Updated November 2023
Across 10 pages
of 10
Tupi
"maize or immaculate"
The name of a Guaraní princess killed by Spanish conquistadors in Tupi-Guarani legend. A Ceibo tree – the national flower of Argentina – is said to have bloomed in the spot where she died. The…
Greek
"most beautiful"
Calista Flockhart may have made her variation of this beautiful Greek name familiar to modern Americans, but the even-edgier x version was the name of an earlier feminist heroine: a character in Kate…
Welsh
"beautiful as a poem; crooked women"
A mythological Welsh name with an intriguing sound, Ceridwen appears in several Welsh legends, in which she is an an enchantress and the owner of the cauldron of poetic inspiration. She is also…
Irish
"beautiful sheen"
Anglicized spelling of the difficult-to-decipher Gaelic Aoibheann, the name of several Irish princesses, this name rhymes with Steven. Eavan Boland is a distinguished Irish poet who teaches at…
Turkish
"a miracle, beautiful"
Pretty and unusual.
Hebrew place-name
"beautiful"
A pleasant and adaptable place name for a part of Tel Aviv.
Greek mythology
Best known as one of the moons of Jupiter, Callisto was a nymph coveted by Zeus who was turned into a bear by Hera, becoming the Great Bear (Ursa Major) constellation.
Variation of Maribel
"beautiful Mary"
Marabel was a form sometimes seen in the seventeenth century, and might appeal to someone looking for an uncommon 'bel' name. Marabel Morgan was a bestselling anti-feminist author of the 1970s.
Combination of Nora and Belle
"beautiful light"
Blended name sometimes heard in the early decades of the twentieth century.
Sanskrit
Has a sound as lovely as its meaning.
French
"the beautiful field"
Pronounced Beecham, but still too fancy and fey. Likewise Beaufort (beautiful fort), Beaufoy (beautiful beech tree), and Beaumont (beautiful mountain).
Italian
"handsome, beautiful"
Bello is as handsome as Bella is beautiful, but rarely heard outside the Italian community. With its energetic 'o' ending, it could be ripe for export.
"beautiful view"
Derived from Italian bello "beautiful" and vedere "view", Belvedere is a dramatic name that was used for a cartoon hound dog in George Webster Crenshaw's comic strip by the same name, which ran from…
Pronounced like the word "even," this was a common name among the ancient royal families of Ireland, and has now become popular again.
Spanish
Hermosa, the name of a California beach town, means "beautiful".
French and English
"beautiful rose"
A felicitous combo of two sweet names; also a Queens, New York neighborhood.
Diminutive of Mabel
"beautiful lover"
You can just hear some sassy dame in a 1930s movie using this name. We prefer the original -- or even its original, Amabel.
"beautiful flower"
An attractive enough name, but for die-hard Star Wars fans only.
Indonesian
"very feminine, beautiful"
A common Indonesian name that is sometimes (as with Mary here) joined with another, as in 'Ayu' and 'Tyas,' which becomes 'Ayuningtyas' and means beautiful heart.
Swedish and Norwegian variation of Tove
Tove is a modern variation of an Old Norse name, related to Thor. Tuva is a form of the name popular in modern Scandinavia.