We made a list of 56 strong female names, based on many historical women, who were fighters, resistant, firm, and intelligent, and transformers.
Based on historical examples of fighters, resisters, firmers, and intelligent females, and transformers, we made a list of 56 strong female names.
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Strong Female Names
- Eve
Eva Perón was the first lady of Argentina from 1946 to 1952 and the wife of Juan Perón. She moved from her hometown to Argentina at the age of sixteen to try her hand at acting.
Her name means “the living one”, “the living one”, “the one with life” or “full of life”.
- Simone
Simone de Beauvoir was a great philosopher and thinker, in addition to being a writer, activist, and participant in the French existentialist movement.
Her name has a French origin, being the feminine of Simon, and means “she heard” or, by extension, “listener”, or “obedient”.
- Cecilia
Cecília Meireles was one of the first Brazilian writers to become famous.
She means “wise” or “the keeper of musicians”.
- Marie
Marie Curie was born in Warsaw, Poland, but became a French naturalist. She was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Physics and also the first to hold a teaching position at the Sorbonne (University of Paris).
Marie is a French variant of the name Maria and comes from the Hebrew Myriam, which means “sovereign lady” or “the seer”. It also has its origin in the Sanskrit Maryáh, and means “purity”, “virtue”, and “virginity”.
- Margaret
Margaret Thatcher or better known as ‘The Iron Lady’, was the first woman who held the position of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, remaining in power for eleven years.
Margaret is an English derivation of the name Daisy, which comes from the Greek margarítes, and means “pearl”.
- Valentine
Valentina Tereshkova was the first woman in space. The astronaut traveled aboard the spacecraft Vostok 6, through the Russian space program Vostok.
Valentina is very popular in Russia, it comes from the Latin Valentinus and means “valiant”, “strong”, “vigorous”, and “full of health”.
- Eleanor or Eleanor
Eleanor Roosevelt was a human rights activist, serving as the first lady of the United States for twelve years. She advocated that women, African-Americans, and working people have equal rights.
Eleanor means “the one who shines” or “resplendent”. In Brazil the variation Eleonor is more common.
- Pink
Rosa Parks was an American black woman who in 1955 refused to give up her bus seat to a white man. Rosa has become a symbol of the struggle against racial segregation. At the time, US law forced black people to give up their seats to white people.
Pink means “beautiful flower”, “famous kind” or “famous kind”.
- Nadia
Nadia Comăneci is a former Romanian gymnast who achieved the first perfect ten, i.e. the first perfect score at the Olympic Games.
Nadia comes from the Arabic Naadiya, which means “messenger” and “herald”.
- Joan
Joan of Arc is one of the most famous female personalities in history. She was a warrior and military leader who helped her country, France, in the war with England. The end of her story was not very happy, as she was burned alive at the stake at just 19 years old.
Joana means “God is full of grace”, “graced by God” “God’s grace and mercy” and “God forgives”.
Best strong female names
- Mary
Mary Shelley was a novelist and the author of the Gothic novel Frankenstein.
Mary is an English version of Mary. This comes from the Hebrew Myriam, which means “sovereign lady” or “the seer”. It may also have come from the Sanskrit Maryáh, literally meaning “purity”, “virtue”, and “virginity”.
- Frida
As an icon in the world of arts and one of the main Mexican and world painters, Frida Kahlo overcame several tragedies throughout her life, becoming a symbol in the feminist movement.
Her name means “the peaceful one”, “the one who brings peace” or “princess of peace”.
- Anita
Anita Garibaldi was a great Brazilian revolutionary, who fought in the Farroupilha Revolution and the Battle of Curitibanos in Brazil, as well as fought for the unification of Italy in the Battle of Gianicolo.
Her name comes from the Hebrew Hannah, which means “gracious” or “full of grace”.
