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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

An energetic African name with a stylish o ending.

A lovely Japanese alternative to Tamara.

Name introduced here via Chinese cinema, has middle-place potential.

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 popular unisex Mongolian name with a precious meaning.

An attractive and traditional unisex name perfect for a cross-cultural child. Despite the current popularity of names ending in -ari, Johari is surprisingly rare in the US, though recent years have seen it rise slightly. It comes from the Arabic jawhar via the Persian gohar meaning "jewels, gemstones" making it a sparkly choice, and a relation of Jawhara and Cevahir.

Japanese name with a special crossover/creative touch via its association with the colorful paintings of acclaimed Mexican artist Rufino Tamayo.

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 popular unisex Mongolian name with a precious meaning.

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

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.

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

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