Introducing the Newest Names on Nameberry!

Updated Sat Dec 17 2022

Introducing the Newest Names on Nameberry!

Nameberry’s name bank is always expanding! The more than 70,000 names in our database are drawn from a wide variety of origins, including art, music, literature, and languages and cultures all around the world.

And we’re adding new ones all the time – many of them suggested by our very own Berry community! You can add your own suggestions for names you’d like to see on Nameberry here.

Our latest batch of additions includes plenty of international treasures, from Spanish Almudena to Irish Finegas to Yiddish Zissy.

There are also many intriguing new word and place name additions, including recent celebrity babies Rise and Malibu, as well as on-trend options from Luxury to Legion.

Read on for 100+ of the freshest new names added to Nameberry so far this year, along with a selection of comments from the Berries who suggested them!

New Nameberry Girl Names

Eclipse

“I think Eclipse might be a really cool word name addition! Nameberry even has a blog post about one girl named Eclipse born on the day of the solar eclipse, and the post references a history of use back to at least the 1820s!”

Proving that bold word names aren’t just a modern phenomenon, Eclipse does indeed have a long history of usage – particularly for babies born on eclipse days. The earliest listed here is Maria Eclipse Moor, born in 1793 on the day of a partial solar eclipse.

Thanks to @jujubesun and @LeafTree for suggesting Eclipse.

Etheldreda

“An Old English form of Aethelthryth, it was then anglicized as Etheldred(a) in English. In French, it was anglicized as Audrey, so the two are directly related. In medieval times, it was shortened to Dreda.”

Who’d have thought that chic, sleek Audrey had its origins in such a weighty ancient name? St Etheldreda was an East Anglian princess and abbess at Ely. The name derives from Anglo-Saxon elements meaning “noble strength”.

Thanks to @bonfireazalea, @clair.de.lune and @ethelmary for suggesting Etheldreda.

Lilouenn

“It’s a rare name in France, only used a handful of times since 2000, and is listed as an elaboration of Lilou!”

Cute and quirky Lilou was an early noughties sensation in France, going from under 2000 births in 1999 to almost 4000 at its peak in 2009. Lilouenn is a much rarer relative: a Breton spelling of the Celtic name Lilwen, meaning “white lily” or “blessed lily”.

Thanks to @SparkleNinja18 for suggesting Lilouenn.

Liriope

“It’s pronounced a little bit like Penelope or Persephone, and it is a type of flower, also known as lilyturf.”

In Greek mythology, Liriope (lih-RYE-oh-pee) is a water nymph and the mother of Narcissus. Her name means “face of the narcissus” – both relating to the daffodil flower. But the botanical Liriope is a different plant: an evergreen shrub with attractive spikes of white or purple flowers.

Thanks to @wintergarden for suggesting Liriope.

Yentl

“A Yiddish feminine name. There’s a movie with the same name with Barbra Streisand playing the main character, named Yentl."

This rare Yiddish name is a diminutive form of Yente, which ultimately derives from the French word gentil(le), meaning “noble, aristocratic”. The Barbra Streisand movie is based on a short story by Isaac Bashevis Singer about an Ashkenazi Jewish girl named Yentl who disguises herself as a boy in order to continue her education.

Thanks to @Rakyres for suggesting Yentl.

New Nameberry Boy Names

Beren

“Beren is a Noldorin name meaning ‘brave, bold, daring’. The character was a great hero, and notably known for his love story with Luthien. The names Beren and Luthien are on the gravestone of Tolkien and his wife Edith.”

The tragic love story of the mortal Beren and the elf princess Lúthien, who gave up immortality to be with him, is a repeating refrain in Tolkien’s legendarium. Sixteen baby boys were named Beren in the US last year.

Thanks to @persephonescrown and @regionlatbest for suggesting Beren.

Celeste and Celestine

“Celeste Ugochukwu is an activist and president of the African Diaspora Council of Switzerland. Celestine Hycieth Babayaro and Celestine Chukwuebuka Lazarus are professional football players.”

Generally thought of as female names in English-speaking countries, Celeste and Celestine are actually historically unisex.

In Italy, Celeste (pronounced with three syllables) was predominantly male until the mid-20th century, and Céleste was in the French Top 500 for both sexes until the 1930s. Meanwhile, Celestine has been the name of five popes.

Thanks to @Rynester and @heartwings for suggesting these two.

Hermas

“I recently found out this was the middle name of my great-grandfather. The name is referenced in the Bible in Romans 16:14, and was shared by one of the 70 disciples. It’s also apparently the name of an early Christian literary work from the 2nd century, the Shepherd of Hermas.”

This handsome ancient name may be a contracted form of Hermodoros, meaning “gift of Hermes”. Alternatively, it may derive from Greek herma “pile of stones, foundation”. It has only ever made the extended US baby names list once: in 1926, with 5 births.

Thanks to @Archer27 for suggesting Hermas.

Kedric

“I’d love to see you add the name Kedric. It’s my grandfather‘s name (nickname Ked), my son‘s middle name, and, while not crazy common, I have actually met a few people with the name.”

How cool is Ked?! This strong name can be a variant of the surname name Kendrick – as in rapper Lamar – or it can be an alternative spelling of the literary Cedric. The latter was invented by Sir Walter Scott for his 1819 novel Ivanhoe, based on a Brythonic form of Caractacus, which means “loved”.

Thanks to @kb6er for suggesting Kedric.

Noadiah

“A unisex name mentioned multiple times in the Bible. It is the name of a prophetess mentioned in the Book of Nehemiah and also a male figure mentioned in the Book of Ezra.”

It sounds like a mashup of Biblical favorite Noah and the trendy -iah ending, but Noadiah is a legitimate unisex name of Hebrew origin, meaning “meeting with God”. Rarer than Noah but less clunky than the likes of Obadiah, it feels like it has real potential in the current naming climate!

Thanks to @EagleEyes for suggesting Noadiah.

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