Names That Mean First

  1. Kiara
    • Origin:

      English variation of Chiara, Italian, Ciara, Irish, or Aboriginal Australian, Korean
    • Meaning:

      "light, clear; little dark one; cockatoo; first ray of sun"
    • Description:

      Kiara can be considered a variation of both the Italian name Chiara and the Irish name Ciara. Chiara is the Italian form of Clara, meaning "bright" or "clear," while Ciara is the feminine form of male given name Ciar, derived from the old Irish cíar, meaning "dark."
  2. Primrose
    • Origin:

      English flower name
    • Meaning:

      "first rose"
    • Description:

      A quaint and quirky flower name, until recently considered a bit too prim for most American classrooms but brought back to life in recent years by the attractive character of Primrose "Prim" Everdeen in the Hunger Games series. In the Top 300 girl names in England and Wales and on Nameberry, Primrose remains rare in the US, but is made more accessible by a raft of sweet nickname options, including Rosie and Posy.
  3. Hendrix
    • Origin:

      Dutch and German, from first name Hendrik
    • Meaning:

      "estate ruler"
    • Description:

      Hendrix is one of those hip rock and roll names, like Lennon, Jagger and Presley, that have been used by fellow celebs and others, to honor the seminal guitarist/singer/songwriter Jimi. And this one has the trendy 'x' ending, as well, helping to propel it up the charts and into the spotlight.
  4. Elif
    • Origin:

      Turkish and Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "first letter in the alphabet; slender"
    • Description:

      Elif is the Turkish form of Alif, the name of the first letter of the Arabic alphabet. Actor Natalie Portman gave another spelling to her son, Aleph.
  5. Aarush
    • Origin:

      Hindi
    • Meaning:

      "first ray of sun"
    • Description:

      A fiery Indian name used enough in the US to make it onto the Top 1000 list in 2010 and 2015.
  6. Primus
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "first"
    • Description:

      The revival of long-dormant Roman names would put this back in the lexicon if it wasn't so connected to a telecommunications network.
  7. Prima
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "first"
    • Description:

      Will assure your daughter she's numero uno.
  8. Kazuo
    • Origin:

      Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "first son; harmonious man"
    • Description:

      A familiar choice in Japan, Kazuo is known more globally due to award winning writer, Kazuo Ishiguro, whose works include Never Let Me Go, The Remains of the Day, and Klara and the Sun. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2017.
  9. Antonella
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Antonia, Spanish, Italian, Latin
    • Meaning:

      "from Antium"
    • Description:

      Antonella is an elaborate feminine form of Anthony growing in popularity throughout Latin America as well as in the US. It first entered the US charts back in 2017 and has since shot into the Top 300, given to around 1330 girls in a recent year.
  10. Prim
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "first or demure"
    • Description:

      As a name, Prim is generally short for Primrose – as in the sweet younger sister of heroine Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games. But a word of warning: it also coincides with the English word "prim", meaning "disapproving, overly correct".
  11. Hendrix
    • Origin:

      Dutch and German, from first name Hendrik
    • Meaning:

      "estate ruler"
    • Description:

      Hendrix is a trendy first name, complete with cool letter X and the familiar sounds of Henry. Likely inspired by guitar great, Jimi Hendrix, the name is predominantly used for boys, with 1130 receiving the name in 2024. In contrast, 52 girls were called Hendrix, meaning the name is split 4:96.
  12. Primo
    • Origin:

      Italian
    • Meaning:

      "first"
    • Description:

      Primo is number one among the Latin birth-order names--Octavius et al--and the one most likely to be used in these days of smaller families. It has that jaunty 'o' ending and Italian flavor that many modern parents like so much. And what little boy wouldn't appreciate being prime?
  13. Alula
    • Origin:

      Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "first leap"
    • Description:

      Alula, the palindromic name of the first double star to be identified as physically related to its twin, would make the perfect name for a first-born twin. Ideas (we're only half joking) for the second born: Aviva, Aziza, Otto. Alula is reminiscent of the unusual name chosen by Isla Fisher and Sacha Baron Cohen for their second daughter: Elula, a month name from the Hebrew calendar.
  14. Parvan
    • Origin:

      Bulgarian and Romanian
    • Meaning:

      "first"
    • Description:

      An almost unknown member of the cool two-syllable, n-ending group of boy names.
  15. Ensio
    • Origin:

      Finnish
    • Meaning:

      "first"
    • Description:

      Ensio derives from the Finnish word ensimmäinen, meaning "first one."
  16. Alpha
    • Origin:

      Greek, first letter of the alphabet
    • Description:

      The first letter of the Greek alphabet ande the brightest star in every constellation, this would make an interesting choice for a first daughter, though it does give off some spectral sci-fi reverberations--and references to the term "alpha male.".
  17. Elif
    • Origin:

      Turkish and Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "first letter in the alphabet, slender"
    • Description:

      This is the Turkish form of Alif, the name of the first letter of the Arabic alphabet. Actor Natalie Portman gave another spelling to her son, Aleph. Elif can also mean "slender", from the Turkish phrase elif gibi, literally "shaped like Elif."
  18. Ilkin
    • Origin:

      Turkish and Azerbaijani
    • Meaning:

      "first"
    • Description:

      Authentically spelled İlkin, this would be an unusual (to English speakers) pick for a firstborn boy.
  19. Proteus
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "first"
    • Description:

      The name of an early Greek god of the sea, after whom a moon of Neptune is named.
  20. Kensa
    • Origin:

      Cornish
    • Meaning:

      "first"
    • Description:

      This Cornish word name would make an excellent choice for a first-born daughter.

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