Updated October 2026
Across 11 pages
of 11
Diminutive of Margaret, Greek
"pearl"
Peg is a nostalgic turn-of-the-last-century nickname, sociable but slight. Like near-identical twin Peggy, Peg is in mothballs.
Hedvig is a feminine name of Germanic origin, derived from the elements 'hadu' meaning 'battle, combat' and 'wig' meaning 'war.' Despite these fierce origins, the name has developed a refined,…
Chinese
Cantonese surname that is occasionally heard as a first. The lack of vowels would make this one hard to wear in English-speaking countries.
English word name
"powerful, solid"
We often hear parents express their desire for a strong name for their baby—Strong definitely qualifies. It would make an interesting middle name option.
Hebrew
"my father strays"
An old Biblical name more often used in its modern form, Avishag, among Jewish babies in Israel.
Koralig is an uncommon feminine name with possible Celtic origins. The name bears resemblance to the Welsh word "coralig," meaning "coral-like" or relating to coral. This connection gives the name an…
Old Norse
"god + marriage celebration"
Variation of Abishag, Hebrew
Mongolian name meaning "clever, wise"
"clever, wise"
Similar to the Turkish name Bilge (Bil-jeh), which has the same meaning.
Faroese from Old Norse
"dew"
Not very viable among English speakers, Døgg is a Faroese nature name from the Old Norse dǫgg , "dew"
"evening service, vespers"
One of the newest spiritual word names.
English, word name
Either a patriotic option, or a nature name referring to the flag iris.
Yiddish, variation of Selig
"blessed, happy"
Woody Allen introduced us to the name Zelig as the ever-morphing title character of his 1983 film. Zelig does have an upbeat meaning, and nickname Zelie makes it accessible for a girl, though it's an…
Chinese and Vietnamese
"rainbow or red; pink, rosy"
A unisex Chinese name with a multitude of different meanings, depending on the characters used. In Vietnamese, it is a feminine name meaning "pink, rosy".
Icelandic from Norse
"the help of Ing"
Ingibjörg, as it's transcribed in Iceland, is derived from the Old Norse name Ingibjǫrg. The name references the Germanic fertility god Ing, the original name of the god Freyr.
Nature name
Olympic athlete Usain Bolt introduced this unusual and electric nature name to the lexicon when he chose it for his daughter's middle name: Olympia Lightning Bolt. Now there's a name with layers of…
Meg, perennially one of the Little Women, is a Margaret short form that manages to be neither quite in nor quite out of style. Meg is sleeker and more sophisticated than Maggie, more contemporary…
"bright, clear"
A common Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean unisex name, and the name of a culturally rich Chinese dynastic period.
"grief, sorrow"
Mourning was recorded as a name among enslaved people in 19th-century America, where other names that capture the atrocities of slavehood — such as Suffer, Misery, and Hardtimes — were used as well.
Gaelic
"life"
Pronounced BEH-ak, this Scottish name is also seen as Bethoc. In that form it was the mother of Duncan, the monarch slain by Macbeth in Shakespeare's play. In later years, it was sometimes Latinized…