- Helen or Ellen
Helen Keller is one of the world’s greatest examples of resilience. When she was still a baby, she lost her hearing and her sight, but she had a dream of going to university and studying art. Helen was the first deaf-blind person to earn a degree in fine arts.
It means “the one that glitters”, “the one that shines”, or “shining”.
- Nelle
Nelle Harper Lee, better known as Harper Lee, was the writer of one of the greatest successes in contemporary American literature: “The Sun Is for Everyone”, released in 1960.
Nelle is a variant of the feminine Nell, which is a medieval diminutive of names starting with El, like Eleanor or Ellen.
- Indira
Indira Gandhi was the first woman to serve as the head of government in India.
Her name means “Beauty”; “drops of rain”, has Sanskrit origin and is also the name of the wife of one of the main Hindu gods, Vishnu.
- Virginia
Virginia Woolf was one of the greatest writers of the 20th century. She fought for a woman’s place, mainly in the field of writing, in addition to being a literary revolutionary.
Her name means “virgin”, and “maiden”, with origin in Latin Virginia.
- Octavia
As one of the main representatives of the science fiction genre, African-American writer Octavia Butler was a visionary woman who imagined a very likely alternative future, full of social and political criticism.
The name Octavia comes from Latin and means “eighth”, or “eighth daughter”.
- Maria
Maria da Penha Maia Fernandes is a woman from Ceará who was the victim of a double attempt at femicide by her husband in 1983. Her case gained worldwide repercussions and, after a lot of struggle, in 2006, the president sanctioned the Maria da Penha Law.
Her name means “sovereign lady”, “seer”, or “the pure one”. It may also have derived from the Sanskrit Maryáh, which means “purity”, “virtue”, and “virginity”.
- Amelia
Amelia Earhart was a pioneer in American aviation and the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.
Her name means “worker”, “diligent woman”, and “active”. It is a variant of the name Amália, which has its origins in the Germanic Amal, which means “work”.
Powerful Female Names
- Aretha
Aretha Franklin, considered the queen of soul, has broken barriers of gender and race since the 1960s, empowering women with her strong lyrics and her devastating voice. She was also responsible for immortalizing the gospel.
Her name has no certain origin, there is a possibility that it came from the Greek arete, which means ” virtue ”.
- Fernanda
Considered one of the most important Brazilian and Latin American actresses, Fernanda Montenegro is a reference in television, theater, and cinema.
With Germanic origin, her name means “daring to achieve peace”.
- Catherine
Catarina Eufémia is a symbol of revolution in Portugal. At just 26 years old, she manifested herself in a strike by reapers (people who worked in the harvests) due to the terrible working conditions, at the time of the dictatorial regime in Portugal. The young woman ended up being shot by a member of the Republican National Guard.
She was pregnant and carried an eight-month-old baby in her arms, after her murder she became a symbol of resistance and struggle for the Portuguese people.
Her name originates from the Greek Aikaterhíne and means “pure, chaste”.
- Caroline
One of the most important names in Brazilian literature is Carolina Maria de Jesus, an example of resilience and resistance, who wrote about the reality of the favelas and the suffering of many black women.
Carolina is considered the diminutive of Carla and has the meaning of “woman of the people”, and “sweet woman”.
- Judith
Judith Butler is an American philosopher who works in the field of gender and feminist theories, with several published academic studies. It has also influenced fields such as politics and ethics.
Her name is the English version of Judith, which derives from the Hebrew Iehudíth, which can be translated as “woman of Judea” or “Jewish woman”.
- Amalia
Amália Rodrigues is one of the best-known personalities in Portugal, she is the Queen of Fado, one of the main Portuguese musical genres.
She was born in Lisbon and performed as a singer, actress, and fado singer. Her voice is like an angel’s, strong and melancholy, just like a fado.
Her name originates from the Germanic Amal, having the meaning “hardworking”, “diligent”, and “active”.
- Angela
One of the main black activists in the world, owner of a strong and imposing personality, was born in Alabama (USA), with the name Angela Yvonne Davis.
