By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 119 pages
of 119
English word name
Very confusing choice, even for your cat.
Neya is a compact, feminine name with multiple possible origins. It may derive from the Native American Keresan language, meaning 'guardian' or 'protector,' though it's also found in Russian as a…
Variation of Ngọc, Vietnamese
"jade"
Popular unisex choice in Vietnam.
Hebrew, Italian variation of Aurea, Latin
"my God is light; golden"
From Hebrew, Oria is a variation of Oriya, created by combining Ori meaning "light" with yah indicating God. From Italian, it is a variation of the Latin Aurea, a golden Saint name, once popular in…
Raea is a feminine name of Polynesian origin, particularly connected to Maori culture where it can mean "forehead" or relate to concepts of leadership and prominence. This short, melodic name has…
Roda is a feminine name with multiple cultural origins. In Hebrew, it relates to 'rhodon' meaning 'rose,' while in some African cultures, particularly in Tanzania and Kenya, it has indigenous roots…
Sanskrit
"truthful"
Sati is the is the Hindu goddess of marital felicity and longevity, and is worshipped as an aspect of the mother goddess Shakti.
Welsh variation of Jane
"God is gracious"
Simple and pretty and user-friendly, the Welsh Sian was used by U2's Dave "the Edge" Evans for his daughter. In Welsh, it is also spelled Siân.
Japanese
"elegant, refined"
Simple and, yes, elegant -- until you think of the wrestlers.
English, Frisian, Spanish, Slavic
"thought or sweetheart"
An Ethiopian place-name and multicultural diminutive for many names, including the Slavic Tatiana and the Spanish Cayetana. Tana is also a rare Frisian name, meaning "thought", as well as a masculine…
Nouveau name that's cute but slight, ala older sisters Tori and Teri.
Croatian, from Spanish
"to harvest"
Tena is the short form of Terezija, the classic Croatian form of Theresa. It's commonly used on its own, popularized in Croatia at the end of the 19th century when author Josip Kozarac wrote a short…
Turkish
"mother, placenta"
In Turkish mythology, Umay was the mother goddess of the Earth, protecting women, children, and fertility. The name is derived from the Turkish root umāy , meaning "placenta." The placenta was…
"wave"
Wave is used as a name in its own right, but on girls, it's most often seen as a nickname for Waverly. It lends a beachy, bohemian air to the classy English surname.
Old Norse, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Icelandic, and Faroese, meaning unknown
The exact meaning of Yrsa has been lost to history, but theorists have come up with two possible explanations. The first, more likely option, is that Yrsa is a younger variant of the name Ýrr,…
Polish and Slovene variation of Zoe, Greek
"life"
Popular in Poland and Slovenia, but familiar in a number of other Slavic countries too, Zoja is just as spirited and lively as its origin name, Zoe. Pronounced as ZO-ya, it's notably borne by Zoja…
Latin
"belt, girdle"
This name of a constellation in Orion's belt has an astral feel; it also belonged to the first woman to win a Pulitzer prize in drama, Zona Gale.
English, derived from Zulu, South African tribal name
Related to the powerful South African warrior people, sometimes chosen by African-Americans to celebrate their heritage. Zula is also a Norwegian diminutive of Zuzanna.
Variation of Zion, Hebrew
"highest point"
Hebrew place name Zion — which refers to the city of Jerusalem in the Old Testament — has risen to prominence. It's spawned a number of variations, Zyon among them.
Nyna is a feminine name with both Nordic and Slavic origins. In Nordic traditions, it's considered a variation of Nina, meaning 'little girl' or 'great-granddaughter.' In Slavic contexts, it derives…
