100 powerful girl names inspired by history-making American women

In the wise words of Amy Rees Anderson, "Here's to strong women: May we know them, may we be them, may we raise them." But first, we have to name them. That's why we've collected a lineup of 100 powerful baby girl names for your tiny trailblazer.

Beyond the etymology, these baby names also share connections with women who have shattered glass ceilings over the course of American history.

These exceptional individuals conquered a lot of "firsts" for women – from Amelia Earhart, the first woman to fly solo across the country, to Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman to serve in Congress. We've also included elite athletes who've broken records and barriers, activists who've fought for equality, and celebrities you know and love.

Learn more about the groundbreaking, inspiring women who you'll teach your little one to emulate.

Alice

Alice Coachman was the first Black woman from any country to win a gold medal at the Olympics – for the high jump in 1948.

Alice is a French variant of the name Adelaide, which is rooted in a German word meaning "noble."

Amanda

Amanda Gorman became the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history when she read an original piece at former President Joe Biden's inauguration in January 2021. She was also the first person to be named National Youth Poet Laureate.

Amanda is a Latin-rooted name meaning "lovable."

Amelia

Amelia Earhart is a renowned pilot, best known as the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.

Amelia comes with powerful meanings, including "industrious" and "hardworking," and it's derived from the German name Amala.

Anna

Anna May Wong is regarded as the first Chinese American film star in Hollywood, whose credits range from the silver screen to the stage.

Anna is derived from the Hebrew name Hannah, which means "God has favored me" and is the name of Samuel's mother in the Bible.

Arabella

Arabella "Belle" Mansfield was the first female lawyer in the U.S. and a women's rights activist.

There are a few interpretations and associations for the name Arabella. Some experts say it comes from the Latin word orabilis, meaning "prayerful," while others think it's a variant of Anabelle.

Aretha

Aretha Franklin, otherwise known as the Queen of Soul, was a legendary singer, songwriter, and pianist who won a total of 18 Grammys over the course of her career.

Aretha might be considered the top pick, since the Greek name literally means "excellence."

Bella

Bella Abzug was a U.S. congresswoman, lawyer, and women's rights activist who was staunchly against the Vietnam War.

Bella has both Spanish and Italian origins and means "beautiful" in several languages.

Betsy

Betsy Ross was an upholstery business owner known for creating the stars and stripes on the official U.S. flag in 1870.

Betsy is a nickname for Elizabeth, a Hebrew name meaning "God is my oath."

Beyonce

Beyonce Knowles-Carter is a renowned musician who holds the record for the most Grammy wins – 35 (so far!), to be exact.

Beyonce has Creole origins, and is tied to the French and African surname Beyince.

Barbara

Two standout Barbaras are Barbara Boxer, a former U.S. senator and environmental leader, and Barbara Walters, the first female co-anchor of a network evening news program.

Barbara means "foreigner" or "stranger," stemming from the Greek word barbaros.

Billie

Billie Jean King is a former No. 1 tennis player who was regarded as one of the best tennis players of all time and a trailblazer for her work on and off the court.

While Billie is widely seen as a standalone name nowadays, it was originally a nickname for Wilhelmina, a German name combining will ("desire" or "willingness") and helm ("helmet" or "protection"). Put together, the name means "resolute protector" or "strong-willed warrior."

Blanche

Blanche Lazzell was a painter, printmaker, and designer who has been recognized as one of the first American Modernist artists.

Blanche comes from the French word blanc, which directly translates to "white" and has associations with meanings like "purity" and "brightness."

Bobbi

Roberta "Bobbi" Gibb was the first woman to run the entire Boston Marathon in 1966. Because of her pioneering efforts, the Amateur Athletics Union permitted women to enter the race in the spring of 1972.

As a nickname for Roberta, Bobbi is rooted in Germanic and means "bright fame."

Carol

Carol Moseley-Braun has accomplished quite a few firsts. Most notably, she was the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Senate and the first female U.S. senator from Illinois.

Carol comes from the Old English word ceorl, meaning "free person." It could also stem from the Latin word carolus, meaning "song" or "song of praise."

Cecilia

Cecilia Payne-Gaposchikin was a British-born American astronomer and Harvard's first tenured female professor.

