By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 776 pages
of 776
Irish and Scottish surname
"son of Ealair"
A modern update to Hilary, which is related to Gaelic Ealair.
Arabic feminization of Jahan, Sanskrit
"the world"
Straightforward and attractive Arabic name, associated with Turkish-American artist Jihan Zencirli.
Hawaiian place name and Polynesian mythology name
While Maui was a male trickster god in Polynesian mythology, the well-known Hawaiian place name Maui can work for either gender.
American variation of Afua, Akan, Ghanaian
"born on Friday"
Phibba, Phibah, Phibbi, and Phebe were common names among enslaved people in America. They derive from Afua, the traditional Akan name for girls born on a Friday. They were often Anglicized as Phoebe.
Estonian diminutive of Piritta, Finnish
"strength; exalted one"
The Estonian equivalent of Pirjo or Pirkko — independent nicknames for the Finnish form of Birgitta.
Modern invented name
Larry Hernandez is at it again — the reality TV star known for his show Larrymania has successfully popularized each of his three daughters' names. He and Kenia Ontiveros created totally new names…
Slovene diminutive of Ana
"grace"
A Slovene diminutive by elaboration, akin to the Russian Anushka.
Animal name
"bamboo eater"
Panda, welcome to the baby name menagerie! Panda is an adorable animal name (after an adorable animal) that is sure to be both very rare and very cute. In Skins there was a character called Panda,…
Slovene
"buckwheat"
A Top 20 name in Slovenia that is homophonous with Ida.
Invented name
Variation of Julia.
English
"descendant of Mary"
Medieval nickname for Mary that became a surname, then the name of a hotel chain, which makes it unlikely to be adopted as a baby name in modern times.
Paizlee is a modern feminine name that represents a creative spelling variation of Paisley, which originated as a Scottish place name and pattern. The distinctive spelling with 'z' and double 'e'…
Diminutive of Katariina, Finnish and Estonian
"pure"
In Estonia, short-form Riina is more common than its mother name, Katariina.
English word name
"strength to withstand fear"
Courage debuted on the girls' side of the chart in 2008, almost two decades after it first appeared for boys. It's among the rising class of powerful unisex virtue names, along with Brave, True, and…
Finnish variation of Dorothea, Greek
"gift of God"
The Finnish cognate of Thea, from Dorothea.
Diminutive of Giuseppina, Italian
"Jehovah increases"
Giusy is to Giuseppina as Josie is to Josephine. Giusy rhymes with "woozy," not "juicy."
Estonian
"sea"
Merike is among the names that Julius Mägiste, an Estonian linguist, suggested in the Estonian Mother Tongue Society's 1929 recommended list of names. It is derived from meri , the Estonian word for…
Kashvi is a beautiful feminine name of Sanskrit origin popular in India, particularly among Hindu families. It carries the profound meaning of 'shining' or 'gleaming,' and can also be interpreted as…
Janney is a feminine name that likely originated as an affectionate diminutive form of Jane or as a surname that transitioned to given name usage. Jane itself derives from the Hebrew name Yochanan,…
"free landholder"
When Frankie meets Brooklyn, what happens? You get Franklin, a Presidential name used almost exclusively for boys up until now. But parents who want an out-of-the-box long form for popular nickname…
