Names That Mean Best

From the root for aristocrat, an upwardly mobile choice -- or if you go by its other meaning, an earthy delicious choice.

This name of an early Greek Christian philosopher comes with a wizened, ancient air about it. Still, perhaps the nickname Ari might help it work for a baby to grow into.

Cosmopolitan European form of the Greek name Aristides, as worn by an ancient statesman and an early saint.

In epic poetry, the term aristeia is used to denote the climactic point where the hero/heroine has their finest hour. Aristeia feels at home with other big Greek names like Atalanta, Cassiopeia and Galatea. We think this name has potential for parents who think Poem, Saga and Rhapsody are too obvious.

Aristides was an ancient Athenian statesman, nicknamed "the Just" for his honor and integrity. The name has been used in Spanish and Portuguese speaking cultures and has a great meaning for any proud parents. There are several different pronunciations for Aristides, including the classic Greek ah-ree-STEE-dees, the English ah-RIS-tih-deez/em>, and the Portuguese u-reesh-TEE-dish.

Tahani, a somewhat unusual Arabic name for girls, has popped up twice on TV recently: it's the name of one of the main characters on NBC comedy The Good Place and a teenaged contestant on So You Think You Can Dance.

The fact that this is pronounced sah-FEE-yah would cause Western ears to hear it as Sophia.

Extremely rare, but seen as a baby boy name every once in a while, influenced by Transformers character Optimus Prime.

Chosen is officially a baby name thanks to Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, who chose (can't resist) the word as the name of his newborn son. While it may inspire bad puns, Chosen is actually a pretty good word name: It's got the two-syllable, n-ending sound that is so fashionable for names, plus a positive, affirming meaning. Chosen is rising on the girls' side too now, given to 74 baby girls in 2022.

Relatively unusual as a given name in Japan.