Names That Mean Child

  1. Evelyn
    • Origin:

      English from French and German
    • Meaning:

      "desired; or water, island"
    • Description:

      After decades of disuse, soft and feminine Evelyn has returned to the baby name stage in a huge way. It reached the Top 10 for the first time in 2017. Evelyn has now surpassed its former heights, joining a legion of contemporary little Evas, Avas, Eves, Evies, and Evelines.
  2. Miriam
    • Origin:

      Hebrew or Egyptian
    • Meaning:

      "drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"
    • Description:

      The oldest-known form of Mary, serious and solemn Miriam has been a particular favorite of observant Jewish parents. But we can see it extending beyond that sphere into the next wave of Old Testament names post-Rachel, Rebecca, Sarah, Hannah, and Leah. Miriam is currently the Number 1 girls' name in Israel.
  3. Maria
    • Origin:

      Hebrew or Egyptian
    • Meaning:

      "drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"
    • Description:

      As a highly popular girls’ name in all Spanish-speaking countries, this saintly Latin variation of Mary retains a timeless beauty. Through the centuries, Maria remains one of the most widely-used girl names starting with M.
  4. Dion
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Dionysius, Greek
    • Meaning:

      "child of heaven and earth; of Zeus"
    • Description:

      A variation of Greek Dionysius, itself derived from the name of the god of wine, revelry, and dance, Dion gives a nod to mythology while also having historical ties to a student of Plato, to a Greek mathematician and to 1st century writer and historian.

      As a contemporary name, it came into popular use in the late 1950s and remained in the Top 1000 until 2006. It has dipped in and out of the charts since then, and is still given to a not insignificant 200 boys each year.
  5. Aiko
    • Origin:

      Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "beloved child"
    • Description:

      Aiko is a very common Japanese name with a lovely meaning that is rarely heard outside the Asian community.
  6. Nezuko
    • Origin:

      Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "red bean child"
    • Description:

      This demon name from the anime Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, was one of the highest debuts of 2021, when it was given to 20 baby girls. It rose to 29 girls in 2022.
  7. Haruki
    • Origin:

      Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "spring child"
    • Description:

      Japanese writer Haruki Murakami, well known in the U. S. , might inspire some namesakes.
  8. My
    • Origin:

      Swedish diminutive of Maria
    • Meaning:

      "bitter; wished-for child"
    • Description:

      Although the sound is pretty, "my" is too common of an English word for My to be usable as a baby name.
  9. Ona
    • Origin:

      Lithuanian variation of Anna, Catalan diminutive of Mariona
    • Meaning:

      "grace; wave; bitter; wished-for child"
    • Description:

      One of those names with a wide array of meanings across different cultures; it's the Lithuanian form of Anna, for instance, and William Blake used it as the name of one of his mysterious, godlike characters. But it's found major popularity in Spain, where it's just outside the Top 50. It makes the Top 10 in Catalonia, being both a diminutive of Mariona and the word for "wave".
  10. Kiko
    • Origin:

      Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "hope child"
    • Description:

      As a feminine name, Kiko is Japanese in origin. One possible meaning is "hope child," but different kanji combinations will yield alternate meanings.
  11. Akiko
    • Origin:

      Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "bright child"
    • Description:

      This popular Japanese name has many various meanings (bright, clear, autumn), depending on the combination of kanji used to spell it. The final element is the character ko, meaning "child", which features in many Japanese feminine names. Akiko is one of the best unique names for autumn babies.
  12. Rai
    • Origin:

      Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "next child"
    • Description:

      Distinctive and intriguing relative of Rae.
  13. Keiko
    • Origin:

      Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "happy child"
    • Description:

      Japanese classic with optimistic meaning.
  14. Hanako
    • Origin:

      Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "flower child"
    • Description:

      Hanako has a delicate sound and quaint meaning -- but there's a catch. According to widespread urban legend in Japan, Hanako is the name of the ghost of a little girl who haunts school bathrooms, who sometimes answers if you call her name.
  15. Naoko
    • Origin:

      Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "obedient child"
    • Description:

      Naoko is a common Japanese name with an admirable meaning, which, depending on how it's written, can translate to obedient, straight, honest, or green child. Naoko can also be spelled Nahoko.
  16. Reiko
    • Origin:

      Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "pretty child"
    • Description:

      Dainty and doll-like.
  17. Adamina
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "child of the red earth"
    • Description:

      A feminization of Adam with several sweet nickname options — Addie, Ada, Minnie, or Mina being a few.
  18. Sachiko
    • Origin:

      Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "child of joy"
    • Description:

      Sachiko was one of the first Japanese names familiar to Americans when it was used in the 1950s by actress Shirley Maclaine for her daughter, called the adorable short form Sachi. While Sachiko does not rank on the US Social Security baby names list, Sachi was given to 25 girls in the most recent year counted.
  19. Kamiko
    • Origin:

      Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "fragrant ocean child"
    • Description:

      Popular choice for female anime characters.
  20. Anan
    • Origin:

      Hebrew, Akan
    • Meaning:

      "cloud; fourth-born child"
    • Description:

      Little-known name from the Old Testament.