Baby Name Meanings
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 8 pages
of 8
Greek
"peace"
Eirene, modernized to Irene, was the Greek goddess of peace. Eirene or Irene was also the name of an early empress and several saints.
Hebrew; Spanish
"gold; peace"
Paz, currently represented by actresses Paz Vega and Paz de la Huerts, would make a sparkling middle name choice. It originated as a title of the Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Peace, and is one of the…
German
"God's peace"
Godfrey was very popular in the Middle Ages, but today you're more likely to hear it as a surname than a first name. It has a solid, old-man charm, but a couple of possible deal-breakers: the first…
Czech; Slovak; Slovene
"peace and glory"
An ancient name with a lovely meaning, still in wide use throughout the Slavic-speaking world. Short forms include Miro, Mirek, Mirko and Miško.
Slavic
"peace, world"
Mirko is a diminutive version of Miroslav but is now given as a full name.
Dutch and Frisian
The vintage Fenna, an old lady name making a comeback in the Netherlands, originates in Friesland in the northern part of the country, where the Fries language is spoken. Rhyming with Jenna, it's…
Hawaiian
Malu is a charming Hawaiian name chosen by ex-Talking Head David Byrne for his daughter. Malu might also be an abbreviated form of Malou, which is an abbreviated form of Mary Louise. Malu or Malou…
Hindi, Sanskrit
A gentle Hindi name, ultimately from the Sanskrit śāntī , Shanti may equally refer to a state of mental and physical peace, maintained despite any stresses or difficulties and Hindu prayers for…
Norse
"guarded by Ing"
Ing was a powerful Norse god whose name inspired several modern variations -- though Inga has become a caricatured Scandinavian choice.
Turkish
Baris has the advantage of sounding familiar but being rare and unusual. The peaceful meaning is another plus.
Italian, feminine variation of Frederick, German
"peaceful ruler"
Federica is the Latin version of Frederica, one of those formerly stuffy female names -- think Josephine and Eleanor -- that feels fresh and elegant again. And Federica has more energy without that…
"victorious peace"
Also spelled Sigfrid, this hefty German name has an appropriately majestic meaning: "victorious peace". Fittingly, a famous bearer was the English World War I poet and pacifist Siegfried Sassoon.…
Hebrew
Shulamit--which has a variety of different spellings--is a serious-sounding Old Testament name that appears in the Song of Songs. Its common nickname is Shula, which is sometimes used on its own.…
Sometimes used as the masculine form of Irene / Eirene, Irenaeus is a name seen in the Early Christian church (for example, Saint Irenaeus who is considered to be one of the Church fathers). Other…
Mirela is a name used in Romania and Croatia and is related to popular Mira.
Japanese
"hope of peace"
Kazuki is related to names like Kazuko, Kazuo and Kazumi
French feminine form of Axel
"father of peace"
Putting the emphasis on the "elle" softens a name that seems at once futuristic and medieval.
Zulu
Traditionally, Xolani is a masculine Zulu name stemming from the word "uxolo", which means peace and goodwill. Beware – in this case, the X is pronounced as a one of the famous Zulu clicking sounds…
African, Swahili
"peace, safety, security"
The three soft a's make for a calm and rhythmic name, though some risk of salami jokes.
Feminine from of Tullius, Roman
"meaning unknown"
The unusual and intriguing Tullia has been used since Roman times and may appeal to parents who like Tallulah, Julia, and Lillia but want something that's very rarely heard. A feminine form the…