Cecilia is a name with Latin origins, deriving from caecus, which means "blind." The name is also connected to Saint Cecilia, the patron saint of music and musicians.

Charlotte

Charlotte E. Ray was a lawyer who became the first Black woman to graduate from a law school in the country after earning her degree from Howard Law School in 1872.

Charlotte has French origins, and is the feminine form of the boy name Charles. It means "free man."

Christine

Christine Jorgensen was a World War II veteran, actress, singer, and activist, who was the first transgender woman to publicly medically transition in the U.S.

Christine is the feminine version of the name Christian, which is derived from the Greek word christianos and means "follower of Christ."

Clara

Clarissa "Clara" Barton was a nurse, educator, humanitarian, and founder of the American Red Cross.

Deriving from the Latin name Clarus, Clarissa and Clara mean "clear," "bright," and "famous."

Dianne

Dianne Feinstein was the first female mayor of San Francisco and one of California's first two female U.S. senators.

Dianne is a variation of the name Diana. It's a Latin-rooted name meaning "divine."

Dolly

Dolly Parton is a singer-songwriter, actress, and philanthropist who has earned 10 Grammys (including 55 Grammy nominations) and started the children's book gifting program Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in 1995.

Dolly is a nickname-name that was originally short for Dorothy, a Greek name that means "gift from God" – though it can also be short for Dolores, a Spanish name that means "sorrows."

Donyale

Donyale Luna is regarded as the first Black supermodel, and was the first Black model featured on the cover of British Vogue and Harper's Bazaar.

Donyale doesn't have any clear origins or meanings, and Luna gave herself that name when she was a teenager.

Dorothea

Dorothea Dix was a mental health reformer in the early 19th century who worked to help mentally ill and Indigenous people.

Dorothea comes from a Greek name that means "gift from God."

Edith

Edith Wharton was an American writer and designer who was the first woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, for her novel The Age of Innocence in 1921.

Edith is an Old English name, which includes two elements: ead ("wealth" or "prosperity") and guth ("battle" or "strife").

Elaine

Elaine Chao served as the 24th U.S. secretary of labor, and she was the first Asian American woman ever appointed to the president's cabinet.

Elaine has Greek roots, is an Old French form of the name Helen, and is believed to mean "ray" or "sunbeam."

Eleanor

Eleanor Roosevelt was the longest-serving first lady, an activist, and a U.S. delegate to the United Nations who was the chairperson of the drafting committee of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Eleanor has Old French origins, but there's no clear meaning. It's historically been one of the many names connected to Helen, which means "sunbeam."

Ella

Ella Fitzgerald, often referred to as the First Lady of Song, was a singer, songwriter, and composer who won 13 Grammys throughout her career.

Ella carries several meanings, and many say it's derived from the Germanic word ali, meaning "foreign" or "other," though it's also commonly tied to Ellen.

Ellen

Ellen Ochoa is an engineer, astronaut, and former director of the Johnson Space Center. She was the first Latina to travel in space in 1993.

Ellen is another form of the name Helen, which has Greek origins and may mean "sunbeam" or "ray."

Elizabeth

Two prominent Elizabeths are Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman to graduate from medical school in the U.S., and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, a social activist who organized the first American women's rights convention – known as the Seneca Falls Convention – in July 1848.

As earlier with the name Betsy, Elizabeth is a Hebrew-rooted name meaning "God is my oath."

Fannie

Fannie Lou Hamer was a civil rights leader who championed voting rights and economic opportunities for Black people, and she was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2025.

Fannie was originally a nickname for Frances, which is rooted in a Latin word meaning "from France."

Frances

Frances Perkins was a workers'-rights advocate and the first female cabinet secretary, as secretary of labor to former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

Frances is a more gender-neutral baby name that has Latin origins and means "from France."

Georgia

Georgia Douglas Johnson was a poet and playwright, and was a prominent figure in the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s.

Georgia is a feminine form of George, a Greek name meaning "farmer" or "earthworker."

Gertrude

Gertrude Ederle was the first woman to swim across the English Channel, beating the men's world record by nearly two hours.

