Updated October 2026
Across 25 pages
of 25
Italian, Latin
"of the forest"
Silvana is a feminine form of the Ancient Roman Silvanus, sharing the same woodsy meaning. A mix of elegance and energy, Silvana may appeal to those who enjoy Sylvie, Sylvia, Savannah, and Solana.
French or English
"stain or from the south meadow"
A jaunty offshoot of Sullivan, Sully will be associated by kids with the beloved character in the Pixar animated film Monsters, Inc . Some notable real-life namesakes are French poet and essayist…
English word name
" a metallic chemical element with atomic number 47"
Among the first wave of word names used in the hippie era, it actually is a legitimate girl's name with a lot of luster.
Greek
"entangler"
Sounds like Serena, but refers to the mythological sirens -- half woman, half bird -- who virtually sang men to death. Not a great role model for your little girl.
Latin from Greek
"burning"
Yes, it's the name of the brightest star in the sky, but can't you just hear people saying, "Are you serious?" Singer Erykah Badu used it as a middle name for son Seven.
English, Word name
"honest, genuine, and heartfelt"
Reminiscent of Puritan and Pilgrim name choices, Sincere is a relatively modern virtue name. Though it is predominantly used on boys - almost ten times more often - Sincere is still given to around…
Arabic, Persian, Hebrew
"dawn, morning, awakening; crescent"
A soft, strong name, commonly heard in the Middle East, Sahar is an Arabic and Persian name, associated with dawn and beginnings, and a Hebrew name, meaning "crescent", in turn linking it to the…
Greek variation of Sapphire, Hebrew jewel name
"sapphire"
Sapphira is a lovely name which unfortunately has an unsavory Biblical history. The New Testament Sapphira was killed by God for lying about a tax payment. There's a Willa Cather novel called…
French variation of Sasha, Russian short form of Alexander, Greek
"defending warrior"
Sasha in all its forms -- which include Sacha and Sascha -- is rising in popularity for both boys and girls. Its most prominent current bearer with this spelling is Sacha Baron Cohen. Sacha is a Top…
Invented French name, meaning unknown
Sohan is a modern French invention. It may be related to Jean or a variation of the similar name Yohan.
Word name
We call Savvy a Modern Virtue Name, a contemporary version of the Puritan's Hope and Charity, extolling the virtue of shrewdness. And who doesn't want their daughter to grow up to be Savvy in the…
Modern invented name
Saylah is a name manufactured from elements of Sailor (or Saylor) and Kaylah (or Kayla) to make one of those unique baby names that's not quite genuine. Still, it has a pretty sound and is superior…
English
"soul, spirit"
A charming addition to the ever-growing crop of virtue names, Soul is a warm yet mystical choice with links to spirituality, feelings, and music. While it is a bold word name, its similarity to Sol…
A rare unisex word/virtue name that is currently given to around 10 babies of each gender per year in the US. It could make for an unexpected route to bright, easygoing nickname Sol (or trendy…
There's definitely a cold front of names for winter babies moving in, with Summer, Spring and Autumn giving way to Winter--plus North, January, Frost--and Snow. This name feels brisk, fresh, pure,…
French, word name
"Swedish; leather with one side rubbed to be velvety"
In the nineties there was a "One Life to Live" soap opera character named Suede, but few fans picked up on it. Now however, parents may be reconsidering Suede, given its similarity in sound to Sage,…
"to glow, radiate, excel"
A quietly though not insubstantially used option for boys, Shine ticks a number of boxes. It's an unexpected word name with the familiar sounds of Shiloh or Shane; it fits in among ambitious virtue…
Nature name
"sparrow, a bird"
With related choices such as Lark and Phoenix gaining popularity, why not Sparrow? Though it's usually thought of as a female name, Nicole Richie and Joel Madden chose it for their son.
Diminutive of Shepherd
Three Stooges name (he's the one who wasn't Moe or Curly).
Dutch
"Saxon"
From the first time we saw the name Saskia attached to a portrait of Rembrandt's wife (her full name was Saakje van Uylenburgh, but she was always called Saskia), we have found it utterly charming…