Updated November 2023
Across 7 pages
of 7
Spanish, feminine form of Javier, Spanish version of Xavier
"new house, bright"
Javiera, pronounced ha-vee-AIR-a, is not as well used as twin brother JAVIER, but makes an attractive Latina choice.
Hebrew
"gold, brilliantly bright"
Zariza is a unique name sure to appeal to Z lovers.
German
"bright wolf"
Bardolph is an antiquated German name that was used by Shakespeare for several minor characters. Short form Bardo, a Buddhist term for a Limbo-like state, would be more familiar and more fashionable…
"bright strength"
One bright spot: famous namesake Threepenny Opera playwright Berthold (later known as Bertolt) Brecht.
English
"bright friend"
One step up from Irwin, and that's not nearly enough.
Anglo-Saxon
"bright edge of a sword"
Egbert still suffers somewhat from being used as a stereotypical name for nerds and aristocrats. It would be a surprising choice, but with its edgy meaning and dusty charm, possibly it's so beyond…
"bright angel"
One of the rarest Bert names, Engelbert has been used at least since the time of Charlemagne and is the name of several saints. But mostly, it's impossible not to associate it with Engelbert…
"the descendents of Fulbeorht, bright people"
No guarantee of a fellowship.
"little bright warrior"
A possible new entry in the Hayden-Corbin two-syllable boys' name club.
Japanese
"bright tree"
As well as Japanese physicist Hideki Yukawa, two Yankees ballplayers, Hideki Irabu and Hideki Matsui, made this name familiar to Americans.
English, diminutive of Robert
"bright fame"
A Robert nickname out of use for hundreds of years, but now sounds cooler than Bob or Rob for a modern boy.
"bright grace"
Welsh
"bright water"
Occult name for babies born under water signs -- Pisces, Cancer, and Scorpio.
Chinese
"bright"
A well-used name in China that has some potential for assimilation.
"bright forest"
Unfashionable surname, best left in the forest with Robin Hood and his Merry Men.
"shining bright"
A common Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean unisex name, and the name of a culturally rich Chinese Dynastic period. Yao Ming is the seven and a half foot Shanghai-born basketball star. Trivia tidbit: His…
Celtic, female variation of Brice
Slightly awkward girl's version of a straightforward male name.
Dutch diminutive of Robert
Unfashionable in the U.S. yet a shining star in The Netherlands, where nickname-names are enormously stylish.
Vietnamese
"bright blue; brilliant"
A common Vietnamese name heard evenly for boys and girls in the U.S. Sounds like tahn or tong, depending on what part of Vietnam you come from.
A common Vietnamese name heard for both boys and girls in the U.S.