Baby Name Meanings
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 7 pages
of 7
Swedish from Latin
"beloved"
Carita may feel like an endearing nickname but it's a name in its own right, used throughout Scandinavia in this form and as Karita, Caritas, and Karitas as a variation on Charity.
Welsh
"to love"
Ceri is traditionally a Welsh masculine name which historically has been Anglicised to "Kerry", but we love the Welsh original. Famous Ceris include British painter Ceri Richards and New Zealand…
"love"
Common name in Wales that's all but unknown in the U.S. Certainly an attractive choice ripe for export. In the UK it sits at Number 330.
Hebrew
"loved one"
Lively sounding Hebrew choice.
French
For years there was only one Cher, and then along came the charming heroine of the movie "Clueless." The world now officially has enough Chers in it.
Diminuitve of Carol or Caroline, English, French ,"free man"
"free man"
Upper-crusty nickname occasionally used in Britain, particularly in 1930s novels featuring significant garden party scenes, but eclipsed here by Carrie et al.
"loving, kindhearted, charitable"
A Welsh place name, possibly from the caru root, meaning "love, affection", Caron could work as a way to honor a Karen with a twist. It can also be used as a masculine name, as a variation of the…
"dear one, sweetheart"
Rhythmic and energetic, Drury is of French origin, with the wonderful meaning of "dear one, sweetheart."
Arabic
"heart, soul"
An Arabic name that can easily cross cultures. Janan might make a distinctive honor name for an ancestral Jan, Jane, or John.
Polish from Latin, literary name
"of the heart"
Created by the Polish playwright Juliusz Słowacki in 1833 for his eponymous romantic hero, Kordian has been in rare use in Poland since. Słowacki based the name on the Latin cor or cordis, meaning…
Norse
This name looks like a sister to the names Elsa and the Czech name for girls Eliška, a popular diminutive of Elizabeth — and sometimes it is (in German, for example). But it is also a word in Old…
Greek
"beloved, desired"
Erasmus has long retained the image of the bearded and bespectacled Dutch philosopher, but could be one that the audacious baby namer just might dare to dust off. The fourth century Saint Erasmus was…
Latinized form of Greek Erastos
The Biblical Erastus was an assistant of Paul's in the New Testament. A name used in the 19th century that has fall off the scope, but may be revived as parents dig deeper for undiscovered Biblical…
Slovene variation of Erasmus, Greek
Erasmus may be out of fashion in the English-speaking world, but in Slovenia, Erazem is a fashionable riser.
Diminutive of Gabrijel or Slovene tree name
"God is my strength; hornbeam"
In Slovenia, Gaber is used as both a nickname of Gabrijel and a nature name. Gaber is the Slovene word for the hornbeam tree.
Variation of Grainne, Irish
"the loved one or grain of corn"
In addition to being the appellation of an ancient grain goddess, this name was also borne by two mythic Irish figures, one of whom was betrothed to legendary chieftain Finn MacCool, the other the…
Italian
"pleasing, beloved, dear"
Italian form of Gratian, the name of a Roman emperor who campaigned across the Rhine and favored Christianity over paganism. Graziano isn't common either in the English-speaking world or its native…
"well loved"
An alternative to the more familiar Aviva.
Yoruba
Short but impactful, Ife is a meaningful Yoruba name, taken from the word ífé meaning "love". Predominantly used in Nigeria or among Nigerian families, it may also be used in as an element in longer…
English, Norse
"love again, renewal"
Idony is a Medieval variation of Idonea, itself an English form of Iðunn, the Norse goddess of spring and eternal youth. She was notable for carrying, keeping, and guarding the box of apples from…
