Updated October 2026
Across 12 pages
of 12
Tahitian
"crown of the ocean"
A combination of hei "crown" and moana "ocean".
Maori
"of the ocean"
An elaboration on Moana, newly familiar thanks to the heroine of the eponymous 2016 Disney movie.
Diminutive of Henrietta, English
"estate ruler"
It may take another generation or so, but this category of Hettie-Lettie-Lottie names could make a comeback.
Invented literary name
Hamish spinoff created by author Suzanne Collins for her trilogy The Hunger Games .
English
"brook near the hazel trees"
The habitational -brook suffix sends Hazel to gender-neutral territory, giving it a last name as a first name vibe. It feels in tune with outdoorsy and adventurous names, such as Hawthorne,…
Nature name, Latin from Greek
"marshmallow plant"
An overlooked floral name that would make a bold choice for a first or middle name. Hibiscus — in particular, the yellow hibiscus — is the state flower of Hawaii. Dried hibiscus is used to make tea…
Turkish from Arabic
"light of the diamond"
A Turkish compound of the Arabic names Hira and Nur, more common than either of the names individually.
English surname
"hollow way, sunken path"
A habitational surname denoting ancestors from one of the numerous English towns called Holloway. It first broke into the charts as a female name in 2020, when it was given to six baby girls. Since…
French
"sacred herb"
The name of an absinthe-imitation, Herbsaint is a liqueur created and produced in New Orleans since the 1930s. It literally translates to "sacred herb," in reference to absinthe woodworm, the one…
Scandinavian
"sea competition"
A name from medieval romance with an endearingly clunky sound, à la Sherlock. The most famous modern wearer was twentieth-century psychologist/sexologist Havelock (born Henry) Ellis.
French, English
"holly tree"
An intriguing surname option with ties to the natural world and to cool names like Hollis and Holland. But beware: another origin of the surname is from Old French horier meaning "pimp, brothel…
Place-name
The vowel ending tilts this sharply toward the feminine, and at this point Havana still has some political implications as well.
American invented name
"heather field"
Combining "Hez", a short form of Heather, and the -ley suffix meaning "field, clearing", Hezly is a modern invented name that has yet to catch on. US Olympic gymnast Hezly Rivera might change that…
Word name, surname name
"person who holds something"
Holder, part occupational name and part Holden, is a rare word name. It brings to mind holding onto someone or something, which itself suggests a love for or connection to whatever is being held on…
English word name
An off-beat Puritan era virtue name with a bright, optimistic meaning. Hopestill has occasionally been used as a unisex name, such as in the case of missionary Hopestill Pillow or builder Hopestill…
Short form of Helen or Helena, Greek
"torch; shining light"
Helly is not a nickname you hear every day, but Helly (short for Helena) Riggs is a character on TV's Severance . Both Helen and Helena are starting to trend upwards, which may make Helly more…
Indian, Sanskrit
"happiness"
A Sanskrit name with a cheerful meaning, it comes from the element harsa meaning "happiness". It is a cognate to names such as Harshida, Harshini and Harshal. The name of a 7th century Indian king,…
English from Norse, Hebrew
"God's helmet; God strengthens"
Haskell has two separate forms of origin, the first being from the Ancient Norse given name Ásketill. The Normans converted Ásketill to Aschetil, then the English transformed Aschetil into Haskell,…
Form of Hesperus or Hesperia, Greek
"evening, evening star"
In Greek mythology, Hesperus was the personification of the planet Venus, also known as the Evening Star, while Hesperia is one of his daughters. This masculine name combines elements of both and has…