Mermaid Names

Oona

Irish, variation of Una

"lamb"

Oona is a name made famous by Eugene O'Neill's daughter, who became Charlie Chaplin's wife. One of the original Oona's granddaughters was named after her, and is now an actress famous in her own…

Arabelle

Variation of Arabella, Latin, Scottish

"yielding to prayer; lovable"

This more succinct form of the elegant Arabella might appeal to those who are looking for a less popular spin on Annabel or those who like the sounds of Arabella but want something with fewer frills.…

Rusalka

Slavic mythological name

In Slavic mythology, Rusalka is the equivalent of the Little Mermaid — she's a water nymph who falls in love with a land-dwelling man and eventually dies of a broken heart. Her tale was made into an…

Sereia

Portuguese

"mermaid"

The lovely Sereia is the Portuguese word for mermaid but can also be used as a name. English speakers may shy away from the name because of pronunciation questions and indeed, any little Sereia…

Shellina

Shellina is a feminine name likely derived as an elaboration of 'Shelly,' which itself is a diminutive of Michelle (Hebrew, 'who is like God') or a reference to shells found on beaches. The suffix…

Andrina

English feminization of Andrew, Greek

"strong and manly"

Andrina is best-known as an older sister of The Little Mermaid.

Undine

Latin

"little wave"

Mythological water spirit with the more common spelling of Ondine, heroine of an Edith Wharton novel.

Nerida

Greek; Aboriginial

"sea nymph, mermaid; red waterlily"

This is one of the more unusual examples of a group of Greek names connected to the sea, which makes sense for a nation of coastline and islands. The Nereids or water nymphs were the daughters of sea…

Ianthe

Greek

"purple flower"

Like Violet, Lavender and Lilac, Ianthe is a purple flower name. Chosen by the poet Shelley for his daughter, Ianthe has a poetic, romantic, almost ethereal quality. In the ancient myth, she was the…

Coralia

Romanian, Italian, Galician and Spanish variation of Coralie, French from Latin

"coral"

Coralia was the name of a dancing mermaid in a 19th century ballet. As Cora — which has another root and means maiden — rises, so may elaborations and related names such as Coralie, Coraline, and…

Cleodora

Greek

"gift of glory"

The name of a nymph in Greek mythology, one of the prophetic Thriai, who divined the future by throwing pebbles. She was a lover of the sea god Poseidon. The name also belongs to a species of…