Baby Name Meanings
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 8 pages
of 8
Spanish
"dove"
Paloma is vibrant and ruby-lipped a la jewelry designer Paloma Picasso, but it also suggests peace, as symbolized by the dove. Paloma is a highly recommended striking but soft name, one of the best…
Variation of Callum, Scottish form of Columba, Latin
Calum is a form of the boy name Callum, popular in the British Isles and carrying a peaceful meaning.
Welsh
"blessed peacemaking"
One of the few remaining unrestored vintage gems, with a choice of two winning nicknames--the girlish Winnie and the tomboyish Freddie. Winifred, the name of a legendary Welsh saint, was a Top 200…
Hebrew
"peace"
A soft and interesting Hebrew name long popular in France, where it has ranked in the Top 400 since 1986 (as Salomé). Ex- ER star Alex Kingston named her daughter Salome Violetta. Despite seeing…
"his peace"
Rarely, if ever, heard outside the Jewish community.
Variation of Axel, Scandinavian version of Absalom
"father of peace"
Guns 'n' Roses musician Axl (born William) Rose created this name by dropping a vowel, a la Barbra Streisand. The traditional Axel is more popular, though celebrity parents Fergie and Josh Duhamel…
Zulu, modern invention
Typically a masculine Zulu name, Xolani is more popular among baby girls in the US. Given to more than 200 girls in 2024, it is a modern creation, blending the stylish -lani ending of Hawaiian names…
Danish, version of Hebrew Absalom
"the father is peace"
Most American parents would choose to use the more commonly seen variant, Axel, but .this form is preferred in Denmark and Norway, and also ranks in the French Top 400.
Arabic, Hebrew
Yunus is the Arabic form of Jonah, also used in Turkish. In Islam, Yunus is a prophet.
Nature name
"dove, a bird"
One of the new bird names, like Lark and Wren, this one's associated with the billing and cooing sounds of love. Soft and gentle, Dove also has the admirable association with peace. Dove was actually…
Dininutive of Frederick, German
"peaceful ruler"
Just the kind of casual, flippant nickname that upscale Brits are putting on their sons' birth certificates, but few U.S. parents are.
German
The dynamic personality and paintings of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo have inspired growing numbers of parents to resurrect this form of the name. It does much better in certain European countries,…
Russian from Greek
Irina is a Russian ballet-inflected classic, one of the Three Sisters in the Chekhov play. While some Americans will pronounce this like Irene with three syllables, the pronunciation used throughout…
Familiar as the most common form of greeting in Hebrew, but also associated with top female model Shalom Harlow.
Arabic
Hawa is the Arabic equivalent of Eve in that it is the name used for the wife of first man Adam. More than 100 baby girls were named Hawa in the US last year.
Slovene, Persian, Kurdish, Hebrew
"peace, world; prince; to sing + light"
Just as internationally appealing as its feminine form, Mira, Miran is a name with multiple origins that is popular in Turkey, Azerbaijan, The Netherlands, and the UK. As a Slovene and Croatian name,…
English; French, from Polish
"destroyer of peace"
Casimir, a traditional name of Polish kings, could do quite well these days as we see the rise of Caspian, Cassius, Castiel, et. al. Like Leopold and Laszlo, Casimir is strong and worth considering…
Latin
"peaceful"
Pax, one of the variations of names meaning peace that are newly popular in these less-than-peaceful times, got a lot of publicity when chosen by Brad & Angelina for their Vietnamese-born son.…
"safe"
Distinguished by association with renowned African diplomat Salim Ahmed Salim, this name is popular in many variations throughout the Arab world. Its use is growing in the US as well, especially in…
Possibly derived from Salome, Sulayman, and Solomon, Zulema and alternative spelling Zulima are peaceful Spanish names, with their origins in Arabic and Hebrew.
