Names That Mean Surprise
Across 6 pages
of 6
Mirabelle
French
"marvelous"
If you're looking for a fresher belle name than Isabelle, Mirabelle is lovely, and we also like the extra flourish of Mirabella. And if you want a nature tie, Mirabelle is also the name of a delicate…
Mirando
Spanish
"marvelous"
While the female version, Miranda, has long been popular, maybe it's time to consider the equally attractive male version.
Onneli
Feminization of Onni, Finnish
"happiness; luck"
An attractive name that's uncommon even in its native Finland. Onneli ja Anneli is a Finnish children's movie translated to English as Jill and Joy , although the names are unrelated.
Onni
Finnish
"happiness, luck"
A popular Finnish name with an upbeat meaning, Onni is a popular choice in its native Finland where a recent year saw it rank at #6 — though it has ranked as high as #1 in the 2010s. Fairly intuitive…
Parvaiz
Persian
"lucky, happy"
Parvaiz would certainly stand out in an American classroom.
Pella
Scandinavian, diminutive of Petronella, or Hebrew
"stone or marvel of God"
This rare name crosses cultures. With the popularity of Ella and Bella, perhaps we'll hear more of Pella one day soon?
Nasia
Hebrew
"God's miracle"
Too close to nausea.
Nasiah
Hebrew
"miracle of God"
An unusual member of the popular -iah ending clan.
Nissan
Hebrew
"miracle"
Though the accent falls on the second syllable, people will mistake this name of the first month of the Jewish calendar or for the Japanese car.
Raz
Hebrew, short form of Raziah
"the Lord's secret"
Raz is one of the many modern Israeli unisex names. It's simple and sleek and translates easily to English.
Raz
Hebrew short form of Raziah
"the Lord's secret"
Raz, like many similar names, is used for both girls and boys in modern Israel. Simple, sleek, memorable.
Raziah
Hebrew
"the Lord's secret"
One of a number of Hebrew girls' namestarting with Raz. Others include Razel, Raziela,Razili and Raziya.
Raziel
Hebrew
"secret of God"
In Jewish mysticism, Raziel is an angel known as the Keeper of Secrets. The Book of Raziel contends that he stood by God and wrote down everything that was said. The name Raziel, along with many…
Raziela
Hebrew
"the Lord's secret"
Most graceful of the Raz names, relates to Graziella.
Razili
Hebrew
"the Lord's secret"
Offbeat, under-the-radar choice to honor a Grandma Rosalie.
Runa
Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Japanese
"secret lore; moon"
A strong and stylish alternative to the super-fashionable Luna, with a double background as a Scandinavian and Japanese name. It's the female form of the Nordic male name Rune, meaning "secret lore",…
Rune
German and Swedish
"secret"
Name with connotations both mystical and tragic, newly popular in Europe. For English speakers, though, this name might be ruined by its homonym ruin.
Rune
English word name
"secret"
Runes are symbols in ancient Germanic alphabets. They are often viewed as mysterious and therefore as a name, Rune imparts a feeling of folkloric mystery. As intriguing as that might be, the homonym…
Sadiya
Arabic
"lucky, fortunate"
This female form of Sa'id is one of several eminently usable Arabic S names.
Said
Arabic
"happy, lucky"
A traditional and important Arabic name — Sai'd bin Zayd was a friend of the prophet Muhammed.