Names That Mean Hope

The feminine form of Helios or Helio is occasionally heard in Spain and Portugal. In Greek mythology, Helia is one of the Heliades, daughters of the sun god Helios by Clymene the Oceanid.

Nadya and Nadia are Eastern European short forms -- for the more difficult Nadezhda -- now fully accepted on their own.

The title of a Shakespeare play based on legends featuring the early Celtic King Cunobelinus, whose name derives from the Gaulish sun god Belenus.

One of many international versions of this classic.

A short and zippy name that would blend right in with but also stand out among a group of girls named Mia, Gia, Lia and Tia. It is a multicultural choice, used in Hungary as a short from of Terézia, or sometimes Ambrozia, and as a Romansh and Portuguese nickname for Luzia or similar.

Strongly identified with peace-accord-seeking Egyptian president Anwar el-Sadat.

More familiar to English speakers in the Italian Elio form.

Spelling variation more popular in Germany than the original, which is also well-used there.

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 fluid sound.

A common epithet of Christ, frequently heard in the Hispanic community, Salvador could also be a great choice for artistic parents, given the continuing popularity of Dada and Surrealist painter Salvador Dalí. (If Monet and Raphael get a look in, why not Salvador?)

Leocadia marries a mix of sounds: the strength of a lion, with a rhythmic Latin ending.

Yu the Great founded China's first dynasty, but in this country "Hey, you!" would make this name utterly confusing, in an Abbott and Costello way.

While many English sources say this name is a feminization of Ryan and give the pronunciation as Ryan without the final n, Rya is a genuine Arabic name for girls that rhymes with Mia and Leah. It is used widely throughout the Middle East and India and more than 50 girls were named Rya last year in the US, where it's quietly but steadily increasing in popularity.

Many Americans will misunderstand it as Maya, but Maayan (also stylized as Ma'ayan) is a popular Israeli name used for both sexes.

Mariposa is a rare, romantic choice with an intriguing meaning.

The graceful Indian Suria or Surya may remind Americans more of little Miss Suri Cruise than of the pantheon of Hindi gods and goddesses.

One of those midcentury shortenings that are starting to sound cool again, though we prefer Van.

One way to spin grandma Helen or Ellen's name off the beaten track. The legendary Azenor was a tragic 6th century Breton princess who was mother to a saint. This personage also may be known as Senara.

Shirley Temple almost single-handedly lifted the gloom of the Great Depression, and in tribute (and perhaps wishing for a similarly curly-headed, dimpled darling of their own), thousands of parents of that generation gave their little girls her name. In 1935, Shirley was the second most popular girls' name in the country with more than 42,000 babies named Shirley.

This jazzy old name could make a comeback, the way Josephine and Ella have. In England the name was popularized by Queen Victoria's daughter Princess Louise Caroline Alberta, after whom her governor general of Canada husband named the North American province. Jazz singer Alberta Hunter was a noted bearer.