200+ Baby Names With Great Meanings

Updated Sat Jan 27 2024

In tough times, new parents are drawn to baby names with good meanings.

From direct word names like Loyal and Halo to names with less overt positive meanings, like Vida "life", Elio "sun" or Salem "peace", names with great meanings pepper the list of the fastest-rising baby names in the US right now.

And we predict that the mood of the last few years will push meaning even further to the forefront of parents’ minds. After all, welcoming (and naming) a new life during troubling times is the ultimate act of optimism.

With that in mind, we’ve been busy expanding our many lists of names with great meanings. Here are ten of the most popular positive name meanings, with some of our favorite stylish choices in each category.

Names That Mean Strong

Our list of baby names meaning strong, brave or powerful is the #1 most viewed meaning-related list on Nameberry. Here are some of the coolest strong names for babies.

Find our full list of names that mean strong here.

Names That Mean Love

The second most popular name meaning on our site is love or beloved. Names meaning love were among the biggest celebrity trends of the past year, and there are some (literally) adorable options to suit every style.

See our full list of names that mean love here.

Names That Mean Gift

Baby names that mean gift include Biblical names meaning “gift of God”, like Matthew, Jonathan and Nathaniel, as well as intriguing international options, like Anjali, Ohanna and Velta. Here are some of our favorites.

Discover more names that mean gift here.

Names That Mean Happy

Names that mean happy or joy have long been popular – think Beatrice, Felix and Joy itself, all vintage names which have been making a comeback in recent years. Here are some of the best baby names with joyful meanings.

See our full list of names that mean happy here.

Names That Mean Hope

Hope springs eternal – and so do names with optimistic meanings! We predict that baby names meaning hope, or referring to symbols of hope like the dove (Callum, Paloma), rainbow (Iris, Enfys) or phoenix, will be particularly popular for babies born in the post-pandemic era.

Check out our full list of names that mean hope here.

Names That Mean Light

A brilliant meaning for babies born during troubling times, names that mean light might symbolize lighting up the darkness, or light at the end of the tunnel. It’s another of the most popular name meanings on Nameberry.

Find our full list of brilliant names that mean light here.

Names That Mean Beauty

Baby names meaning beautiful or handsome have become increasingly popular in recent years with the rise of Beau and Belle names (from the French for “beautiful”), as well as Callie names, many of which derive from the Greek kallos “beauty”.

See more names that mean beautiful here.

Names That Mean Miracle

Parents expecting a long-awaited child, or a rainbow baby following a loss, might like to consider a name meaning miracle, lucky or blessed.

Discover more names that mean miracle here.

Names That Mean Noble

There’s an abundance of English A names that mean noble, including Ada, Alice, Audrey and all their variants. But there are also some intriguing international options to discover, like those in the list below.

Find more names that mean noble in our full list here.

Names That Mean Wise

Names meaning wise or intelligent include those belonging to deities of wisdom, such as Athena, Minerva, Nuha and Ganesh. Others, like Sage, are more literal! Here are some of the best smart names for babies.

See our full list of names that mean wise here.

About the Author

Emma Waterhouse

Emma Waterhouse joined the team in 2017, writing about everything from the top baby name trends 2023 to how not to choose the next big baby name. As Nameberry's head moderator, she also helps to keep our active forums community ticking.

Emma's articles on names and naming trends have been featured in publications including the Huffington Post, People, Today's Parent, Fatherly, and Good Housekeeping.

A linguist by background, Emma speaks several languages and lives in England's smallest county with her husband and four young children. You can reach her at emma@nameberry.com.

View all of Emma Waterhouse's articles