Gertrude has Germanic origins and combines the elements ger ("spear") and trude ("strength"). Together, the name means "spear of strength."

Gloria

Gloria Steinem is a women's rights activist and journalist who founded New York Magazine and Ms. Magazine and is credited as a leader of second wave feminism.

Gloria is a Latin word that means "glory."

Grace

Grace Hopper was a pioneer in computer science and mathematics, and she also served as a United States Navy rear admiral.

Grace has Latin roots and means "goodness" and "generosity," and in Greek mythology, it's connected to charm, beauty, and creativity.

Greta

Greta Gerwig is an award-winning actress, screenwriter, and director, best known for her films Lady Bird, Barbie, and Little Women.

Greta started out as a nickname for Margaret, which comes from a Greek word meaning "pearl."

Halle

Halle Berry was the first Black woman to win the Oscar for Best Actress for her role in the 2001 film Monster's Ball.

Berry's name comes from Halle's Department Store, a local landmark in Cleveland, where she was born. The store gets its name from the surname of its founders, brothers Samuel and Salmon Halle. As a surname, Halle has many potential meanings – it's a German and English name from "hall," and Old French name from a word meaning "covered market."

Harriet

Two lauded abolitionists – Harriet Tubman, who freed slaves through the Underground Railroad, and Harriet Beecher Stowe, who wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin – have this powerful name.

Harriet is a feminine version of Henry, an Old French name rooted in Germanic that means "home ruler."

Hattie

Hattie McDaniel was an actress, singer-songwriter, and comedian who became the first Black woman to win an Oscar for her role as Mammy in Gone with the Wind in 1939.

Hattie is a nickname-turned-first-name derived from Harriet, so it also means "home ruler."

Harper

Harper Lee was an author and winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for her 1960 novel To Kill a Mockingbird.

Harper is an occupational title dating back to medieval Europe, where it was used by people who played the harp for a living.

Hedy

Hedy Lamarr was an Austrian-born American actress and inventor who is credited for pioneering a radio guidance technology that led to modern systems such as WiFi, GPS, and Bluetooth.

Hedy is short for Hedwig, a German name rooted in the words hadu, meaning "contention" or "battle," and wig, meaning "war."

Helen

Helen Keller was a well-known author and activist who advocated for the blind and for women's rights.

Like several other derivatives mentioned above, Helen comes from a Greek name meaning "sunbeam" or "ray."

Hillary

Hillary Clinton was the first woman to represent a major party in a U.S. presidential election, a former U.S. secretary of state, and the first first lady elected to the U.S. Senate (among other firsts and accolades).

Hillary dates back to medieval England and is associated with meanings such as "cheerful" and "happy," sharing roots with the word hilarious.

Ida

Ida B. Wells was a journalist, sociologist, civil rights leader, women's suffragette, and a founder of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

Ida is a German-rooted name that astutely means "hard-working."

Jacqueline

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was a writer and former first lady who established the Fine Arts Committee and the nonprofit White House Historical Association.

A feminine form of the name Jacob, Jacqueline is a French name rooted in Hebrew that means "supplanter."

Jane

Jane Addams was a social worker and first American woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931, and Jane Cooke Wright was one of the first Black graduates from Harvard Medical School who went on to become a pioneering surgeon and cancer researcher.

Jane derives from the boy name John, which has Hebrew origins and means "God is gracious."

Janet

Janet Gaynor was the first recipient of the Best Actress Oscar at the first Academy Awards in 1929, and Janet Reno was a lawyer and public official who became the first female U.S. attorney general in 1993.

Janet is another feminine form of John and means "God is gracious."

Jessie

Jessie Willcox Smith is a renowned illustrator who produced artwork for more than 60 children's books and other works including magazines, posters, and calendars.

Jessie has a couple of origins as a name – it's an alternate spelling of Jesse, a Hebrew name that means "gift," and it's a nickname for Jessica, which is thought to come from a Hebrew name that means "God beholds."

Josephine

Josephine Baker was an American-born French performer, activist, and World War II spy who helped the French military in their fight against the Nazi regime.

Josephine is the feminine form of the name Joseph, a Hebrew name that means "God shall add."

Juanita

Juanita Kreps was the first female U.S. secretary of commerce and the first female director of the New York Stock Exchange.

