Baby Name Meanings
By Pamela Redmond · Updated October 2026
Across 8 pages
of 8
Latin
"life"
Deriving from the Roman cognomen Vivianus , Vivian was originally a masculine name, with Vivien being a feminine soundalike coined by Alfred Lord Tennyson for the Lady of the Lake in his famous…
Hungarian
"sultan"
Though a common name in Hungary, with the spelling Zoltán, the relatively rare Z sound is striking to English speakers. Penn Gillette used the Zolten spelling for his son; it was also the name of…
English
"lives by the thicket"
Shaw is a streamlined and more modern-sounding Shawn, with many notable surname namesakes.
"lives near the bridge"
Bridger follows one of the recent trendy name formulas: a brisk first syllable + -er ending + history as a surname. It recently broke through the top 1000 on the boys side, but Bridger remains a…
African
"life and wisdom"
This pretty African girls' name has not one but two admirable meanings.
Scottish and English from French
"someone who lives on an island"
Though it's used far more often for boys, Lyle has a lot in common with today's trending girl names that share the double L sound: Lila, Layla, and Lola. With its cool island related meaning, derived…
Arabic
"long life; red"
Omaira is an intriguing Middle Eastern possibility.
Russian
"soul"
A name rarely heard outside Russia; the first syllable could cause problems.
English; Czech
"twilight; soul"
This name has two origins: the English word Dusk, meaning evening twilight and the Czech name for girls Duška meaning "soul or spirit". Either way, this is an interesting name with some potential.
Dutch
A cute and dainty Dutch diminutive of Eva, reminiscent of Effie or Aoife.
Hebrew
"spirited"
Hillbilly twang.
African, Swahili
A variant of Asha, which is related to the classic Arabic name Aisha, yet another way to say life. Other on-the-rise names with this uplifting meaning: Zoe and Vivian varieties such as Viviana,…
"riverbank where burrs grow"
Beautiful downtown Burbank -- about as glamorous a place-name as Akron...or Detroit.
"broom meadow"
Bromley is an English surname-name that's more possible as a first name now than ever before. The -ley suffix has been adopted for many names, and surnames such as Bromley are fashionable. A short…
"someone who lives in a hollow"
The well-known phrase "hale and hearty" gives this name a warm, positive feel. Hale is clean and straightforward but doesn't crack the top 1000 for either gender. For those in search of a namesake,…
English surname
"one who lives near the heath"
Before there was esteemed actress Anne Hathaway, there was Anne Hathaway, wife of Shakespeare — the former being named after the latter. Either Anne Hathaway would be appropriate to honor with this…
Slavic
"one who lives near a stream"
Off-putting cousin of Bradley and Rodney.
Italian
"vivacity, zest"
Musical term with a lot of energy.
"well where the gorse grows; bramble well"
An unexpected route to nicknames Bram or Wells, this English surname derives from a historical hamlet in England, whose exact location has been lost to time. It comes from the Old English word for…
"heart, soul"
An Arabic name that can easily cross cultures. Janan might make a distinctive honor name for an ancestral Jan, Jane, or John.
