Baby Name Meanings
By Madison Dresler · Updated September 2026
Across 10 pages
of 10
English word name, Irish
"small brood of birds; victorious"
A little like Cory or Cody, with a hint of Murphy and Casey, Covey is both a word name and a surname. As a word, it refers to a "small brood of birds" - or a synonym for a flock or a swarm. As a…
English or Scandinavian
"hero or from the hall"
Halen is a surname-name that will appeal to Van Halen fans, or simply those looking for an unusual yet simple surname name.
Armenian
"king"
Simple and yet distinctive, Ara is a mythological name of a famously handsome king. Although it originated as a boys' name, in the contemporary US, it's now much more commonly used for girls. Ara was…
Irish
"red-haired warrior"
Clancy, one of the original crossover Irish surname names, is as energetic and appealing as ever — full of moxie, more distinctive than Casey, and also one of the less obvious of the red-headed…
English word name
"winner"
With Win and Winner gracing birth certificates, why not Champion? Champion was first used all the way back in 1914, only to fall off the charts two years later until reappearing in 1995.
English or Gaelic surname
"descendent of the champion"
Rooney is one of many bouncy Irish surnames that could make an agreeable first, once tied to Mickey Rooney (who was actually born Joseph Yule) in his young and spunky Andy Hardy period. Young "Girl…
Greek
"she who brings victory"
Rarely heard today-- it fell off the list around 1980--Bernice is a biblical name of Greek origin. In the Bible, she is a sister of King Agrippa. Bernice was a Top 100 name in the US for more than…
Russian cognate of Greek Aniketos
"unconquered"
A popular choice in Russia, Nikita is a sharp, zippy choice that became heavily associated with the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev in the 50s and 60s. Derived from the Greek name Niketas meaning…
Diminutive of Victor, Latin
"victory"
Tory (and more commonly, Tori) is most often seen as a feminine nickname for Victoria. However, in terms of putting Tory — just Tory — on the birth certificate, boys have the leg up.
Norse
"fair victory"
Sigrid is a distinctly Scandinavian name that is starting to edge out into the wider world, a la cousin Ingrid. Unfortunately, short form Siri is now off the table, but Sigrid is still a possibility.
A winning unisex word name, fresher than Victoria or Victor.
Italian, diminutive of Nicola
"people of victory"
A much more dynamic nickname than Nicky for any of the Nic-names. Part of a growing trend of boyish nicknames for girls - alongside Stevie and Lou - Nico has cheerful, snappy sounds, and a fresh,…
Latin
"female warrior"
J.K. Rowling is a modern master of naming who brought a whole constellation of ancient and celestial names to modern parents. Bellatrix, of one of the stars of Orion, combines fashionable names Bella…
A name with a surprising amount of history--it was the name of the wife of Ptolemy I of Egypt, occurs in the New Testament, and belonged to a fourth century saint. In the US, it has long been spelled…
Punjabi, Sikh
"victory with blessings of Guru"
A Punjabi name related to one of the 10 first leaders in the Sikh religion — Guru. It was one of the fastest rising names in England and Wales in 2022.
Scandinavian variation of Nicholas
Like Lars, Sven, Niels, and Nels, an unjustly neglected straightforward Scandinavian name. Surname Nilsson or the anglicized Nelson derives from Nils.
Spanish
Rey, a Ray-soundalike that has ranked on the boys' side for the past 15 years, is about to get more popular for girls too, now that it's the name of the new heroine of the latest Star Wars movie.…
German
"battle warrior"
When it's spelled with two dots over the ' u ' in German, Gunther is pronounced GUWN-ter, but it has a much softer sound when the 'h' is voiced by English-speakers, as it was, for example, for the…
Indian, Sanskrit, Punjabi, Sikh
"victorious"
This Indian boy name has not only a lovely and ambitious meaning, but also comes with the cool nickname Jai.
Italian feminine form of Vincent
"conquering"
Vincenza makes romance of Vincent. Vincenza Gerosa was one of the founders of the Sisters of Charity of Lovere and was later made a saint.
