| Calanthe | English (rare) | A type of orchid: “beautiful flower”, from Greek kalos and anthos |
| Cataleya | Spanish (Latin American, modern), English (modern) | Variant of cattleya, an orchid genus native to Central and South America |
| Columbine | English (rare); theater | From the name of a flower; also the English form of Colombina, a theater character |
| Chrysanta | English (rare) | Shortened from chrysanthemum: “golden flower” in Greek |
| Capucine | French | “Nasturtium” in French |
| Cherry | English | The fruit; also a pet form of Charity |
| Cerise | French | “Cherry” in French |
| Coral | English, Spanish | The sea deposit that builds reefs; from Greek korallion |
| Coralie | French | Either a French form of Koralia or from Latin coralium, “coral” |
| Cielo | Spanish | “Sky, heaven” |
| Citlali | Nahuatl | Variant of Citlalli: “star” |
Capucine and Cerise are everyday French words used as names, for the nasturtium flower and the cherry. Cielo and Citlali look up instead of down: sky in Spanish and star in Nahuatl. Chloe belongs in this group in spirit too, since its Greek meaning is “green shoot”, for the fresh plant growth of spring.
Mythology, Literature and Biblical C Names
Greek and Roman myth supply most of these, joined by a Phrygian goddess, a Welsh legend and three names made famous by two plays and a novel. For Cybele the reference gives no known meaning, and for Cordelia and Cressida it gives a history but no meaning.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Calliope | Greek mythology (Latinized) | Latinized form of Kalliope: “beautiful voice”; the Muse of epic poetry and eloquence |
| Calypso | Greek mythology (Latinized) | Probably “she that conceals”; the nymph who kept Odysseus on her island for seven years |
| Cassiopeia | Greek mythology (Latinized) | Possibly “cassia juice”; the mother of Andromeda, placed among the stars as a constellation |
| Circe | Greek mythology (Latinized) | Possibly from Greek kirkos, “hawk”; the sorceress of Homer’s Odyssey |
| Clio | Greek mythology (Latinized); rare in Italian | Latinized form of Kleio, from Greek kleos: “glory”; the Muse of history and heroic poetry |
| Chloris | Greek mythology | From Greek chloros: “pale green”; a minor goddess of vegetation |
| Ceres | Roman mythology | From a root meaning “to grow”; the Roman goddess of agriculture |
| Concordia | Roman mythology | “Harmony” in Latin; the Roman goddess of harmony and peace |
| Cybele | Near Eastern mythology (Latinized) | Meaning unknown, possibly from Phrygian roots meaning “stone” or “hair”; a Phrygian mother goddess |
| Ceridwen | Welsh | Possibly “bent, crooked” plus “woman” or “white, blessed”; a sorceress in the Tale of Taliesin |
| Cordelia | Literature; English | From Cordeilla in Geoffrey of Monmouth’s 12th-century chronicles; the loyal youngest daughter in Shakespeare’s King Lear (1606) |
| Cressida | Literature | Form of Criseida, used by Shakespeare in Troilus and Cressida (1602); the entry gives no meaning |
| Cosette | French; literature | From French chosette, “little thing”; the nickname of Fantine’s daughter in Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables (1862) |
Biblical girl names that start with C are few. The best known is Chloe from the first table: per Behind the Name, the name is mentioned by Paul in one of his New Testament letters. The table below adds Candace and Claudia from the New Testament, plus two modern Hebrew forms of Old Testament names and one name taken from a biblical place.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Candace | English, biblical | The title of the queens of Ethiopia in the Book of Acts (New Testament); apparently from a Meroitic word for “queen mother” |
| Claudia | English, German, Italian, Spanish, biblical and more | Feminine form of Claudius, possibly from Latin claudus, “lame”; mentioned briefly in the New Testament |
| Chana | Hebrew | Modern Hebrew form of Hannah: “favor, grace”; Hannah is the mother of Samuel (Old Testament) |
| Chava | Hebrew | Modern Hebrew form of Eve: “to breathe” or “to live”; Eve is the first woman in Genesis |
| Carmel | English | From the title Our Lady of Mount Carmel; Hebrew Karmel, “garden”, is a mountain named in the Old Testament |
International C Names by Language
Origins below use the reference’s own usage labels. Several of these names come from Catholic devotion to the Virgin Mary, which is why Spanish and Italian give us Concepción, Consuelo, Caridad and Concetta.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Clémence | French | French feminine form of Clementius, a name related to Clement: “merciful, gentle” |
| Cécile | French | French form of Cecilia |
| Clotilde | French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish | From a Frankish name: “fame, glory” plus “battle”; Saint Clotilde was the wife of the Frankish king Clovis |
| Chiara | Italian | Italian form of Clara |
| Concetta | Italian | “Conceived” in Italian, for the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary |
