Regina

Regina means queen in Latin, full stop, and the name wears its title lightly. Used in honor of the Virgin Mary as Regina Caeli, Queen of Heaven, it became a favorite among Catholic families across Europe and the Americas. Three syllables that can swing between the classical re-GEE-na and the softer re-GEE-na heard in Italian and Spanish. It had its American heyday mid-twentieth century and has mellowed into a less common choice, which gives it a quietly regal distinction today. The name carries dignity without stiffness, a whiff of incense and grandmothers' pearls. Regina sounds self-possessed, grown-up from the cradle.