Safe Haven Names

Temple

English

"dweller near the temple"

The old word name Temple has gained some recent notice as a girls' name via admired autistic writer and inventor Dr. Temple Grandin (born Mary Temple), subject of an acclaimed biopic, in which she…

Shani

Indian mythological name; Hebrew, Swahili

"scarlet, marvelous"

It would be easy to dismiss this girlish name as invented fluff, but it has roots in several cultures with evocative meanings and references. Shani refers to the "scarlet thread" or theme of a story.…

Shanvi

Shanvi is a beautiful feminine name with Indian origins, particularly popular in southern India. The name derives from Sanskrit elements and can be interpreted as meaning 'garden of heaven,' 'God's…

Raha

Arabic

"comfort, ease"

Succinct and easy going, Raha has the appealing meaning of "rest, repose" and "peace of mind" — qualities that parents may want for (and of) their baby. It appears in the Quran a number of times,…

Lavender

English color and flower name

"purple flower"

Lavender lags far behind sweet-smelling purple-hued sister names Violet and Lila, but is starting to get some enthusiastic attention from cutting-edge namers along with other adventurous nature names…

Sakura

Japanese

"cherry blossom"

Lovely Japanese name that would certainly be appreciated in Europe and the U.S. It was rarely used in Japan until the 1990s, and draws its current popularity from the fact that it is deeply connected…

Paz

Hebrew; Spanish

"gold; peace"

Paz, currently represented by actresses Paz Vega and Paz de la Huerts, would make a sparkling middle name choice. It originated as a title of the Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Peace, and is one of the…

Arcadia

Greek

"region offering peace and contentment"

Arcadia, a name for an unspoiled paradise, makes an attractive secular alternative to Nevaeh or Eden. For parents who want an unusual name with a friendlier nickname, Arcadia has the advantage of…

Truce

English word name

"an agreement between opponents to stop fighting for a certain time"

Peaceful and harmonious, Truce shot up the US charts for boys in 2024, when it was given to 230 babies compared to just six the previous year. To put that in perspective, Truce moved 11118 places up…

Merrily

English word name or combination of Mary and Lee

"cheerful, joyful; drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + meadow"

Slightly sing-song and very joyful, with a hint of Melody, a bit of Felicity, and a dash of Truly thrown in, Merrily was briefly popular in the 1940s. It can be considered a smoosh name, blending…

Olivet

Place name

Mount Olivet is a mountain ridge east of and adjacent to Jerusalem's Old City. It is named for the olive groves that once covered its slopes. Several key events in the life of Jesus, as related in…

Orchid

From Greek

"orchid flower"

Orchid is a hothouse bloom that has not been plucked by many modern baby namers — yet. In the language of flowers, orchids symbolize love, beauty, and sophistication. In a 1926 silent comedy, femme…

Simisola

Nature

English word name

"natural, physical world"

Lots of parents choose nature names, but until recently, only a few choose the all-encompassing Nature. Given to just a handful of babies until 2019, it began to spark interest as a girl name.…

Avalon

Celtic

"island of apples"

Avalon, an island paradise of Celtic myth and Arthurian legend--it was where King Arthur was taken to recover from his wounds-- and also the colorful capital of the California island of Catalina--…

Bliss

English word name

"great joy"

A sweet, uplifting and still fairly uncommon modern virtue name. Its single syllable makes it especially good as a middle name, but it would also make a big impact in the first spot; in fact, nearly…