Rosaline is a female name that has its roots in French, Old German and Latin, and means “gentle.” Rosaline is a version of Rosalie (French) and can also mean “rose garden.” This is the name of characters in Shakespeare's “Love's Labour's Lost” (1594) and “Romeo and Juliet” (1596).
Rosemary (ROHZ-mare-ee) is a feminine given name, a combination of the names Rose and Mary. Rosemary also shares her name with the herb, from the Latin ros (meaning “dew”) and marinus (meaning “sea”), resulting from the fact that rosemary, native to the Mediterranean region, needed very little water to survive. Rather, rosemary only needed the “dew of the sea” or the humidity carried from the Mediterranean breezes. As a female given name, Rosemary came into style in the 19th century when naming daughters after trees, plants and flowers became quite fashionable.
Ruth is an ancient Biblical name, from the Hebrew re'ut (meaning “friend, companion”). Ruth was the young Moabite widow of Mahlon who said to his Hebrew mother Naomi: “Where you go, there I shall go also; your people will be my people, your God, my God.” Her sentiments appealed to Victorian poets, and the name has been popular since the 17th century.
Sabrina (sa-BREE-nah) is a feminine given name found primarily in Western European cultures and to a lesser extent in the Arabic world. According to a legend recounted by Geoffrey of Monmouth in the 12th century, Habren or Sabrina, the Latinized form of the river's Common Brittonic or proto-Welsh name, was the daughter of a king named Locrinus (also known as Locrin or Locrine in English) by his mistress, the Germanic princess Estrildis. Locrinus ruled England after the death of his father, Brutus of Troy, the legendary second founder of Britain. Locrinus cast aside his wife, Guendolen, and their son Maddan and acknowledged Sabrina and her mother, but the enraged Guendolen raised an army against him and defeated Locrinus in battle. Guendolen then ordered that Sabrina and her mother be drowned in the river. The river was named after Sabrina so Locrine's betrayal of Guendolen would never be forgotten. According to legend, Sabrina lives in the river, which reflects her mood. She rides in a chariot and dolphins and salmon swim alongside her. The later story suggests that the legend of Sabrina could have become intermingled with old stories of a river goddess or nymph. It was popularized as a given name by Samuel A. Taylor's play “Sabrina Fair” (1953) and the movie adaptation that followed it the next year.
Saige is a female name of Latin origin that means “wise.”
Serena (ser-REE-nah) is a female given name borne from the English adjective serene, from the Latin serenus (meaning “peaceful, tranquil, calm, clear” (used initially to describe the weather and later became an adjective applied to persons)). As a female name, Serena dates back to at least the late 16th century. English poet Edmund Spenser used it in his literary masterpiece and the allegorical poem “The Faerie Queene” (Book VI). Serena is a minor character, a knight’s lady, who learns the only way to overcome the Beast’s poisonous venom is through virtue, honesty, and self-control (sounds like her name was not accidentally chosen by the author). Also, Sirena is a mythological sea creature from Filipino culture. In some regions of the Philippines, particularly Bicol and Visayas, Sirenas are known as Magindara and portrayed as vicious mermaids. Unlike Sirens of Greek mythologies, which are portrayed as women/bird creatures, Sirenas are often portrayed as mermaid-like creatures that live under the sea. In Philippine mythology, the Sirena is a mythological aquatic creature with the head and torso of a human female and the tail of a fish. Sirena has a beautiful and enchanting voice that can attract and hypnotize males, especially fishermen. Sirena sings to sailors and enchant them, distracting them from their work and causing them to walk off ship decks or cause shipwrecks. They sing with enchanting voices while hiding among the rocks by the shore. When the men hear these songs they are hypnotized and are abducted by the Sirena. Some folk traditions claim that the Sirena carry their victims under the sea, sacrificing them to the water deities. Other stories claim that the Sirena pretend to need rescuing from drowning, luring men into the sea, but proceed to squeeze the life out of any man who falls prey to their hoax.
Sierra (see-ERR-ah) is the Spanish term for a mountain range, coming from the Latin word serra (meaning “saw, jagged”, signifying their saw-toothed appearance). Sierra developed as a female given name in the United States, most notably in reference to the Sierra Nevada mountain range that straddles the California-Nevada borders and extends from California’s Central Valley 400 miles north to the Mount Shasta area. This magnificent mountain range features some of the most beautiful areas known on earth, including Yosemite Valley, Mt. Whitney and Lake Tahoe. The literal translation is “snowy mountains” (from the Spanish sierra (a range of hills) and nevado (meaning “snowy”).
Sigourney is a rare female name of uncertain origin. This name made famous by actress Sigourney Weaver, who was originally named Susan.
Trinity is a female given name. The English word Trinity is derived from Latin Trinitas (meaning “three, a triad”). The word is most closely associated with the Christian doctrine of the Trinity which signifies the unity of the three “persons”: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Essentially, together, they form the one essence of God. It has only been in use as a given name since the 20th century.
Undine is a female given name derived from Latin word unda (meaning “wave”). Undines are a category of elemental beings associated with water, first named in the alchemical writings of Paracelsus. Similar creatures are found in classical literature, particularly “Ovid's Metamorphoses.” Later writers developed the undine into a water nymph in its own right, and it continues to live in modern literature and art through such adaptations as Hans Christian Andersen's “The Little Mermaid.” Undines are almost invariably depicted as being female and are usually found in forest pools and waterfalls. The group contains many species, including nereides, limnads, naiades, and mermaids. Although resembling humans in a form they lack a human soul, so to achieve immortality they must acquire one by marrying a human. Such a union is not without risk for the man because if he is unfaithful he is fated to die.
Ursula (UR-soo-lah) is a diminutive of Ursa, which is Latin for “she-bear” (as in the celestial constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, aka the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper). According to Greek Mythology, Callisto was transformed into a bear by Hera when it was discovered Hera’s husband, Zeus, had an affair with the beautiful nymph. That union produced a son who almost shot his bear-mother with a bow before Zeus turned him into a bear and set them both, mother and son, together in the night’s sky (hence Great Bear and Little Bear).