Baby Name Meanings
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 7 pages
of 7
Arabic; Hawaiian
"light-footed, to move softly, to touch; joyful"
Sweet multicultural name.
French nickname and Japanese
"double happiness"
Kiki is one of the Coco-Gigi-Fifi-Lulu bohemian-type French nickname names from the turn of the last century, which have endless energy and sparkle. Artist Kiki Smith is its most well-known…
Japanese
"beautiful snow / beautiful happiness"
The meaning of this sweet Japanese name varies depending on the combination of kanji used, but the first element mi means "beautiful".
Latin
"ram's horn"
This unusual name might be a possibility for musical families: Jubal was credited in Genesis with the invention of the lyre, flute, harp, and organ. It also has a jubilant feel through its sound and…
Greek
"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…
Yiddish variation of Selig
"blessed, happy"
A super quirky and upbeat choice, if it can ever shake off its ubiquitous-guy Woody Allen identity.
Slavic, Hebrew
"vigorous, lively; bright, radiant"
Ziven is a sleek choice with multicultural origins and a bright, energized feel to it. From its Slavic roots, it likely derives from the South Slavic word, živ meaning "alive, living", making it a…
Diminutive of Beatrix, Latin
"she who brings happiness"
A sassy, spunky name for the bold parent who doesn't remember Mrs. Ed Norton on The Honeymooners or who's into the nicknames-as-given-names trend sweeping the UK and returning to the US. Trixie is a…
"glad, joyful"
Leta has hipster cred as the daughter of cool mommy blogger Dooce. Related to the Greek mythological Leda, a great beauty who mothered another great beauty, Helen of Troy, Leta is a name that's as…
English
"lighthearted, happy"
She'd better be. Merry is one of the classic names for Christmas babies .
Hebrew
"God is my joy"
Intriguing twist on several familiar names, though many people will mistake this for Elsa, Eliza, and so on.
Surname name with an uplifting meaning. Just beware that this is a well-known mattress brand.
Yoruba
"joy has come home"
A beautiful meaning for a long-awaited child.
"bringing joy"
Predominantly used as a masculine name (though occasionally feminine too), Kayode is a joyful Yoruba name, derived from the elements ko ("gather"), ayo ("joy"), and de ("to come"). Used as a…
"joy"
Chara is the name of a star in a constellation that represents hunting dogs, recently named as one of the most likely to host extraterrestrial life. Also, Chara is a variation of both Sarah and…
"delight"
Tastier than Alicia or Felicia.
"God's joyful song"
Hebrew name related to Ronit and Roni, also used in different cultures as Ronya, Ronja, and Roniya. Virtually unknown in the English-speaking world though certainly an easily-translatable choice.
Khmer, Sanskrit
"health, happiness, pleasantness"
Also used as a surname in its native Cambodia, Sokha is a strong and animated choice, ultimately derived from a Sanskrit word sukham meaning "happiness, contentment". It has been adapted to relate to…
Sanskrit
"pleasing"
The gender-neutral name Raman, used throughout India, means pleasing and joyful or charming or beloved, according to various sources. Raman is a name that moves easily among cultures and has a, well,…
The Indian name Raman can be used for either boys or girls and means pleasing and, according to different sources, joyful or charming or beloved. In any case, a name that moves easily among cultures…
