By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 430 pages
of 430
English
"swan"
Obsolete Swanhild gives way to oh-so-modern Swan, joining the flock of newly fashionable bird names such as Wren and Lark. In France, the Swann spelling is fashionable for both sexes. But Swan…
Aboriginal Australian
"water lilies; place of the water lilies"
Araluen is a beautiful Aboriginal Australian place name, used in several sites, always connected to the dainty water lily. In terms of sound Araluen offers it all - the "Ara" beginning made popular…
Arabic
"beautiful dawn"
Not a spunkier version of Merlin, Zerlin has roots in the Middle East, Spain and Eastern Europe and is thought to mean "beautiful dawn". The countries where this name is most heard are Israel,…
Lily Ann combines the popular floral name Lily with the classic grace of Ann, creating a sweet double name that balances nature-inspired charm with traditional elegance. Lily, derived from the Latin…
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…
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…
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…
Kolbrun is a feminine name of Old Norse origin with deep roots in Icelandic naming traditions. The name combines the elements 'kol' (coal or dark) and 'brun' (brown or eyebrow), potentially referring…
Katrín is a feminine name of Scandinavian and Icelandic origin. It is a variant of Katherine, which ultimately derives from the Greek name Aikaterine, meaning 'pure.' In Iceland, Katrín is quite…
Diminutive of Josefien, Dutch variation of Josephine
"Jehovah increases"
Fien is a popular enough girls' name to make the Top 100 in The Netherlands. Dutch parents love nickname-names taken from the last vs. the first syllable of a name, like Sanne for Susanne or Lotte…
Armenian
"rainbow"
This intriguing name from Armenia has a lovely meaning "rainbow" and was used for the adorable protagonist of the film by the same name who hides in a suitcase and ends up going on an adventure to…
Australian Aboriginal
This name is connected to Ambelin Kwaymullina, an Indigenous Australian teen fiction author. Ambelin could be a nice alternative to Amber or Ember, if you can get past the fact it sounds very similar…
Chinese
"support, comfort"
This name can be used for either girls or boys and is a great international choice.
"Diligent, vigorous"
This name, which can also be a surname, is not a popular name, even in China. When used in poetry, Chinese academics interpret the word qianqian as meaning diligent and vigorous. A notable bearer is…
Latin
"fifth"
Quentin, an offbeat name with lots of character, relates to the Latin for the number five and is by far the subtlest and most usable of the Latin birth-order names, and makes a classy addition to the…
Cornish
"Iris"
Less known than other Cornish beauties like Elowen, Demelza, and Kerensa, Elestren is a pretty botanical name ripe for wider usage. While it may have a starry, celestial feel, likely owning to…
"June"
An unusal alternative to June or Junia.
Dutch
Pien is a feminine name with Dutch origins, though it also appears in Chinese culture with different meanings. In Dutch usage, Pien emerged as a diminutive form of names containing the element 'pien'…
