Birthday Names
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 14 pages
of 14
English variation of Columba
"dove"
In the currently popular solid, serious, two-syllable mold.
English word name
"someone who dances"
A word name that's appealing when applied to a person boogying or doing ballet; a different story in the context of Santa's reindeer.
Slavic
"morning star"
While Danica may sound similar to Dana, Danielle, and Daniela, Danica is not a variation. Danica, a delicate and unique Slavic name meaning "Morning Star," is synonymous with Venus in many countries.…
"tenth month"
Cooler than April, May, or June, but also a tad icy. December gets its name from the number ten as the old Roman calendar only had ten months, and as now, December was the last.
African, Ugandan
"peace"
A warm and musical name with a lovely meaning. There is a popular song called Dembe by famous Ugandan artist named Bobbi Wine, who also ran for President.
Greek
"gift of God"
Dorothea is a romantic Victorian-sounding name that blends elegance, gravitas and a hint of clunkiness too. Popular in the early decades of the twentieth century, it has been off the charts since…
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…
Color and nature name
Subtle but clear unisex way to signal peace, especially in middle place.
Occupational word name
Drummer entered the baby name lexicon thanks to blogger No Big Dill, who chose it for her newborn son, who joins five older sisters. Drummer is right in step with other occupational names in vogue…
Hebrew, diminutive of Ebenezer
"stone of help"
Though most parents would shy away from Ebenezer, short form Eben is affable and creative and perfectly able to stand alone; nothing Scroogish about it. This also makes a fresh new spin on the very…
Hebrew
Ebenezer is the name of a biblical place --the stone set up by Samuel to mark his victory over the Philistines--rather than a person. It was adopted by the British Puritans as a first name and then…
Welsh
"snow"
This Welsh nature name that can be pronounced exactly like the male Ira. Or, to avoid confusion, you could just name her Snow.
Eirene, modernized to Irene, was the Greek goddess of peace. Eirene or Irene was also the name of an early empress and several saints.
English variation of Helen
"torch; shining light"
An medieval English form of Helen, the sensitive but clear-eyed Ellen has swung in and out of style for centuries, often alternating with the parent name. Ellen was the more common in medieval…
Breton and French
"light"
This beautiful Breton saint's name peaked at #127 in France in 2006. It's still in the Top 500 there today, but remains almost unknown outside of France.
French, feminine variation of Emanuel
"God is with us"
The female version of Emanuel could become more prominent, though for some it still carries a steamy image dating back to a then sensationally erotic French film. Singer and Shameless star Emmy…
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…
English
"light of the fairies"
Calls to mind the twinkling strands of bulbs found during the winter holidays and in college dorm rooms.
African, Fula
"born in abundance"
A wonderful meaning for a bright and musical West African 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…