| Costanza | Italian | Italian feminine form of Constans, a Latin name meaning “steadfast” |
| Consuelo | Spanish | “Consolation” in Spanish, from the title Our Lady of Consolation |
| Concepción | Spanish | “Conception” in Spanish, for the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary |
| Candela | Spanish | Short form of Candelaria: “Candlemas” in Spanish, from candela, “candle” |
| Caridad | Spanish | “Charity” in Spanish, from the title Our Lady of Charity |
| Caoimhe | Irish | From Irish caomh: “dear, beloved, gentle” |
| Ciara | Irish | Feminine form of Ciar, from Irish ciar: “black” |
| Clodagh | Irish | From the Clodiagh, a small river in County Waterford |
| Catriona | Irish, Scottish | Anglicized form of Irish Caitríona and Scottish Gaelic Caitrìona |
| Carys | Welsh | From Welsh caru: “love” |
| Catrin | Welsh, German | Welsh form of Katherine; in German, a short form of Katharina |
| Cordula | German, Late Roman | “Little heart” in Late Latin |
| Cecilie | Norwegian, Danish, Czech | Norwegian and Danish form of Cecilia |
| Cajsa | Swedish | Variant of Kajsa |
Irish spelling follows its own rules, so learn the sound before you fall for the look: Behind the Name gives Caoimhe as /ˈkiː.vʲə/, with a K sound at the start and a V sound in the middle. Clodagh comes from a river, the Clodiagh in County Waterford. There are more in our Irish girl names guide.
For Japanese names, the meaning depends on the characters a family chooses, so treat each gloss as one common reading. The Igbo names below all begin with Chi, which their entries gloss as God.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Chaya | Hebrew | From a Hebrew word meaning “living”; considered a feminine form of Chaim |
| Chiyo | Japanese | “Thousand” plus “generation” or “world”, depending on the characters |
| Chika | Japanese | “Thousand”, “wisdom” or “to scatter” plus “good, beautiful” or “flower”, depending on the characters |
| Chiyoko | Japanese | “Thousand” plus “generation” plus “child” in one common spelling |
| Chinatsu | Japanese | “Thousand” plus “summer” in one common spelling |
| Chiamaka | Igbo | “God is more beautiful” |
| Chidimma | Igbo | “God is good” |
| Chinyere | Igbo | “God gave” |
| Chioma | Igbo | “Good God” |
| Chipo | Shona | “Gift” |
Print accents exactly as the name is spelled (Céline, Clémence, Cáit, Concepción). U.S. paperwork does not always carry accents, so decide ahead of time whether you are comfortable seeing the name without them. If a name comes from a culture outside your own family, learn how it is pronounced and used before you commit.
Gender Neutral C Names
Behind the Name lists each of these as both feminine and masculine. Many began as Scottish, Irish or English surnames, and a few are feminine in one language and masculine in another. You will find more in our gender neutral names guide.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Charlie | English | Pet form or feminine form of Charles |
| Cameron | English | From a Scottish surname: “crooked nose” in Gaelic; used mainly for boys |
| Camryn | English (modern) | Variant of Cameron, typically feminine |
| Carson | English | From a Scottish surname of uncertain meaning |
| Casey | English | From an Irish surname: “descendant of Cathassach” |
| Cassidy | English (modern) | From an Irish surname: “descendant of Caiside” |
| Campbell | English | From a Scottish surname: “crooked mouth” in Gaelic |
| Chandler | English | From an occupational surname: “candle seller” or “candle maker” |
| Collins | English | From a surname of Irish or English origin |
| Courtney | English | From an aristocratic surname: either a French place name or a Norman nickname meaning “short nose” |
| Connie | English | Pet form of Constance and other names beginning with Con; occasionally masculine |
| Camille | French, English | French feminine and masculine form of Camilla; in English, generally feminine only |
| Celeste | Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, English | Form of the Late Latin name Caelestis: “of the sky, heavenly”; feminine and masculine in Italian |
| Cleo | English | Short form of Cleopatra, Cleon or Cleopas |
| Cedar | English (rare) | The coniferous tree; from Greek kedros |
| Cruz | Spanish, Portuguese | “Cross”, referring to the cross of the crucifixion |
| Charis | Ancient Greek, Greek | Ancient Greek feminine form of Chares and the word for one of the three Graces; masculine in modern Greek |
| Chihiro | Japanese | “Thousand” plus “fathom, armspan” in one common spelling |
| Chun | Chinese | From a character meaning “spring (season)”; other characters are possible |
| Chandra | Hindi, Bengali, Tamil and more; Hinduism | “Moon” in Sanskrit |
| Chanda | Hindi; Hinduism | “Fierce, hot, passionate” in Sanskrit; the feminine form is an epithet of the goddess Durga |
Why C Names Are Loved: Sounds and Nicknames
A few plain reasons parents keep coming back to names that start with C:
- One letter, several sounds: a hard C (Cora, Clara), a soft C (Cecilia, Celeste) and Ch, which changes again from Charlotte to Chloe.
