Names That Mean Gentle

Talia is derived from the Hebrew elements tal, meaning "dew," and yah, in reference to God. In the mythology of one ancient sect, Talia was one of ten angels who attended the sun on its daily course. The occasionally homophonous name Thalia has unrelated Greek origins.

Millie is back. It's a Top 100 name throughout much of the English-speaking world, though not yet in the US. Millicent would be an appealing long form, but many people are using Millie all by its cute self -- so many, in fact, that it returned to the Top 500 in 2015 for the first time since World War 2 and continues to climb.

This pet form of such names as Winifred and Edwina and Gwendolyn has loads of vintage charm, a la Millie and Maisie, with a decidedly winning vibe. And it just got celebrity cred as the baby daughter of Jimmy Fallon.

Similar in sound to the flower name Dahlia, this gentle but distinctive name, heard in many cultures, hits that Golden Mean between too popular and too unusual. In Lithuanian mythology, Dalia is a goddess of weaving and of fate.

Gareth, the name of a modest and brave knight in King Arthur's court, makes a sensitive, gently appealing choice, used more in its native Wales than anywhere else.

When scientists do research on the effects of an unpopular name, we're afraid that Mildred is one of the examples they cite, often in tandem with Bertha and Gertrude. But with cute nickname Millie on the rise, anything's possible.

Tallie is a seldom-heard nickname name that, with the ascendance of Hallie and Callie, we might just be hearing more of.

Nickname sometimes heard on its own, sort of an updated Sally and playmate of Hallie.

Cute and nicknamey girl name with a great meaning to boot.

This surname related to Clement is strongly associated with Major League pitcher Roger Clemens, winner of more Cy Young awards than any other pitcher in baseball history, and has a softer sound than Clement. Some variations are Clemen, Clementio, Clemention, and Clemons.

Yuta Okkotsu is a major character in the anime series Jujutsu Kaisen. The kanji used in the Japanese manga give his name the meaning "grief," in reference to the loss of his dear childhood friend, Rika. In practice, men who bear this name use the kanji meaning "gentle."

Layan is popular enough in the US that it was given to nearly 175 baby girls in one recent years. It translates easily enough in an English-speaking culture and sounds like Lee-Anne and Leah, so it's a friendly cross-cultural choice -- though lay might not be the best association in a baby's name.

This name of an ancient fertility goddess is associated with the month of May and could make a pretty, unusual choice for a springtime baby. Damaris is a similar possibility.

Could cause pronunciation problems.

One of several similar Hebrew names, this example has an agreeable meaning. Pronounced ah-DEEV.

In Norse mythology, Sieglinde is often better known as Signy. In Wagner's Ring Cycle, he uses the name Sieglinde to denote the character who is the twin sister of Siegmund and mother of the hero Siegfried.

Airy word name on the rise for both sexes. Breeze makes an especially lovely middle name.

Singer-actress Queen Latifah -- born Dana Owens -- makes this North African Muslim name sing.

An ancient Germanic name that's so clunky and contrarian it's actually brilliant. One famous Hermelinda was a medieval queen of the Lombards; another was a Belgian saint.