Birthday Names
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 6 pages
of 6
French variation of Nadia, Russian
"hope"
Part of the vogue for French-sounding names in the 1920s and 30s, Nadine has been replaced by the Russian sound of Nadia and Natasha.
Japanese, Slovene, Hebrew, English, Greek
"beautiful fragrance; who is like God?; follower of Demeter"
Mika is a sparky and stylish Japanese girls' name that translates easily to English. Also used as a Slovene and Hebrew diminutive for Mihaela and Michaela, as an alternative spelling to the Biblical…
Latin
"dawn; gold"
Oriana is a dashing medieval name, with a meaning similar to Aurora. At this point, though, Oriana is much more unusual than Aurora and makes a unique choice if you're searching for names that mean…
Hindi
"new"
Naveem, which is also spelled Navim, is a traditional Arabic name that also has the sheen of modernity. It was introduced to a wider audience via Prince Naveen, the charming (if opportunistic),…
Norse
One of those midcentury shortenings that are starting to sound cool again, though we prefer Van.
English word name
"dawn, sunrise"
Associated with the first light of the day, and more figuratively with new beginnings and fresh starts, Dawn's heyday came in the 1960s and 70s in the US, Canada and the UK. It had been in the charts…
English
"of the sea"
A retro short form of Marina, dated to the era of the Hitchcock movie that made it famous, Marnie is beginning to feel fresh again — or rather, it is in the UK. Appearing in the Top 100 there in a…
Sanskrit
"one who has accomplished a goal"
Siddhartha Gautama was one of the real names of Buddha, making this an impressive and weighty name among the Buddhist community. Among Hindis, Siddharth is strongly associated with the Brahmin caste.…
Persian
"dawn; or, little star"
The name of the wife of Alexander the Great, more attractive than the better-known Roxanne. Roxana was first used in the English-speaking world in the 1600s and was popularized by Daniel Defoe's…
Greek
"to sparkle"
If you love both unique baby names and flower names for girls, Amaryllis might be a perfect choice for you. A showier flower name than Lily, but in the same botanical family, Amaryllis is not as…
Diminutive of Roxanne, Persian
"dawn"
Roxy, also spelled Roxie, is one of those high-stepping showgal names with plenty of moxie, among the many sassy nickname names on the U.K. popularity list--currently Number 398. The fictional…
Russian and Slavic feminine form of Galina
Festive name of the wife of Salvador Dali. In Spanish, Gala comes from the Roman name Galla, a feminine form of Gallus meaning "rooster" or "a person from Gaul".
Variation of Nova, Latin
This Nova-offshoot is hot in the Netherlands, where it was recently one of the fastest-rising names of the year. It could eventually see great success in the US as well, and was given to 46 American…
Arabic
"wish"
Arabic name with ties to ancient royalty. Rapper Meek Mill gave this name to his oldest son.
Basque
A very popular girls' name in the Basque country and Puerto Rico. It is among the Top 100 Spanish baby names , so it's a girls' name that's widely used in Spain.
Arabic, Persian, Hebrew
"dawn, morning, awakening; crescent"
A soft, strong name, commonly heard in the Middle East, Sahar is an Arabic and Persian name, associated with dawn and beginnings, and a Hebrew name, meaning "crescent", in turn linking it to the…
"best wishes"
Tahani, a somewhat unusual Arabic name for girls , has popped up twice on TV recently: it's the name of one of the main characters on NBC comedy The Good Place and a teenaged contestant on So You…
Serbian
Tennis star Novak Djokovic introduced this new first name to the English-speaking world, though it had long been familiar as a surname. The celebrity Novak, one of the greatest tennis players of all…
Variation of Xavier, Arabic, Basque
"new house; bright"
This name caught the attention of American parents beginning in 2018, when the Fox show The Four: Battle for Stardom premiered. Zhavia Ward was a finalist on the first season.
Italian
"January"
This name of the patron saint of Naples would make an apt choice for a New Year's baby, or one with Neapolitan roots.
