Baby Name Meanings · Nature, Place and Word Names
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 28 pages
of 28
Word name
"barn spider"
While there are many who would certainly be put off by the association with spiders, Cavatica has a spirited and spikey feel and sounds enough like Cassia, Catalina, and Callista that it leans…
Turkish
"baby gazelle"
Ceren is an excellent cross-cultural Turkish choice, bearing resemblance to names like Serena and Seren. In Turkey, it refers to a baby gazelle and was most common among Gen Z. At its height, Ceren…
Place name, English from Portuguese and Sanskrit
"lionlike"
Lovely, international, tea-scented possibility undiscovered by baby names. Ceylon may ultimately be derived from the Sanskrit siṃhala , meaning "island of lions" or "abundance of lions."
English
"female goat"
Cheever has a nice, cheery sound, literary ties to novelist and short writer John Cheever and also, sideways, to the Edward Arlington Robinson narrative poem "Miniver Cheevy," as well as a subliminal…
Colombe is a delicate French feminine name meaning 'dove,' symbolizing peace, purity, and gentleness. Derived from the Latin 'columba,' this name has been used in France since medieval times, often…
Latin
"dove"
Grandmas will remember the old TV detective show; playmates won't. This is a name that has many variations in different cultures, from Columbus to Columba to Colum to Colm.
Irish
"fierce as a hound"
Connolly, an alternate spelling of Connelly, could make a livelier and less common substitute for Connor.
"like a raven"
Corvina sounds quite similar to a car model, although it has a gorgeous meaning and could be an interesting dramatic full name for the nickname Cora.
Nature name
Several animal names, from Fox to Wolf and even to Tiger, ccan work, but Cougar should stay in its cage. Even John Mellencamp has dropped it.
English surname
"crane"
This elegant surname has great potential to turn into an unusual first name, especially with its literary associations to both Stephen and Hart Crane. Crane is a surname that originated for a tall…
Hungarian from Turkish
"falcon"
English variation of Columba
In the currently popular solid, serious, two-syllable mold.
"deer town"
Obscure, though legitimate, name that could be used to honor a relative named Barton or Martin.
Slavic
"honeybee"
Once associated with the first bride on "Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire", Darva is a Slavic name with a strong sound and sweet meaning.
Greek place name
"of Delphi; womb"
An interesting unisex possibility, with an air of mystery connected to the Delphic Oracle, the most important oracle in ancient Greece; it was also a major site for the worship of the god Apollo.…
Word name English from Norse
"park with deer"
Derby might be considered a word name or a surname-name. In England, it would be pronounced darby, causing confusion with that similar name.
Welsh
"bird"
This 1950s Welsh bird name sounds less dated than our fifties Robin.
French
"warhorse"
Destry rides again, this time as a Western flavored baby name. Derived from the French surname Destrier, from an Anglo-Norman word meaning "warhorse", this rugged name was popularized by the 1930…
Australian animal name
These wild dogs eat babies, they do not inspire baby names.
"a female deer"
Doe is a soft and gentle-eyed middle name possibility and, like Fawn, one of the few animal names open to girls. The Ballad of Baby Doe is a modern American opera based on the story of Elizabeth…