When you are born a woman, black, in a super conservative and segregated state in the United States, living in the 60s, the fight for racial equality becomes almost impossible, except for Angela Davis.
She was an educator and professor at the University of California, and because of her activism, she was persecuted and placed on the list of the main criminals in her country.
In one of her speeches, she says: “We represent the mighty forces of change that are determined to prevent the moribund cultures of racism and heterosexual patriarchy from rising again.”
Her name means “messenger”, or “angel”, with origin in the Greek Ággelos.
- Michelle
The former first lady of the United States, Michelle Obama already accumulated several accomplishments even before entering the media. After graduating in law, she has always helped people and communities in need, in addition to defending education, especially for girls around the world.
Her first name is a French variant of Micaela and has the meaning of “who is like God?”.
- Dorothea or Dorothea
The Portuguese version of that name is Dorotéia, but the personality that bears that name is the American Dorothea Lange, considered one of the greatest photographers in the United States.
Living during the Great Depression (1929), she photographed and portrayed, as a journalistic and humanitarian report, the rural areas that were affected by that situation and its consequences.
Her name is an inversion of the name Theodora, having the meaning of “gift from God”, “divine gift”.
- Marielle
Marielle Franco used to say that “Occupying politics is fundamental to reducing the inequalities that surround us.”
She was a sociologist, becoming a councilor of Rio de Janeiro in 2017, she was in the constant struggle for social causes and women’s rights, mainly combating gender and class inequalities.
She criticized the behavior of the military police and the abuses they committed against Rio de Janeiro favela residents. She was killed by three shots in March 2018, inside her own car.
Her name is a variation of Mariele, meaning “sovereign lady”, “seer” or “the pure one”.
Inspired by strong female names
- Rachel
As the first woman to join the Academia Brasileira de Letras, Rachel de Queiroz was one of Brazil’s leading novelists and writers. She was also the first woman to win the Prêmio Camões.
Variation of the name Rachel, Rachel means “sheep”, or “meek”.
- Rita
Considered an icon of Brazilian rock, Rita Lee is a singer-songwriter who scored several hits and participated in important cultural movements, such as Tropicalismo.
Her proper name means “pearl”, “creature of light”, or “illuminated”.
- Alison
Alison Bechdel is an American cartoonist and novelist who will talk about important social themes in her works, such as gender inequality and homoaffectivity.
Alison is a name commonly used for girls in the United States and means “of noble birth”, “of noble species”, or “daughter of Alice”.
- Nisia
Considered the first Brazilian feminist educator, Nísia Floresta was one of the main women in the front struggle on abolitionist, republican and women’s rights causes during the 19th century in Brazil.
Nísia was a strong woman and her struggle for the right to science education for girls was brutally attacked by the sexist society of the time. She wrote countless books and radically changed education for girls at the then Colégio Augusto in Rio de Janeiro, which today bears her name.
Nísia’s name was in fact Dionísia Gonçalves Pinto. Dionísia is the feminine form of the Greek name Dionísio, which carries the meanings of “consecrated to Dionysus”, “spirit of the waters”, “the sky and the waters”, and “day and night”.
- Lili
The first trans woman to undergo sexual reassignment surgery, Lili Elbe had her story told in the famous movie “The Danish Girl”.
Possibly as a variation of Lily, the name Lili means “lily” or “God promises”, or “God is an oath”.
- Gertrude
As the first woman to swim across the English Channel, Gertrude Ederle was an American Olympic swimmer who won numerous awards and broke records in the 1920s.
Her first name is classic and means “she who loves the spear”, “she who is intimate with the spear” “strong in handling the spear”, or “spear of strength”.
- Lueji
Lueji A’Nkonde was an important female monarch, and queen of the Lunda kingdom, which was a pre-colonial African confederation. The kingdom was composed of regions located today in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, and Zambia.
