By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 776 pages
of 776
Hajrah is a feminine name of Arabic origin, derived from Hajar (Hagar in the Bible), the name of Ibrahim's (Abraham's) wife in Islamic tradition. The name is associated with the significant religious…
Leja is a feminine name with Slavic origins, particularly common in Slovenia and other Eastern European countries. The name may be derived from the Slavic word 'leja' meaning 'woodland' or 'forest…
Hindi
"blue sapphire"
It is said that if one wears a flawless blue sapphire, it can remove poverty and provide health, wealth, long life, happiness and prosperity.
English word name
"conscious of benefit received"
In the Plymouth Colony of the seventeenth century, Thankful was the third most popular of the abstract word names. It disappeared after 1700 and has virtually no chance of returning.
Tibetan
"lotus flower"
Pema is related to the more familiar Hindu name Padma and means lotus flower. This delightful name was given to only 14 girls in the USA last year, so it's guaranteed to be a unique choice. Pema is…
African, Matamba
The name of a great seventeenth century African warrior queen, known for her brilliance as an administrator and organizer, and unstinting commitment to peace.
Meaning unknown
Ailla is a name with many possible derivations, including Cornish (possibly meaning "beautiful"), French (deriving from Ailler, meaing Garlic), Finnish (related to Helga) and Turkish (where it may…
Manx
"sullen; tempest"
This name stems from an Irish word meaning sullen, but in the Isle of Man is used to refer to sullen weather, rather than sullen people (hence the tempest meaning). It's a cute and spunky name that…
Manx feminine variation of John
This feminine diminutive of John from the Isle of Man is also sometimes used as a variant of Judith. Still, we think it is as attractive as Thomasina or Jacoba -- that is, not very.
Cornish variation of Isolde
This Cornish variant of Isolde is rare even in the UK - but that's part of its charm. Like Isolde, Eseld is generally thought to mean "ice battle", a meaning sure to be pleasing to a little girl in…
Welsh invented name
"pretty and fair"
Delwen appears to be a modern invented name in Welsh, deriving from two common name components: del - meaning pretty and wen - meaning fair/white. Similar names include Delyth, also Welsh, and…
Welsh
"white rose"
If you're looking for an unusual alternative to all those Rose names, Rhoswen might be a good choice. This name has the soft sounds we've come to love from the Welsh language but is still not as…
Finnish
"the only one"
What a lovely name for the much-longed for daughter - no wonder Aino is in the Top 5 in Finland, whence the name originates. Like other popular Finnish names, Aino is short and avoids the ubiquitous…
Bahasa and Urdu
"rose"
Mawar is another of the "rose" variants that is almost unheard of outside its home country (in this case, Indonesia), but which deserves consideration given its lilting sound.
Mandarin
"precious gold"
Baojin, sometime hyphenated to Bao-Jin, has a luxurious meaning making it a relatively common choice for Mandarin-speaking parents. Baojin can be used for girls and boys. But this meaning also means…
Twi
"Born on a Thursday"
The Akan people of Ghana and the Ivory Coast frequently name their children after the day of the week they were born and the order in which they were born. Most Ghanaians have a name using this…
Akan
"born on Friday"
Pashto
"leaf"
Panra is a lovely nature name, meaning leaf, which would easily wear outside its native Pakistan. Pakistani singer Gul Panra is probably the most famous person with this name.
Irish
"daughter of the poet"
Dearbhla along with its Anglicized form Dervla are both well-used in modern Ireland. There was a medieval Saint Dearbhla. The spelling Deirbhile is also used.
"oak tree"
A very popular name for boys in Ireland that's well-used throughout the British Isles, Darragh is also occasionally used for girls and certainly sounds feminine or at least unisex to the American…