Juanita is the feminine version of Juan, which itself is the Spanish version of John. It's rooted in Hebrew and means "God is gracious."

Kamala

Kamala Harris was the first female U.S. vice president and the first female Asian American and Black presidential candidate.

Kamala is an Indian name stemming from a Sanskrit word that means "lotus flower."

Katie

Katie Couric is a journalist, cancer advocate, and she was the first woman to solo anchor a network evening news program.

Katie is a popular nickname for Katherine, a Greek-rooted name meaning "pure."

Katherine

Katherine G. Johnson was a NASA mathematician and aerospace technologist who was portrayed by actress Taraji P. Henson in the 2016 film Hidden Figures.

Katherine is the extended form of Katie, and again, means "pure."

Kristi

Kristi Yamaguchi is a renowned former figure skater who won the 1992 Olympic gold medal for ice skating. She also founded the Always Dream Foundation, a nonprofit that provides funding for after-school programs for underprivileged children.

Kristi is short for Kristine, which is rooted in a Greek word that means "follower of Christ."

LaDonna

LaDonna Harris is a Comanche activist and politician, and the first Native American woman to run for vice president (alongside Barry Commoner of the Citizens Party in 1980).

LaDonna combines the popular prefix "La-" with Donna, which means "lady" in Italian.

Lena

Lena Horne was a singer, actress, dancer, and civil rights activist who performed at Café Society, New York City's first racially integrated nightclub.

Lena is a standalone name nowadays, but it was originally short for names like Helena and Magdalena.

Lily

Lily Gladstone was the first Indigenous person to win a Golden Globe for Best Actress and the first to be nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress, for her work in 2023's Killers of the Flower Moon.

Lily has Greek and Latin roots and refers to the type of flower, which is a symbol of purity in Christianity.

Lisa

Lisa Randall is one of the most cited and award-winning theoretical physicists and a professor at Harvard University.

Lisa – maybe unexpectedly – originally comes from Elizabeth: It's a variant of Liza, which comes from Eliza, a nickname for Elizabeth. It has Hebrew origins and means "God is my oath."

Lucille

Lucille Ball was an actress and comedy pioneer, best known for her iconic role as Lucy in the television show I Love Lucy.

Lucille is a French name that comes from the Latin name Lucia, which is thought to come from a word that means "light."

Lucretia

Lucretia Mott was a Quaker, suffragist, and abolitionist who advocated for voting rights for white women and all Black people. Her home was a stop on the Underground Railroad, she was a founding member of several anti-slavery groups, and she helped organize the Seneca Falls Convention, the first women's rights convention in the U.S.

Lucretia comes from an ancient Roman family name with an uncertain meaning, though some experts tie it to a Latin word that means "wealth" or "prosperity."

Madeleine

Madeleine Albright was the first woman to serve as U.S. secretary of state, under President Bill Clinton's administration from 1997 to 2001.

Madeleine, another name with many spelling alternatives, is the French version of Magdalene, which means "of Magdala" and was the name of a character in the Bible. Magdala was a village in Israel, and its name is thought to come from a Hebrew word meaning "tower."

Mae

Mae Jemison is a former astronaut who became the first Black woman to go to space in 1992.

Mae is an alternate spelling of May, a name with a few potential origins. It's a nickname for Mary and Margaret, though it's also a standalone name tied to the month.

Mamie

Mamie Till-Bradley was the mother of Emmett Till, the 14-year-old Black boy who was murdered in Mississippi in 1955. She went on to become an educator and civil rights activist.

Mamie was originally a nickname for Mary and Margaret, though it's fallen out of style in recent years.

Margaret

Margaret Sanger was an activist for birth control, sex educator, writer, and nurse who founded Planned Parenthood, among other organizations.

Margaret comes from a Greek word that means "pearl."

Mary

Mary Barra, the chair and chief executive officer of General Motors, was the first female CEO of a major U.S. automaker.

Mary is the English variation of the Hebrew name Miriam, and in the Bible, it's the name of Jesus Christ's mother. The name is so ancient its meaning isn't certain.