The name Lueji possibly means “Queen”.
- Ada
Ada Lovelace is considered to be one of the most important people in what we know today as computer programming. She lived in the early 19th century and contributed to mathematical questions known as algorithms, which were extremely important to computer science.
She was the daughter of the great British poet Lord Byron, but her mother, Lady Wentworth, was the person who most influenced her life, encouraging her daughter to study mathematics.
Ada means “place of delights”, “the Lord bestowed benefits”, or even “ornament” and “beauty”.
- Katharine
Actress Katharine Hepburn was one of the most important personalities of Hollywood’s Golden Age. At that time, it was common for female characters to be portrayed as submissive or just sexy to male leads.
Katharine broke several standards in Hollywood with her empowered personality, including dressing in ways that were not traditional for the time.
The name Katharine has a Greek origin and means “pure” or “chaste”.
- Bertha
Bertha Lutz was a Brazilian scientist, politician, and feminist activist who made fundamental contributions to the education of women in Brazil in the 20th century. In 1919, in Rio de Janeiro, she founded the League for the Intellectual Emancipation of Women and organized the first feminist congress in Brazil in 1922.
As a parliamentarian, she defended changes in labor laws, the right to maternity leave, the fight against child labor, and the defense of women’s rights.
The name Bertha has a Germanic origin and means “bright”, and “famous”.
56 strong female names
- Jane
One of the most important writers in all of history, Jane Austen challenged 18th-century society and published books that influenced generations of new authors.
In her books, Austen portrayed the society she lived in, but always questioned the role of women and put strong female protagonists in her stories.
The name Jane is a feminine version of the name João that has a Hebrew origin. It has the meanings of “God is full of grace”, “graced by God” “God’s grace and mercy” and “God forgives”.
- Victoria
One of the strongest and most popular queens of the British Empire, Queen Victoria reigned between the years 1837 and 1901. Her reign became known as the Victorian Era and accompanied the political, economic, and industrial changes of a society that was beginning to modernize.
The Queen has managed to remain popular in her years of power, being celebrated and loved by the people. The personal diaries published after her death revealed her intelligence and perseverance.
The name Vitória originates in Latin and means “victory”, “victorious”, and “winner”.
- Sylvia
One of the greatest modern writers of all time, Sylvia Plath has written poems, short stories, and a popular novel called The Bell Jar. In it, the author revealed several intimate issues, like her mental health problems.
Sylvia’s voice continues to echo as an inspiration to young writers who dare to challenge the norms and expose the most intimate questions about women’s role in society.
The name Sylvia is of Latin origin and means “the one who lives in the forest” or “the one who lives in the woods”.
- Elizabeth
Queen Elizabeth II is the longest-reigning monarch of the British Empire. She was able to overcome several situations that threatened the continuity of the monarchy over 6 decades, witnessing 12 prime ministers and 7 popes.
Throughout her life, Elizabeth became a symbol of strength, perseverance, and discretion.
The name Elizabeth has a Hebrew origin and means “God is abundance” or “my God is an oath”.
- Anne
One of the most iconic female personalities of all time, Anne Frank was a teenage victim of the holocaust during the Second World War. Her father, Otto, found her diary at the end of the war and published it.
Anne Frank’s Diary revealed the young woman’s intelligence, perspicacity, and curiosity amidst the terror of the war that killed about six million Jews.
The name Anne has a Hebrew origin and means “gracious” or “full of grace”.
- Diana
Also known as “The People’s Princess”, Diana Frances Spencer has defied many rules of British royalty and has become a symbol of empowerment for women around the world.
Throughout her life, she dedicated herself to different social causes, among them, alerting the world about the minefields that were active in Africa and shedding light on the prejudice that existed about the AIDS crisis in the 90s.
The name Diana comes from Latin and means “divine” and “she who illuminates”, being very appropriate for the eternal princess.