- Charlotte gives the letter a current favorite, and Clara, Catherine and Cecilia give it centuries of history.
- The letter spans many languages, from French and Spanish to Irish, Welsh, Hebrew, Japanese and Igbo.
- Many long C names shorten neatly into an everyday nickname.
The sound matters because people will read the name before they hear it. This table shows the first sound of a dozen C names, using the pronunciation printed on each name’s Behind the Name entry (in the International Phonetic Alphabet).
| Name | Pronunciation (IPA) | First sound |
|---|---|---|
| Cora | /ˈkɔɹ.ə/ (English) | Hard C, like K |
| Callie | /ˈkæl.i/ | Hard C, like K |
| Caoimhe | /ˈkiː.vʲə/ (Irish) | Hard C, like K |
| Cajsa | /ˈkaj.sa/ (Swedish) | Hard C, like K |
| Cecilia | /sɛ.ˈsiː.li.ə/ (English) | Soft C, like S |
| Cece | /ˈsi.si/ | Soft C, like S |
| Céline | /se.lin/ (French) | Soft C, like S |
| Charlotte | /ˈʃɑɹ.lət/ (American English) | Ch like SH |
| Chloe | /ˈkloʊ.i/ (English) | Ch like K |
| Chrysanta | /kɹɪ.ˈsæn.tə/ | Ch like K |
| Chiyo | /t͡ɕi.jo̞/ (Japanese) | A ch sound |
| Chaya | /ˈχa.ja/ (Hebrew) | A throaty kh sound |
As a rule of thumb from the names above, C before a, o, u or a consonant is hard, and C before e or i is soft. Ch names are the ones to check one by one. Charlotte, a French name in origin, opens with an SH sound. Chloe and Chrysanta, both from Greek, open with a K sound. The Hebrew names Chaya, Chana and Chava are all printed with the same throaty opening sound, and the Japanese name Chiyo starts with a ch sound. If relatives will meet the name on a card before they hear it, tell them how it is said.
| Full name | Nickname ideas |
|---|---|
| Charlotte | Charlie, Lottie |
| Caroline, Carolyn | Callie, Cali, Cari, Carrie |
| Catherine | Cate, Cathy, Cat |
| Cecilia, Cecily | Cece, Celia |
| Cassandra, Cassidy | Cass, Cassie |
| Christina, Christiana | Chris, Chrissy, Christy, Tina |
| Clementine, Clemency | Clemmie |
| Constance | Connie |
| Cynthia | Cindy |
| Candace | Candy |
| Camilla | Cammie, Millie |
| Cameron, Camryn | Cam |
| Cornelia, Cordula, Corinna | Cora (a German short form of all three) |
| Cheryl | Cher |
| Catalina, Carolina | Lina |
| Concepción | Concha, Conchita |
| Consuelo | Chelo |
| Catrin | Cadi (Welsh) |
| Catriona | Cáit (Irish) |
| Chiamaka, Chinyere, Chioma | Chi, Chichi |
Sibling, Twin and Middle Name Ideas
These pairings are ideas, not rules. Sister or twin sets that share a letter work best when the names differ in length, ending or first sound:
- Clara and Cora
- Charlotte and Caroline
- Chloe and Claire
- Cecilia and Camille
- Celeste and Calla
- Catalina and Camila
- Caoimhe and Clodagh
- Chiara and Costanza
- Chaya and Chana
- Clementine and Cordelia
If you want the names to match without rhyming, pair across the sounds: a soft C with a hard C (Cecilia and Clara) or a Ch name with a plain C (Charlotte and Cora). Pairs from one language, such as Caoimhe and Clodagh or Chiara and Costanza, share a style without sharing a meaning.
For a brother, match from boy names that start with E or boy names that start with L, or keep the letter with Cameron, Carson, Casey or Campbell from the table above.
For middle names, contrast helps. A short middle balances a long first name, and a longer middle gives a short first name some weight. A double C is a classic choice: Charlotte Claire, Cora Celeste, Clara Camille, Chloe Catherine or Cecilia Cate. If you would rather vary the initials, try Charlotte Eve, Cora Katherine or Clara Hannah.
