By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 776 pages
of 776
Word name
Peanut is a name you might call a baby in the womb, but at least one set of parents put it on the birth certificate too. General Hospital star Ingo Rademacher and his fiance Ehiku named their son…
possible variant of Maitreya
Maitreya -- with an I -- is the Sanskrit name of a messianic future Buddha, according to the Buddhist tradition. Without the I, it's most closely associated with Canadian teen actress Matreya Fedor.…
Sanskrit
"loving kindness"
According to Buddhist eschatology, Maitreya is next great Buddha who will appear on Earth, following Gautama Buddha. Though this messianic figure is usually (if not exclusively) depicted as a male,…
Literary name
This delicate and pretty member of the prolific Lily family is best known as the name of the heroine of Alexander Chee's novel Queen of the Night , Lilliet Berne. A combination of Lillian and Juliet,…
Myrrhine is the name of an ancient literary character, from the play Lysistrata by Aristophanes. Myrrhine refuses to have sex with her husband in an effort to stop a war.
Invented literary name
"beautiful shining one"
The name of the character in Edmund Spenser's "The Faerie Queene" whom the poet intended as a representation of Queen Elizabeth I. While it will no doubt thrill your daughter's English professor, the…
English
"place name"
One of several fascinating names used in Charlaine Harris's Midnight, Texas books and the NBC adaptation thereof, Fiji is a pleasingly quirky place name that's been little used for babies. Though it…
Modern invented name
Charming comedic actress Niecy Nash -- who's drawn widespread acclaim in the last few years as the star of Getting On and Claws -- was originally born Carol Denise. Her stage name likely originated…
One of many distinctive names in the show and book series Midnight, Texas by Charlaine Harris -- and one of very few girl's names that start with the letter X.
Arabic
"fountain in paradise"
A unisex Arabic name that literally means "water that falls from a great height", referring to a fountain or spring in paradise.
Variant of Senuna
When archeologists discovered a shrine to a previously unknown goddess in England, they initially believed her name to have been Senua. Further research pointed to Senuna as a more likely name.
Variant of Florence, “flourishing”
The name of the lead character in Toni Morrison's novella A Mercy , an enslaved woman who is sent in search of medicine for her sick master. Flora and Florence will both be less likely to create…
Cornish
"holy headland"
Penzance is a port town at the very tip of Cornwall. With its associations with operetta and pirates, Penzance packs quite a bit of zip for a name.
Norse
"gentle victory"
In Norse mythology, Sieglinde is often better known as Signy. In Wagner's Ring Cycle, he uses the name Sieglinde to denote the character who is the twin sister of Siegmund and mother of the hero…
Finnish
"pearl"
A punchy alternative to Pearl as it gains popularity, it may also be used as a short form of Vilhelmina or Wilhelmina.
Greek
"bee-eater bird"
This obscure name from Greek mythology (Merope was one of the Pleiades) is better known from J.K.Rowling's Harry Potter series, as the name of Tom Riddle's ill-fated mother.
Portuguese type of dance
The Chula is a traditional type of dance.
Mongolian
"light"
Indigenous Australian
"joyful"
In the language of the Ngurelban people, 'Yera-o' is said to mean "joyful". This Anglicization is reminiscent of other feminine names like Eulalia and could work well for those looking for a less…
Breton
"white flower"
Bleuenn is virtually unknown in the English-speaking world, while in France, it is a rare choice, given to a handful of girls. Bleuenn's origins are in Brittany, in the north of France, and it's…
