Birthday Names
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 11 pages
of 11
Akan
"Born on a Sunday"
The Akan people of Ghana and the Ivory Coast frequently name their children after the day of the week they were born and the order in which they were born. Most Ghanaians have a name using this…
Latin via French
"sunrise; gold"
A particularly beautiful member of the Oriana and Orane clan,Oriane is the first name of a major character in Proust's In Search Of Lost Time , the Duchesse de Guermantes. Also borne by climber…
Arabic
"spring"
Thought to be one of the ten angels who accompanies the sun on its daily course: a lovely image redolent of mythology. If you're looking for names that mean new beginnings , this makes an unusual and…
Twi, Ewe, Ghanaian
"born on Sunday"
Akosua means "born on a Sunday," which relates the name to the sun and thus to fire. The Akan people of Ghana and the Ivory Coast frequently name their children after the day of the week they were…
Greek
"from the east, rising sun"
Anatole is one of the unique boys' names with an unusual-ish feel but an uncertain provenance, with a meaning related to sunrise and thus to fire. While it's Greek in origin, it is associated more…
Tree name
Birch is a rarely used nature name that calls to mind the lovely image of the tall, strong but graceful white-barked tree. The best known bearer of the name is former high-ranking Democratic Senator…
French
"from Brittany"
Breton is the term for the people and language of Brittany, a region of northern France with a distinct culture. Breton also might be thought of as a trendy modern invention, taking the midcentury…
Irish, short form of Fionnuala
"white shoulders"
Officially a shortening of the traditional and tricky Gaelic Fionnghuala/Fionnuala, Nuala makes a lovely choice all on its own. Nuala is well-used in Ireland.
"resurrection"
Anastasia is a lovely yet very long name, and Stasia is a fresher, classier short form than Stacy.
Hebrew
"to arise; dawn"
This Old Testament name, borne by a son of Judah and the twin of Perez, was once considered a masculine name, however, in recent years it has also been used for girls, likely inspired by its…
English
"from the willow farm"
British last name that, though rather gentle, feels like a sharper, sleeker Shelby. Todd Selby, known primarily by his last name, is a hip photographer of interiors.
"palm tree"
Tomer was once a Top 100 name in Israel — it fell out in 2016.
Feminization of Madhava, Sanskrit
"of the springtime"
An epithet of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi — the personification of fertility, prosperity, and wealth.
"the farm amonst the willows"
Even if you'd like your daughter to attend the venerable women's college, don't saddle her with this pretentious British surname.
Latin
"relating to springtime"
Cerelia is a melodic and unusual choice, perfect for a child born in April or May. Another version is Cerella.
"lily"
An unusual flower name deriving from the Latin word for lily (lilium), this variant has always been popular in Scotland.
Latin place-name, Spanish, Italian, Croatian
"palm"
Palma is an appealing Latin name that's both geographical and botanical, referring to the sunny and culturally rich capital of Majorca and to the foliage of a palm tree. As the word for "palm" in…
Latin, from Palmyra, ancient Syrian city
"palm tree; pilgrim"
A place name relating to the tropical palm tree, or a feminine form of Palmiro, meaning "pilgrim".
Papillon, meaning 'butterfly' in French, is a delicate and distinctive feminine name. Though primarily recognized as a dog breed (the French Papillon spaniel with butterfly-like ears), it has…
Russian
"born on Good Friday"
Slavic possibility for a girl born during the Easter season.