Marsha

Marsha P. Johnson was a trailblazing LGBTQ+ figure and is often credited as a leader of the Stonewall Uprising in 1969, which kicked off a gay rights movement in the U.S.

Marsha is an alternative spelling for Marcia, which is the feminine version of Marcus and is tied to Mars, the Roman god of war.

Martha

Martha Stewart is a businesswoman and writer who became the first self-made female billionaire in the U.S. after taking her company public in 1999.

Martha comes from an Aramaic word that means "lady."

Maya

Maya Angelou was a poet, author, educator, and civil rights activist, most well-known for her memoir I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

Maya has a few origins and meanings as a name, including "dream" in Sanskrit, "courage" in Maori, and "mother" in Greek. In Angelou's case, whose given name is Marguerite, it was a nickname given to her by her younger brother

Meryl

Meryl Streep is an award-winning actress who currently holds the world record to all-time highest-grossing leading female star in musical films.

Streep's real name is Mary, and she says Meryl was a nickname her father made up.

Michelle

Michelle Obama is a lawyer and author who became the first Black first lady of the United States.

Michelle is a French name and the feminine form of Michael, which is rooted in Hebrew and means "who is like God?"

Mindy

Mindy Kaling is an actress, comedian, screenwriter, and producer who made history when she became the first South Asian woman to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Mindy is a shortened version of Melinda, which is a made-up name combining Melissa and the popular ending "-linda."

Nancy

Nancy Pelosi was the first female speaker of the House of Representatives and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Biden in 2024.

Nancy's origins aren't certain – it was commonly used as a nickname for Ann in the 1700s, but it may have separate origins as a variant of Annis, a medieval version of Agnes, which is a Greek name that means "pure, holy."

Nellie

Nellie Tayloe Ross was the first woman to serve as governor of a U.S. state and the first woman to direct the U.S. Mint, and Nellie Bly was an investigative reporter known as a pioneer in her field after she went undercover as a patient at a mental health asylum in 1887.

Nellie, which is also spelled Nelly, is yet another form of the names Helen, Ellen, and Eleanor.

Octavia

Octavia Butler was a renowned Black science fiction writer, and Octavia Spencer is an award-winning actress known for her roles in movies such as The Shape of Water and Hidden Figures.

Octavia is the feminine form of the Latin name Octavius, meaning "eight" or "eighth."

Oprah

Oprah Winfrey is an entertainment executive, author, and actress, whose talk show The Oprah Winfrey Show ran from 1986 to 2011.

Oprah's origins aren't certain, but it's likely a variant of Orpah, a Hebrew name that means "female deer."

Ora

Ora Washington was an acclaimed basketball and tennis champion, who was posthumously inducted into the Black Athletes Hall of Fame in 1976.

Ora has a couple of origins: It could come from a Hebrew word meaning "light," or from a Latin word meaning "to pray."

Oveta

Oveta Culp Hobby was the first secretary of the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (now called the Department of Health and Human Services) from 1953 to 1955.

Oveta's origin and meaning are unclear, but it could have connections to the Latin words ove ("sheep") and vita ("life").

Patsy

Patsy Mink was an attorney and politician who became the first woman of color and the first Asian American woman elected to Congress.

Patsy is an abbreviated form of the name Patricia, which has Latin origins and means "noble" or "of nobility."

Penelope

Penelope Barker was an activist in the American Revolution, and she organized the Edenton Tea Party, which was the first recorded women's political demonstration in the U.S.

Penelope is the name of Odysseus's wife in Homer's epic poem the Odyssey, and it's thought to come from a Greek word meaning "duck."

Phillis

Phillis Wheatley has been recognized by historians as the first published Black poet and the third woman to publish a book of poetry.

Phillis, which is often spelled Phyllis, is a Greek name meaning "foliage."

Rachel

Rachel Carson was an environmentalist, author, and marine biologist who won a U.S. National Book Award for her best-selling book The Sea Around Us.

Rachel is a Hebrew-rooted name meaning "ewe."

Rita

Rita Moreno is an award-winning actress, dancer, and singer and one of the few actors who have received an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony – also known as an EGOT.

Rita is a shortened form of the name Margarita, a Spanish version of Margaret.

