Updated October 2026
Across 11 pages
of 11
Greek
"from the sea"
An offbeat possible replacement for the overused Melissa and Marisa, Nerissa was used by Shakespeare for Portia's witty confidante in The Merchant of Venice . Queen Elizabeth has a cousin named…
Hebrew
"wrestling, struggling"
Rarely used biblical choice -- he's a son of Jacob -- with a bit of a white-bearded image.
Invented name
Feminization of Namor, a name created for a Marvel Comics character by spelling Roman in reverse. Namora is also a comic book superhero, and cousins with her namesake Namor.
Modern invention
"attainer + soft; hope + pure, light"
This modern invention is possibly a compound name, created by blending either Arabic Naila and Leen, for the meanings "attainer of softness" or "delicate attainer", or, a mix of Nadine and Kathleen…
Irish, English
"descendant of Niall; new land"
An Irish and an English surname, Neyland can be an anglicized form of Irish surname O'Nialláin meaning "descendent of Niall" or an English surname meaning "new land", possibly borrowing from the…
River name and color name
"dark blue, indigo"
Cool, serene name of the Egyptian river can make a fresh choice for a girl. The origin of river name Nile relates to the Arabic and ancient Hebrew word for dark blue or indigo; in ancient Egyptian,…
English, invented name
An elaboration of popular Nova, that first appeared in the US baby name charts in 2020.
Sounds like Nia, looks like Leah.
"cloudy"
An enchanting ancient Greek name belonging to the Greek goddess who was created from a cloud by Zeus and so became goddess of the clouds and mother of the centaurs. The name Nephele is not widely…
Greek mythology name
The mythological queen whose perpetual weeping for her slain children turned her into a stone has always cast a pall over this name. Still, when other names with less-than-savory associations --…
Hindi, Hebrew, and Choctaw
"friendly, to plant, and bear"
One of those slender names, like Lena or Etta, that's used in several cultures and carries a range of meanings. But by being so many things, it doesn't feel decidedly like anything.
French
"black"
Noir is a name that would sound soigne and sophisticated on a 30-year-old, and perhaps too grown-up for a toddler. But with the popularity of so many other color names, Noir feels like a true…
Irish, short form of Fionnuala
"white shoulders"
Officially a shortening of the traditional and tricky Gaelic Fionnghuala/Fionnuala, Nuala makes a lovely choice all on its own. Nuala is well-used in Ireland.
Literary invented name
Invented in 1939 as the name of Marvel Comics character Namor the Sub-Mariner. Bill Everett, the creator, decided on Namor after writing noble, dignified names in reverse—Namor is Roman spelled…
Place name from Penacook
"beautiful stream with a pebbly bottom"
The name of a city in New Hampshire which takes its name from the Nashua River, named by the Indigenous Algonquian tribe the Nashuway or Nashua. A striking alternative to Joshua.
"my candle"
Gender-neutral choice ideal for a child born during Hanukkah.
Spanish from Greek
"victory"
Closer to Nike than to Nicholas, this is an attractive, viable import. It's also one of several Italian and Spanish baby names that get you to the stylish and attractive nickname Nico.
Word name
An ubercool and mysterious name, brought to you by director M. Night Shyamalan.
"plowed field"
Short, simple international names like this make distinctive middle name possibilities. Nir also makes for a nature-oriented first name that's both straightforward and unusual. But be prepared for a…
English word name
"cardinal direction of north"
A lot of attention was drawn to this name when Kim Kardashian and Kanye West announced it as the name of their baby daughter, making it instantly unisex. North is a word name that's long been used,…