Updated November 2023
Across 3 pages
of 3
Hebrew
"who is like God?"
Michael was the Number 1 American boys' name for almost half a century. While Michael has moved out of the Top 10 baby boy names , it's still widely used. How has Michael racked up this phenomenal…
Greek
"to heal"
Jason, the Number 3 name for the entire decade of the 1970s -- thus the title of our original baby-naming book, Beyond Jennifer & Jason -- is more likely to be dad's name now than baby's, but it's…
Feminine variation of Andrew, Greek
"strong and manly"
Andrea — a feminine form of Andrew (and a male name in several European cultures) — comes with a good selection of pronunciations — ANN-dree-a, AHN-dree-a, or ahn-DRAY-a — each with a slightly…
French from Greek
"to tame, subdue"
Converting Damian to Damien – or Julian to Julien or Lucian to Lucien – adds a certain je ne sais quoi to names. But most people in English speaking areas will still pronounce this the same as the…
"honeybee"
Melissa derives from the Greek word mélissa , meaning "bee," which was taken from the word for honey, meli . In Greek mythology, Melissa was a nymph who nursed the infant god Zeus with honey. Melissa…
Cornish variation of Guinevere, Welsh
"white shadow, white wave"
Jennifer is the Cornish variation of Guinevere, which ultimately derived from the Welsh name Gwenhwyfar. As such, it is connected to the queen of Arthurian legend, and sharees the same meaning of…
Hebrew and Spanish variation of Aaron
This shortened variation of Aaron—it was Elvis's middle name—is now a widely used choice.
American, modern elaboration of Jane
It's far cooler to drop the first syllable and go for Elle.
Japanese
"second son; healthy + second; wise + second; modest second"
A international feeling name of Japanese origin that could be used to refer to a child's place in the family, Kenji has attracted notice in the US as the name of The Food Lab chef, James Kenji…
Arabic
"beautiful, handsome"
Hasan is a significant Muslim historical figure — he was the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad and the son of Ali and Fatimah. Shia Muslims consider Hasan a martyr — he died after being poisoned by…
Variation of Christopher
Not as familiar and easy as Christopher, not as unusual and interesting as Christoph or Krzysztof.
Aramaic
"gazelle"
Though never as popular as the name of her Bewitched mother, Samantha, Tabitha has its own quirky, magical charm. The name of a charitable woman who was restored to life by Saint Peter in the Bible,…
Spelling variation of Sean
Shaun is the least popular spelling of the once-wildly popular name, more usually spelled Sean or Shawn. Parents who have a reason to choose this name now would (and should) most likely go with the…
Diminutive of Jedidiah, Hebrew
"beloved of the Lord"
Cowboyish short form that's both macho and cool. Got prime time exposure on The West Wing .
"beautiful"
Familiar and handsome, Jamil is a name of Arabic origin. Its literal meaning is "beautiful" and while this can refer to physical beauty, as a Quranic name, it more specifically refers to beautiful…
Marlena is a feminine name with various European origins, primarily formed as a blend of 'Maria' and 'Elena' or 'Magdalena.' The name carries a romantic, elegant quality while maintaining strength.…
English from Dutch
"burnt wine"
The alcohol-laced member of the Randy-Candy-Mandy sorority of 1970s to 80s nickname names; now pretty much on the wagon.
"brighter, clearer"
Strongly identified with peace-accord-seeking Egyptian president Anwar el-Sadat.
Turkish, Bosnian variation of Tariq, Arabic
"the one who knocks at the door"
This bold and straightforward name is a common variant of Tariq in Turkey and Bosnia and is used as an alternate spelling in Arabic-speaking countries. In Arabic, Tariq was historically used in…
Cedrick is a variant spelling of Cedric, a name created by Sir Walter Scott for his 1819 novel "Ivanhoe." Scott likely derived it from the Saxon name Cerdic, belonging to a 6th-century king. The name…