Names That Mean Beautiful

Zayn and the more Western-friendly Zain sound exactly like the popular Zane but have a different root, in Arabic and African cultures. The name was made familiar to Europeans and Americans by British singer-songwriter Zayn, born Zain Malik. This is an easily-translated choice for a family that wants to bridge cultures, but you have to accept that people will be forever spelling the name "wrong".

Blended name sometimes heard in the early decades of the twentieth century.

Interesting Old Testament name that embraces many traditional female attributes; also name of a place in the Jordan Valley. In the Bible, a daughter of King Ammon and wife of Solomon.

Lacks the vintage charm of the original Arabella, but with the love for all names Bella, it might appeal to some.

A good cultural crossover choice for Chinese-American parents, Meilin has a beautiful meaning, an on-trend sound, and is straightforward in terms of pronunciation in an English-speaking environment. Meilin is also the name of the protagonist of Pixar's film, Turning Red.

As Hindu and Tamil name, Sunder is a form of Sundar, meaning "beautiful, handsome, good, or nice". It comes from the longer name, Sundara, which appears in the Hindu epic poem the Ramayana.

This ancient Egyptian queen's name would be best saved for a cat.

An eider is a sea duck with extra soft feathers as well as a Basque name with a lovely meaning. Eider is one of the fastest-rising boys' names below the Top 1000. Though theoretically unisex, no baby girls were given the name in 2023.

Kazumi can be used both as a masculine and feminine name. It is related to names like Kazuko, Kazuo and Kazuki.

An international form of the Greek Aglaia, Aglaé is associated with the Three Graces in Greek mythology. With a hint of clunkiness but plenty of splendour too, Aglaé was moderately popular in France in the early 20th century though it has been out of the charts since 1917.

Folk singer DiFranco popularized this simple, appealing form. In Igbo mythology, Ani is one of the names of the goddess of the earth, fertility, creativity, and morality.

A favorite in Near Eastern cultures, with a charming meaning.

A felicitous combo of two sweet names; also a Queens, New York neighborhood.

This is one Basque name that is very transferable to the American context — and it has a great meaning, too. The feminine version is Eider or Ederne.

This name has it all - looks, brains, charms and an international sound that can go anywhere.

Aoibhinn and its twin name Aoibheann may be popular in Ireland but most English-speakers would find the spelling baffling and the pronunciation impossible to divine. It's ee-van, or se-vin, fitting with the Irish popularity of many names -- Aoife, Eabha, Ava -- with this similar sound.

With a sunny, airy sound, a clunky-cool look, and a lovely, nature-inspired meaning, Solfrid was popular in its native Norway back in the mid-20th century, but has been out of the Top 100 since the 60s and has yet to catch on elsewhere. Made up of the Old Norse elements,sól meaning "sun" and fríðr meaning "beautiful" or "beloved", notable bearers include Olympic weightlifter, Solfrid Koanda, actress Solfrid Heier, and content creator, known as Solfrid ASMR.

The name of the character in Edmund Spenser's "The Faerie Queene" whom the poet intended as a representation of Queen Elizabeth I. While it will no doubt thrill your daughter's English professor, the addition of the "Bel" to already great Phoebe is on the fussy side.

A combination name that might be dismissed as a clown and cow name. The sounds are nevertheless pretty and the meaning is good - though spellings Claribel or Clarabel might help distance it from the cow association.

A rare but historic English name bestowed upon girls in the 19th century. Fairlight seems to have been particularly popular among baby girls in the Appalachian region of the US. It appeared as a character name in Catherine Mashall's 1967 novel Christy, which was turned into a TV show in 1994.