Names That Mean Holy

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.

This name of the Cretan goddess of fertility is most popular now as the more melodic Ariana, but Ariadne has possibilities of its own. It first entered the US Top 1000 in 2014. The renewed interest in the name falls in line with the revival of other mythological names like Apollo and Athena. The trendy nickname Ari doesn't hurt either.

Beguiling and lovely, Laila is one of the lilting variations of Leila and Layla. It's the name of the former-boxer daughter of Muhammad Ali and of actor Shawn Wayans. In Finland, the Sami people use this in place of the Scandinavian name Helga.

The smooth, attractive Ariana is on the rise along with the fame of pop princess Ariana Grande. Also famous is twin spelling Arianna, which is associated with Greek-born online presence Arianna Huffington. Both Ariana and Arianna are widely used names and are equally acceptable spellings.

A smooth, attractive choice, Arianna's on the rise with both single and double 'r's and 'n's. Single 'r' double 'n' Arianna — the second most popular version of the name — is these days associated with Greek-born blog queen Arianna Huffington.

This Slavic form of the Norse name Helga is a classic in many Slavic countries, including Russia and Poland, where it currently ranks within the Top 100 girl names. It has historically ranked among the most popular names in countries including Ukraine, Latvia, Spain, France, Serbia, Greece, the US, and many more. Olga is a common name even in Scandinavian countries, such as Sweden and Norway, despite Helga being a more traditional choice. Olha is the uniquely Ukrainian variation.

While Meron looks like a variation of Maren or Marion, her origins are in Ethiopia: Meron is the name of the holy oil used for christenings in the Ethiopian Orthodox church.

Sai is a name used in India to honor Shirdi Sai Baba, a spiritual master revered by both Hindus and Muslims.

As an Indian name, Sai honors spiritual master Shirdi Sai Baba, who was revered by both Hindu and Muslim devotees. Sai is the name of the young heroine of Kiran Desai's prizewinning The Inheritance of Loss, while Sai De Silva is a Real Housewife of NYC.

Tanwen is a far more singular and colorful alternative to Bronwen.

Soft and delicate French name rarely heard here.

A highly unusual Biblical girls' name whose popularity in Latin America is beginning to spill over into the U.S.. Azeneth is one of those unique baby names we'll be hearing a lot more of.

Religious name long common in Italy, as is the diminutive Santino. In the Cornwall region of England, it's a traditional diminutive for Alexander.

Japji Sahib is the Sikh thesis, that appears at the beginning of the Guru Granth Sahib – the scripture of the Sikhs.

One of the most intriguing Punjabi girl names, bringing with it an easy path to the stylish nickname Ruby, as well as the very on-trend rhythmic "-ani" ending.

A fun and confident choice, Holiday is a celebratory name, particularly associated with Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hannukah, and New Year, and with rest, leisure, and vacations more generally. Fitting for a winter baby, but totally sunny too, it comes from the Old English hāligdæg meaning "holy day" as it was originally used to mark religious festivals and celebrations.

The Spanish and Portuguese variation of the all-saints name. Santos is a name that has appeared in the US Top 1000 every year except for two: 1913 and 1915.

A jaunty, traditional name in Sweden's Top 100. Famous bearers include actor Svante Thunberg (Greta's father) and the father of physical chemistry Svante August Arrhenius. The name Svante is short for Svantepolk, the name of a Slavic nobleman who settled in Sweden in the 14th century.

Olga is a common name in Ukraine and Europe at large, but originated in the Russian language as a variation of the Scandinavian name Helga. Olha is unique to Ukraine and the Ukrainian language. Olha is currently more popular for babies in Ukraine than Olga.

Penzance is a port town at the very tip of Cornwall. With its associations with operetta and pirates, Penzance packs quite a bit of zip for a name.