silly topic: Feminist Girls' names?

[blackcurrants]

I'm in a rather silly mood today - lighthearted topic time!

I mentioned on the 'which political parties' thread that my fabulously egalitarian DH has put a moratorium on my (mainly humorous) suggestions for feminist-heroine baby names. So sorry, Millicent Fawcett - no Millies in my house. Ditty Emmelines, even though Mrs Pankhurst was kinda awesome. Why? Cos his DS is Emily and it would be 'too confusing'...
Also no Florence (though Flo Nightingale's status as 'feminist' is a bit questionable), no Margaret.. basically, as he put it, 'no old lady names!'. Damnit, before I'd even suggested Edith!

So, which girls' names do you love that are strong, graceful, and sound like they could grow up to run the country/build their own empires in the future?

(Disclaimer: we might have a DS and that's ok, cos we've got a couple of boys' names that we mutually love. If it's a DD, though, the shortlist is rather less certain. No pressure, though - you're not actually NAMING our DD for us, I just like hearing cool girls' names, and if they're associated with strong, awesome women, all the better!)

[Molesworth]

I take it you've already run Betty, Germaine, Gloria, Andrea etc etc by him then?

[blackcurrants]

Even I don't think I could land a kid with "Germaine" - I rather like Andrea, hmmm. Might try that one!

Heh - I was stuck with first wavers, but of course there are some quality seventies names to use... aaah, the fun I'm going to have!

[Molesworth]

I love the name Gloria but that got vetoed for DD

[BellaBearisWideAwake]

Rosa

[sethstarkaddersmum]

Boudicca

[Molesworth]

Hypatia

[GhostInTheBackOfYourHead]

My DD is named after Adam's first wife in the Jewish creation stories. She refused to be subordinate to him so she was banished from the Garden of Eden. Go girl!

Also shares her name with a rather cool Women's music festival in the States.

[Missus84]

Rosa (Luxembourg)
Emma (Goldman)
Kate (Sharpley)

[TheCrackFox]

Emmeline (Pankhurst)

[Missus84]

Lucy (Parsons)

and you'd have to be brave but Voltairine (de Cleyre) is fab

[TheCrackFox]

Naomi (Wolfe)

[Bonsoir]

Simone (de Beauvoir) (Veil)
Elisabeth (Badinter)

[blackcurrants]

heee! Voltarine and Hypatia - yes yes yes. I think I'm going to stage an elaborate setup where I explain to DH how important it is that the names have a sound feminist pedigree, watch him agree - then land these on him and see how long it takes for him to twig that I might not be 100% serious,* while he tries to disagree with my choices but not my reasons for choosing them... [evil, evil ]

*Probably not that long. I'm crap at keeping a straight face!

[Molesworth]

ooh and Ada (Lovelace)

[sethstarkaddersmum]

ah now Ada is a top name because it would be Ada Lovelace but also Ada Doom. I have a boat called Ada.

please do set up your dh Blackcurrants.

[blackcurrants]

ooh, he has a sciencey love for Ada Lovelace, reads all the 'blogging for Ada' stuff, so that one just might fly....
is Ada like Ava and Eva, v. v. popular in the UK? Cos that we might move back eventually and I don't want a name that's tooo popular, but then again, as Ms Starkadder points out - ADA DOOM! HOW COOL IS THAT?! (Love that story!)

Ghost I LOVE Lilith and I agree - great history!

Molesworth have you (or anyone?) seen "Agora" - the movie they've made about Hypatia? It hasn't opened here in the US (and might not) but I'm looking out for the DVD.

[TheCrackFox]

Mary [Wollstonecraft]

[BitOfFun]

Aphra (Behn)

[blackcurrants]

BOF I work in C18th literature and had completely convinced a colleague that I was considering Aphra as a possible girl's name.

I only realised she'd taken the bait when someone else mentioned it to me, in a strained-but-tactful kind of way, while trying to hide their shock and disapproval. I absolutely cracked up at this point. Am currently writing an article about Aphra Behn, but don't think I'd actually use her name... was so pleased that I'd been convincing.

Now if only they'd bought that I was thinking of Horatio for a boy...

[Molesworth]

Oh I quite like Aphra

How's about Sojourner (Truth)?

[BitOfFun]

I actually like Sojourner

[BitOfFun]

Although it wouldn't be any good as a feminist name if her surname was Stwatt.

Because she would be a Miss Sojourner Stwatt.

[sethstarkaddersmum]

I know several little Evas and Avas but no Adas. The other good thing about it is that it is a palindrome.