Birthday Names
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 14 pages
of 14
Phoenician
"Baal protects the King"
This evocative name of one of the Three Wise Men of the Orient, also spelled Balthasar, may finally be ready for prime time. Balthazar, Melchior and Caspar were the Magi who brought gifts of gold,…
English word name
"signal light"
A word name with an appealing and illuminating meaning.
Japanese
"light or radiance"
A unisex Japanese name with a beautiful and radiant meaning, it is notably borne by chess prodigy Hikaru Nakamura, and is a central character in the manga series The Summer Hikaru Died .
Latin from Greek
"cheerful, happy"
Ilario's merry, jovial sound reflects a shared root with the word hilarious.
Czech diminutive of Susan
"lily"
This sizzling nickname Zuzu is heard every Christmas as the name of Jimmy Stewart's little girl in "It's a Wonderful Life," but we love it all year round as a lively alternative to double names like…
Nature name
Name of the licorice plant, this spice comes in the shape of a star, giving this name an extra level of sweetness.
English
"lighthearted, happy"
She'd better be. Merry is one of the classic names for Christmas babies .
Hebrew; also Swahili from Arabic
"thunderbolt, lightning; or blessing"
The name of the 44th president, which he inherited from his Kenyan father, is related to the Swahili word "baraka," meaning "blessing," derived from the Arabic "baracka." It is linked, through the…
Latin and French
"fair Christian"
Though Isabel is a smash hit, Christabel still hasn't been fully embraced. It was originally popularized in England via the Coleridge poem Christabel ("whom her father loves so well") and was given…
Spanish
"light"
Lucero is a relative or nickname of Luz, meaning light. This intriguing name is swimming just beneath the Top 1000 for girls in the US, but is used for boys too. It is especially popular in Latin…
Hindi, Persian, Greek
"friend; earth mother"
Deriving from the Sanskrit Mithra , Mitra is the Hindu god of the sun and of friendship. This transcription is unisex in Hindi, while in Persian, it is the feminine form. Notable bearers of Mitra…
English word, Old English
"an inlet of the sea where the land curves inward; berry"
One of the most usable of the pleasant, newly adopted nature/water names (like Lake and Ocean), especially in middle position. It's gentle, slightly whimsical, but grounded by its similarity to May…
French
"jewel"
Bijou is a name that lives up to its definition -- a real jewel. Warning: not unheard of on poodles' dog collars. Actress Bijou Phillips is its best known bearer. It can also be spelled Bijoux.
"blessing"
An Asian name not widely known in the West.
"cardinal direction of north"
A lot of attention was drawn to this name when Kim Kardashian and Kanye West announced it as the name of their baby daughter, making it instantly unisex. North is a word name that's long been used,…
Word name, Greek
"manifestation, striking appearance"
Spiritual in multiple senses of the word, Epiphany has been given to a handful of girls since the late 1980s, peaking in 1988 when it was given to 55 babies, following the release of the movie Angel…
Miran is a multicultural feminine name with roots in several languages. In Korean, it means 'beautiful orchid,' symbolizing elegance and grace. In Slavic languages, particularly Slovenian, it derives…
Fruit name
British-born novelist Plum Sykes has taken this rich, fruity name out of the produce section and put it into the baby name basket. It's more appealing than Apple, more presentable than Peaches. The…
Māori
"love"
This beautiful Māori name meaning love (cognate with Hawaiian aloha ) is more wearable than the English word and softer Venus or Aphrodite. Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern named her…
Finnish
"Christmas"
The Finnish word for Christmas, occasionally given as a name to children born around the holiday.