The Initials Check and Other Quick Tests
Before you settle on girl names that start with C, run each finalist through four quick tests:
- Initials: write out first, middle and last initials. C.A.T. is charming and C.C. has a nice ring. Other combinations spell words you would not choose, so swap the middle name if you spot a problem.
- Say it out loud: call the full name across a room. Check whether a hard C first name runs into a surname that starts with C or K, and whether people hear Ch the way you mean it.
- Spelling: many C names have a K twin (Catherine and Katherine, Caitlin and Kaitlin, Cara and Kara, Chloe and Khloe). Decide whether you mind saying “with a C” for years.
- Nicknames: check the table above. If you dislike the obvious short form, assume someone will use it anyway.
One more check is optional: how common the name is. Charlotte is No. 2 for girls born in 2025, so she is likely to meet other Charlottes along the way. Some parents like that and some do not. For any other name, the SSA’s Popularity of a Name search lets you look a name up by sex and range of years, which is a quick way to tell familiar from truly rare.
If you are stuck between two finalists, try each one in the sentences you will say most: calling her to the table, introducing her to a neighbor, spelling it for a receptionist. The name that feels easy after a few days of that is usually the one.
Related Betteroo Guides
- Girl names that start with A
- Girl names that start with J
- Baby girl names
- Unique girl names
- Gender neutral names
- Middle names
The Bottom Line
The letter C covers nearly every style: Charlotte near the top of the charts, quiet classics like Clara, Claire and Cecilia, rare finds like Calanthe and Christabel, flower names like Clover and Camellia, and names from French, Spanish, Italian, Irish, Welsh, Hebrew, Japanese and Igbo. Shortlist three to five, check the meaning, test the initials and the sound, and say each one out loud for a week.
Then give yourself permission to stop looking. A name you have checked, said aloud and still like after a week is a good name.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most popular girl names that start with C?
Charlotte leads. It ranked No. 2 for girls born in the United States in 2025, according to the Social Security Administration, and it is the only C name in either top 10. Other familiar C names include Chloe, Claire, Clara, Caroline, Cora, Cecilia, Catalina and Camila.
What are rare girl names that start with C?
Rare C names include Calanthe, Christabel, Clemency, Clarity, Celestia, Celandine, Clematis and Chrysanta. Behind the Name marks each of them as rare in English. The Social Security Administration leaves names with fewer than 5 occurrences out of its lists, so the very rarest never appear there.
What are cute or pretty C names for girls?
Taste is personal, but meaning can help. Cara may come from an Italian word for beloved, Carys comes from the Welsh word for love, Caoimhe means dear and gentle in Irish, Cielo means sky in Spanish, and Calista traces back to a Greek word for most beautiful. Clover, Calla and Camellia are flower names.
What are short girl names that start with C?
Short C names with four letters include Cara, Cate, Cali, Coco, Cece, Cloe, Cori, Cari and Cora, plus Cleo and Cruz, which are listed for both girls and boys. Several began as pet forms: Cece is short for Cecilia, Cali is a variant of Callie, and Cate is a spelling of Kate.
What are biblical girl names that start with C?
The list is short. Chloe is mentioned by Paul in the New Testament, Claudia appears there briefly, and Candace is the title of the queens of Ethiopia in the Book of Acts. Chana and Chava are the modern Hebrew forms of Hannah and Eve, and Carmel is a mountain named in the Old Testament.
Which C names work for both girls and boys?
Charlie, Cameron, Carson, Casey, Cassidy, Campbell, Chandler, Collins and Courtney are all listed by Behind the Name as both feminine and masculine. So are Cedar, Cleo and Cruz, Chihiro from Japanese and Chun from Chinese. Camille is feminine and masculine in French but generally feminine only in English.
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Related Betteroo Guides
- girl names that start with K
- girl names that start with E
- girl names that start with L
- girl names that start with M
- girl names that start with S
7 Sources
- Social Security Administration. Popular Baby Names (top 10 names of 2025).
https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/index.html - Social Security Administration. Background Information for Popular Names.
https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/background.html - Behind the Name. Browse Names: feminine English names with the first letter C.
https://www.behindthename.com/names/gender/feminine/usage/english/letter/c - Behind the Name. Meaning, origin and history of the name Charlotte.
https://www.behindthename.com/name/charlotte - Behind the Name. Meaning, origin and history of the name Chloe.
https://www.behindthename.com/name/chloe - Behind the Name. Meaning, origin and history of the name Katherine.
https://www.behindthename.com/name/katherine - Behind the Name. Meaning, origin and history of the name Caoimhe.
https://www.behindthename.com/name/caoimhe
