Names That Mean Jewel

Soraya is a Persian name made famous in the Western world by the one-time empress of Iran, who settled in Europe, primarily in France. Soraya is derived from Thurayya, the Arabic name of the Pleiades, a group of stars in the constellation Taurus.

Dated British favorite that never caught on in this country, where Jade remains the green gem of choice. Interesting namesakes: British writer Beryl Bainbridge and British aviatrix Beryl Markham.

Sapphira is a lovely name which unfortunately has an unsavory Biblical history. The New Testament Sapphira was killed by God for lying about a tax payment.

Sapphire goes waaaaay beyond Ruby and Pearl. This September birthstone, occasionally used a century ago, might be worth a reappraisal, perhaps as a Sophie/Sophia alternative. Sapphire is the pseudonym of Romona Lofton, who wrote the book Push, which was turned into the movie Precious. Sapphire entered the Top 1000 for the first time in 2022, and is proving to be one of the freshest gem names for girls. Another intriguing variation is the lovely Sapphira.

Johari is derived from the Arabic word jawhar, which evolved from the Persian word gouhar, both referring to gemstones. With its glitzy meaning and on-trend sounds, Johari has been quietly on the rise for boys in the US, with 32 boys given the name in a recent year.

Bijou is a name that lives up to its definition -- a real jewel. Warning: not unheard of on poodles' dog collars. Actress Bijou Phillips is its best known bearer. It can also be spelled Bijoux.

An elaborate and shiny choice.

A succinct Japanese with plenty of positive meanings, Kei can denote wisdom, celebration, and excellence, along with (square) gemstones and Japanese Judas-trees, depending on which kanji is used. In recent years, it has become notably feminine leaning in Japan, often as a short form of Keiko. It is however unisex and may also be used as shorten version of Keita, Keisuke, Keisaku, and more.

A unisex Chinese and Vietnamese with an appealingly simple, vowel-rich spelling.

An energetic African name with a stylish o ending.

A rare but rising unisex name more common among boys. Names ending in -ari are a hot subset of gender-neutral names that grows each year as parents create new combinations.

An energetic unisex Japanese name which has various potential meanings depending on the kanji used.

A popular unisex Mongolian name with a precious meaning.

A succinct and simple Japanese name with a variety of good meanings, Kei is a unisex choice that has been leaning feminine in recent years, thanks to the popularity of longer form Keiko. Pronounced as KEH (not to rhyme with Kai), it can relate to wisdom, jubilation, excellence, and gemstones, depending on which kanji is used.

A Persian girl name with the glittery meaning of jewel, gemstone, or diamond.

Names ending in -ari are some of the top picks among unisex names, as they are largely genderless and infinitely customizable. Some parents likely use Jahari as a variation of the traditional name Johari, but many others come by the name as their own creation.

A popular unisex Mongolian name with a precious meaning.

A lovely Japanese alternative to Tamara.

Two similarly delicate names, Tamako and Tamaki, can be found in the Japanese community.