- Dandara
Dandara dos Palmares was an important military leader, who fought and took up arms for the total liberation of black people in Brazil. She mastered the art of capoeira and preferred to commit suicide rather than return to the condition of a slave.
Her name means “warrior princess” or “dark princess”.
- Malala
Surely you must have heard about Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani woman who received the Nobel Peace Prize at just seventeen. She is an example of activism in the field of education, especially for girls.
The Taliban fundamentalist group prohibited classes in Malala from being given to girls, but as she broke the rules, at fifteen she ended up being shot by Taliban militants inside the school bus.
After going to England, she became active mainly in providing access to education for girls in her country.
Her name comes from the Pashto language, one of the official languages of Afghanistan, and means ”sad, saddened”.
- Wangari
Kenyan activist Wangari Maathai was the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, for her contribution to sustainable development, democracy, and peace.
Wangari founded the Green Belt Movement, which was an organization based on sustainable advancement practices, i.e., planting trees and conserving the environment.
Kikuyu is a very popular language in Kenya, which is why this name comes from it and has the meaning of “leopard”.
- Komako
Komako Kimura was a Japanese suffragist, dancer, and actress who settled in the United States to study English and other methods of feminist leadership.
She participated, in 1915, in a women’s march for the right to vote in New York City, which was attended by about forty thousand people.
Her name has a Japanese origin from the combination of the kanji koma, which means ” pony, horse ”, and ko, meaning ” child, daughter ”. Japanese girl names often refer to elements in nature.
- Aung San
Aung San Suu Kyi is a politician from Burma, a region in the south of mainland Asia, who has always fervently fought for democracy in her country.
In 1988, she organized protests and was an activist to overthrow the dictator Ne Win and organize a democratic reform in Burma. Because of this, she was placed under house arrest by the army.
Her name is of Burmese origin, and means ” pass ” and san means ” moon ”. By extension, it can mean “woman who lets the moon pass”.
- Emmeline
As one of Britain’s foremost suffragists, Emmeline Pankhurst fought fiercely for women’s rights, especially to vote, passing her legacy on to her daughters.
From the Germanic element amal, meaning “work”, the name Emmeline means “working woman”, “active woman”.
- Bessie
As the first woman and first African American to become a pilot in the US, Bessie Coleman was known for being super brave and for her flying tricks.
Bessie is the diminutive of Elizabeth, which means “God is plenty” or “my God is an oath”.
- Lina
As one of the main Brazilian and Latin American architects, the Italian-Brazilian Lina Bo Bardi was important in modernism and responsible for designing the São Paulo Museum of Art Assis Chateaubriand (MASP).
The name Lina means “from the lagoon” or “linen, rope, musical instrument string”.
55. Noor
Noor Inayat Khan was a female spy of Indian and American descent who fought the Nazis in World War II. Her skills were diverse, such as shooting, dominating interrogations, as well as being a musician and philosopher.
Originating in Arabic, her first name is unisex and means “light”, “the illuminated one”.
- Vandana
Environmental Activist with a Ph.D. in philosophy, the Indian Vandana Shiva has received several international awards and her main projects are organic agriculture and seed biodiversity, in addition to defending the rights of small and medium farmers.
Her given name comes from the Sanskrit vandana and means “praise”, “prayer”, and “adoration”.
See also:
- The Meanings of 70 strong and imposing baby names
- The 40 most chic and different names and their meanings
- 297 Strong Male Names in 2023
- 104 Fancy Names From A to Z (Male and Female)
- 42 Common and Beautiful Brazilian surnames
- 114 Beautiful Classic and Rare French Surnames
- The 108 most beautiful baby names in the world and their meanings
- Russian surnames: discover how they are formed and check out 25 examples
- Beautiful surnames: 141 examples of beautiful, cute and strong names from around the world
- Last Name Origins – Unique Last Name (2023)
- Top 100+ Rare last name – Unique Last Name (2023)
