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1. Emily
Emily originates from the Latin Aemilius, the name of a Roman family. The name became very common as Emily in the 19th century, when it was sometimes shortened to Emma. Milly is a pet form and Emmeline is an old French pet form.
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2. Ellie
Ellie is the abbreviation form of Eleanor and Ellen. Eleanor and Elinor are French forms of Helen which have been used in this country since the Middle Ages.
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3. Chloe
Chloe comes from the Greek meaning 'a green shoot', a name given to the goddess Demeter who protected the green fields. Chloris, 'greenish', is another name from the Greek myth, and was associated with fertility. It is sometimes spelt Cloris to reflect pronunciation of these names with a hard 'c'.
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4. Jessica
The source of this name is much debated but may well come from Shakespeare's 'The Merchant of Venice' in which Shylock's daughter is called Jessica. It is shortened to Jess or Jessie (sometimes spelt Jessye).
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5. Sophie
Sophie comes from the Greek meaning 'wisdom'. The name spread through Hungary to Germany and then to England when George I became king. Both his mother and wife had the name. The form Sophy is also used.
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6. Megan
Megan started life as a Welsh pet form of Meg, itself a pet form of Margaret. It is often spelt Meghan in Australia, Canada and the USA and Americans also use forms such as Maegan and Maygen.
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7. Lucy
Lucy is the usual English form of the Latin Lucia from 'Lux', 'light'. In Roman times the name was often used for a child born at dawn and the goddess Lucina was the patroness of childbirth. Other forms are Lucette, Lucinda, Lucasta and Lulu.
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8. Olivia
Olivia is the female form of Oliver but even more strongly associated with the Latin 'oliva', meaning 'olive'. Olivia was first found in England in the early 13th century and was used by Shakespeare in Twelfth Night.
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9. Charlotte
Charlotte is the female form of Charles. It was introduced to Britain from France in the early 17th century. Abbreviations are Lottie, Lotty, Totty, Charlie and Chattie and spellings such as Sharlott have been seen. Carlotta is the Italian form.
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10. Hannah
Hannah comes from the Hebrew meaning 'God has favoured me'. In the Old Testament it was the name of Samuel's mother. The Greek form of this , Anna was used first and Hannah was not adopted in England until after the Reformation.
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