Pet Names · Cat Names
By Brynn McKeon · Updated September 2026
Across 12 pages
of 12
Latin
"sun"
This female form of the ancient Latin Aelian has an appealing sound, though kids might have a hard time handling that initial "ae" spelling. Just remember that the "ae" is pronounced "ee" (think…
Hebrew
"my flame, my light"
This short but strong name, commonly heard in Israel, has a lot of crossover potential, and is among the most usable on the minuscule menu of U names. The are two Uris in the Old Testament--the…
Sanskrit, Hebrew
"light, peace, nation"
Uma is a sweet, strong name for a Hindu goddess... and a Hollywood one. But as popular as Uma Thurman is, other parents have not yet picked up on her name, making it a rarity. Uma is one of the more…
Roman
"grove or light"
Lucina, deriving from Latin lucus "grove" and also associated with lux "light", is an epithet given in Roman mythology to the goddess Juno (and sometimes also Diana) in her role as goddess of…
Aramaic and Hebrew
"light"
Beguiling cousin of Sahara.
"My God is my light"
This appealing Hebrew name is heard in Israel, and would fit in well with all the popular El-starting names for boys , such as Elliot and Ellery. It was given to just five American boys in 2015. Also…
This name, once considered overly powerful due to the superhuman strength of the biblical figure, is now an option for parents in search of an unusual route to Sam. But you really don't need that p:…
French variation of Helen
"bright, shining one"
Whether it's pronounced with an "een" or an "aine" or an "enn" sound at the end, Helene doesn't feel as current the more forthright Helen or the airier Helena. Helene reached a high of Number 228 in…
Persian
"light, bright"
The name of the sweet human baby in the film Ice Age , Roshan is a handsome Persian name that is the origin of the female name Roxanne, via its feminine form Roshanak.
Finnish and Sami variation of Helga, diminutive of Aileen, Anglicization of Eilidh
"holy, blessed; bright and shining light"
An attractive Scandinavian take on Helga, or a potential Helen nickname.
Arabic
"light, lamp"
Worldly and evocative.
Variation of Eliana, Hebrew, or Latin from Greek
"my God has answered; sun"
Eliane is a melodic name with the very fashionable El- beginning. Lovely and lilting as it is, be aware that there are many El- variations around these days, and little girls called Ellie as a result.
Arabic or Hebrew
"light or my fire"
A name used in the Middle East but that could easily work in the US. As a girls' name, Nuri can also be a short form of Nuria. It was chosen by Christy Lefteri for the protagonist of her novel, The…
"light, or furrow, plowed field"
Symbolic name given to girls born on TuB'Shevat, the New Year of the Trees.
Russian, Serbian, Croatian, Estonian
A pretty international form of Helena used in many Slavic languages, also sometimes spelled Yelena.
Hebrew, Irish, Scottish
"light, song, little green one"
A calm and gentle multicultural choice. Oran is popular in Ireland, where its Gaelic form is Odhrán, meaning "little green one". In Scottish Gaelic, the name means "song", and in Hebrew, it's a…
Scandinavian
"sun gift"
Sunniva was an Irish-born saint who fled to Norway, where she hid in an island cave with her followers and eventually died. After miracles were reported on the island, the cave was excavated and…
Scottish, English
Phonetic anglicisation of the popular Scottish name Eilidh, a relative of Eleanor or Helen.
French feminine variation of Lucian
Lucienne is a soft and ultra-sophisticated French-accented option in the Lucy family, one that could provide a fresh alternative to such fatigued Gallic choices as Danielle and Michelle. So if you're…
Spanish
"the sun"
More familiar to English speakers in the Italian Elio form.