Rosa

Rosa Parks was a prominent civil rights activist, most widely known for her bravery during the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Rosa comes from the Latin word meaning "rose."

Ruth

Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a lawyer and an associate justice of the Supreme Court from 1993 to 2020, and Ruth Handler was the revolutionary inventor of the Barbie doll in 1959.

Ruth is a Hebrew name that means "companion" and "friend."

Sally

Sally Priesand was the first woman to be ordained as a rabbi in the U.S., and Sally Ride was an astronaut and physicist, who was the first American woman to travel in space.

Sally was originally a nickname for Sarah, a Hebrew-rooted name meaning "princess."

Sandra

Sandra Day O'Connor is best known as the first female associate justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Sandra was first considered a nickname for Alessandra, an Italian version of the Greek name Alexandros. It means "defender of men," though Sandra could also be an abbreviation of Cassandra, a Greek name thought to mean "one who shines or excels above men."

Selma

Selma Burke was a sculptor best known as the artist behind President Franklin D. Roosevelt's image on the dime.

Selma's origins aren't certain, but it could come from the Germanic name Anselm, which means "protected by the gods" or "protector of the gods." It may also be inspired by the Arabic name Selim, meaning "peace."

Serena

Serena Williams, widely recognized as the greatest women's tennis player of all time, won a whopping 23 Grand Slam titles.

Serena is rooted in the Latin word serenus, meaning "serene" or "calm."

Sheryl

Sheryl Sandberg is a tech executive, philanthropist, and author, who founded LeanIn.Org and previously worked as the chief operating officer of Meta.

Sheryl is an alternate spelling of Cheryl, which is thought to be a made-up name inspired by Cherry and Beryl.

Sheila

Sheila Widnall is an aerospace researcher, professor, and she was the first female secretary of the U.S. Air Force from 1993 to 1997, and the first woman to lead an entire military branch.

Sheila comes from the Irish version of the Latin name Cecilia, which is thought to be rooted in a word meaning "blind."

Shirley

Shirley Chisholm was the first Black woman to serve in Congress and the first woman and Black person who pursued a presidential nomination from a major party.

Shirley was originally an English surname that means "bright clearing" or "county clearing."

Simone

Simone Biles is the most decorated gymnast in history, and with a total of 11 Olympic medals, she's tied for the title of second-most decorated female Olympic gymnast.

Simone is the French feminine form of the Hebrew name Simeon, which means "hearkening."

Sojourner

Sojourner Truth was among the most famous abolitionists and women's rights activists, who was born into slavery, escaped, and helped other enslaved people secure their freedom.

Sojourner is an English vocabulary word meaning "guest" or "visitor."

Sonia

Sonia Sotomayor is the first Latina to serve on the Supreme Court.

Sonia is a nickname for the Russian name Sofya. It's rooted in the Greek word sophos, which means "wisdom."

Susan

Susan B. Anthony was a civil rights activist who led the women's suffrage movement and who helped start the American Equal Rights Association in 1868. And Susan La Flesche Picotte was the first Native American woman to earn a medical degree.

Susan is a Hebrew name that comes from the word shoshan, meaning "lily."

Sybil

Sybil Ludington was a heroine of the American Revolution, who was reportedly 16 years old when she rode her horse all night through the countryside to motivate troops to join the battle.

Sybil comes from the Greek name for a group of prophetesses of the god Apollo.

Toni

Toni Morrison was an author and winner of both the Nobel Prize and Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, known for popular novels including The Bluest Eye and Song of Solomon.

Toni is a shortened, feminine form of Anthony, which comes from an ancient Roman family name of unknown meaning.

Victoria 

Victoria Woodhull was another leader in the women's suffrage movement, who was the first woman to run for president in the 1872 election.

Victoria is the Latin word for "winner" or "conqueror."

Wilma

Wilma Mankiller was the first female Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation and the first woman elected as chief of a major Native American tribe.

Wilma is a nickname for Wilhelmina, a feminine version of William, a Germanic name meaning "resolute protector" or "strong-willed warrior."

Zora

Zora Neale Hurston was an anthropologist and author whose work portrayed the struggles of Black people in the South during the early 20th century.

Zora has Slavic origins, and it translates to "dawn."