Baby Name Meanings
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 10 pages
of 10
Latin
"pig"
Portia is a perfect role-model name, relating to Shakespeare's brilliant and spirited lawyer in The Merchant of Venice , and is now also a Hunger Games name . Another Shakespearean Portia was the…
Basque
"star"
Used more for girls in Europe, but definitely sounds masculine enough for a boy here.
Greek
"amber, shining, bright"
Though the plays by Sophocles and Eugene O'Neill and via the "Electra Complex" proposed by psychoanalyst Carl Jung, this name has, unfortunately, become associated with incest and murder.…
"Roman messenger god"
Adventurous parents are starting to look back to names of ancient gods like Mercury, Zeus, and Apollo. This one is also a planet and a metallic element, and has a friendly nickname, Merc. The Roman…
Hebrew
"the moon, white"
Pretty and unusual, Livana may find a lot more fans as parents look for alternatives to Number 1 Olivia. Livana was used for only seven baby girls in the US last year.
English word name from Latin
"of the heavens, planets or stars"
A pretty and almost unique word name to add to the galaxy of astral appellations. More distinctive than the better-known Celeste, it was given fewer than ten baby girls in the US last year. While…
"woman, wife"
Succinct and simple in spelling, Leda is a currently rare choice from Greek mythology with that appealing four-letter, ending in -a format of Lyra, Maia, Vada, Veda, and Nora. Borne by a Spartan…
Sanskrit
"star, protector"
A strong, handsome Indian name with cross-cultural appeal.
Greek mythology name
"cassia juice"
Cassiopeia, the name of a mythological mother who became a stellar constellation, is challenging but intriguing, and has all those softening Cass nicknames available. And with all names Cass-related…
"gold"
Cressida is a golden, mythological, and Shakespearean name, much better known in Britain than it is in the US. Given to just 11 American girls in a recent year — though still the highest number on…
Arabic
"the bearer of good news"
Nashira is one of those obscure space names that might rise along with such heavenly choices as Orion, Luna, and even Nevaeh. A giant star in Capricorn, Nashira is an unusual and attractive name with…
Roman god of the sea, freshwater springs, and horses.
This Roman mythology (and planet) name would be very hard to handle. It derives from a root meaning cloud.
Roman mythology name
If you've rejected all the names on earth, you might move on to the sixth planet from the sun, also the Roman god of agriculture and plenty, and the origin of Saturday.
Short form of Ursula, Latin
"little female bear"
Ursa might be a good choice if you're looking for a bear name for your daughter but want to avoid the She Witch curse placed on Ursula by Disney's The Little Mermaid . Too bad, because Ursula is a…
"prince"
The traditional name of the brightest star in the constellation Leo and a minor character in the "Harry Potter" series might be a good pick for parents interested in a regal name but turned off by…
Armenian, English, French
"moon; light; grove, light"
Sweet and stylish, Lucine is a versatile choice that can be used as a spelling variation of the celestial Armenian name Lusine. It is equally considered an elaboration of the classic Lucy and as a…
Greek or Hebrew
"new moon; pleasantness"
An obscure yet on-trend name with two wonderful meanings associated with it. Neoma is one of the freshest celestial girl names with moon-related meanings, rarer than Luna or Phoebe but with the same…
Portuguese, German
"famous wealth"
A handsome Portuguese name derived from the old Germanic saint's name Audamar or Otmar. Especially common in Brazil.
"water carrier"
Astrological name retains a hippielike Age of Aquarius feel.
"moon"
Appearing in the name of the 54th chapter in the Quran and used as a given name and a surname, Qamar is a unisex option, with the celestial meaning of "moon". It is occasionally written as Kamar too.
