Baby Name Meanings
Names That Mean Wise, Intelligent, and Smart
Across 7 pages
of 7
Shanahan
Irish
"the wise one"
Undiscovered Irish surname with a lot more bounce and masculine dash than Shannon.
Shannon
Irish
"old and wise"
Irish place-name -- it's a river, a town, and an airport -- once popular but now supplanted by such newer immigrants as Saoirse and Seanan.
Sheenan
Irish surname, variation of Shannon
"old and wise"
Sheenan updates the longtime Irish favorite Shannon, which ranked in the US Top 100 through much of the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. Shanon fell off the Top 1000 about ten years ago, but Sheenan is a worthy…
Sia
Old Norse
"Victory"
Mia, Gia, and now Sia! Born Sia Kate Isobelle Furler, the Australian singer-songwriter scored a major international hit with "Chandelier" in 2014, and put her short, uncommon name on the radar. Sia…
Solon
Greek
"the wise one"
Despite the reputation of the sagacious ancient Greek lawmaker, this name hasn't moved to the modern world.
Solon
Greek
"the wise one"
Despite the reputation of the sagacious ancient Greek lawmaker, this name hasn't moved to the modern world.
Sonia
Russian and Scandinavian variation of Sophia
"wisdom"
Early European import, well known in the 1940s via Norwegian skating movie star Sonja Henie, that has sailed back across the Atlantic, despite the rising popularity of other Russian names.
Sunita
Hindi and Sanskrit
"good character, wise"
Sunita is an easily-translated name brought to the American lexicon by astronaut Sunita "Suni" Williams, who holds the record for most spacewalks by a woman.
Sophina
Greek; Arabic
"wisdom, ship"
Sophina is an English elaboration on the internationally popular Sophia, borne by American actress Sophina Brown. It may also be a variant spelling of the Muslim name Safina/Sofina, meaning "vessel,…
Sophocles
Greek
"wise, skilled + glory"
Most famously the name of the ancient Greek tragedian, who wrote the plays Electra, Antigone, and Oedipus Rex, among others. The name is still used in Greece today, in its modern form of Sofoklis.…
Talib
Arabic
"seeker of knowledge"
Talib is a North African name with an admirable meaning, associated with rapper Talib Kweli.
Thanh
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.
Ugo
Italian variation of Hugh, Igbo
"mind, intellect; eagle"
Ugo is a familiar choice in Italy and France, where it is used as variation of Hugh or Hugo, but also in Nigeria, where it means "eagle" in Igbo.
Ulima
Arabic
"astute, wise"
Unusual Arabic name with an inspiring meaning for a baby girl.
Ved
Sanskrit
"sacred knowledge"
Literary Indian choice, best known here via acclaimed writer Ved Mehta, who lost his sight at the age of four.
Vidya
Sanskrit
"knowledge, science, learning"
Looking for a strong girls' name that is based on brains rather than looks? Consider Vidya, a name popular throughout Asia, which is connected to the Hindu goddess Sarasvati, who is thought to…
Wanaka
Maori placename
"place of knowledge"
This beautiful lakeside town in southern New Zealand would make an unusual but wearable choice for a daughter. It benefits from having a great meaning, too.
Wilbur
English, German
"wild boar"
Clunky yet cuddly, Wilbur is a stylish name in the UK where it currently sits in the Top 600, as cool as Rupert or Wilfred. Its merits are starting to be rediscovered in the US, where it was last…
Wisdom
Word name
Wisdom is a rare modern virtue name that might increase in use as this whole category becomes more mainstream. Wisdom is one of the gender-neutral names now on the table for both boys and girls.
Wisdom
Word name
A bit too self-congratulatory and, understandably, exceedingly rare. Still, if you're looking for a modern virtue name for your daughter, this may be one of the best qualities to exemplify.