Baby Name Meanings
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 14 pages
of 14
Swahili
"comforter, bringer of consolation"
Coolly attractive African name, with distinguished representatives in sports and literature. Jabari has been on the rise recently, returning to the US Top 1000 in 2023.
English word name
"always, constantly, eternally"
Similar in sound to Evan and Everett, Ever is an evocative word name that's currently on the rise. Used by Alanis Morissette and Souleye back in 2010, Ever was given to more than 200 boys in 2024,…
Spanish
"hope, expectation"
Esperanza is a Spanish classic that's found its way onto the national popularity list in recent years. It came into the spotlight not long ago when jazz singer Esperanza Spalding "stole" the Best New…
English
"noble and renowned"
Thanks to Elmer Fudd, Elmer the Cow, Elmer the elephant, Elmer's glue and the similar Elmo, this name might, to some feel like a jokey choice: the quintessential so-far-out-it-will-always-be-out…
Word name
"courage and bravery"
This modern virtue name gives a nod to ancient chivalry and could also work as an updated form of the classic Victor. A bold choice, but one that an increasing number of parents have been making in…
Danish, version of Hebrew Absalom
"the father is peace"
Most American parents would choose to use the more commonly seen variant, Axel, but .this form is preferred in Denmark and Norway, and also ranks in the French Top 400.
Diminutive of Dionysius, Greek
"child of heaven and earth; of Zeus"
A variation of Greek Dionysius, itself derived from the name of the god of wine, revelry, and dance, Dion gives a nod to mythology while also having historical ties to a student of Plato, to a Greek…
Latin virtue name
"ability to accept or tolerate inconveniences, and suffering without anxiety or anger"
Patience is a passive virtue turned engaging name, fresher than Hope, Faith, or even Charity. Its resemblance to the trendy Payton may be one reason that it returned to the US charts back in the 90's…
Latin
"noble, patrician"
Patricia still sounds patrician, though its scores of nicknames definitely don't. Wildly popular from the forties (alternately Number 3 and 4 throughout the decade) to the sixties, Patricia has been…
"aristocratic"
With parents beginning to show an interest in virtue names for boys, this Puritan favorite just might be revived, for what could be more admirable than nobility in terms of having strength of…
Sanskrit; Swahili
"hope; life"
Asha is an Indian name that comes from the Sanskrit word for hope or desire, but it is also a Swahili name derived from Aisha, meaning life. Since the ascendance of Ashley through the 1980s and 90s,…
Literature, Sindarin, Welsh
"noble maiden; fair, blessed"
Best known as the princess of the Elves in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings , Arwen is a fantasy-inspired choice that feels perfectly down to earth. In 2022, it entered the UK Top 400, making it one of…
"truth"
If you love Puritan virtue names and want to move beyond Hope and Faith and Grace, this is a wonderful choice, both for its meaning and its sound. A rare find here, though occasionally heard in…
Tree name or Arabic,"beauty, grace"
"beauty, grace"
Zaynab, from the Arabic word for beauty and the name of a flowering tree, was the name of a granddaughter, daughter and two wives of the Prophet Muhammed. Related names include the simplified forms…
Serena in all its variant spellings is such a widely-used name that reducing it to its root word, Serene, might not occur to some. But like Pax and Clement, Serene is an excellent name for a calm…
"destiny"
Synthesized name in the Justin/Dustin mold, but has an unpleasant similarity to the diaper rash ointment called Desitin.
Russian from Greek
"peace"
Irina is a Russian ballet-inflected classic, one of the Three Sisters in the Chekhov play. While some Americans will pronounce this like Irene with three syllables, the pronunciation used throughout…
Nature name
Sky is an ambigender nature name that was first legitimized as the character of Sky Masterson in the 1950 musical Guys and Dolls , played in the film version by Marlon Brando. It's a name we…
Hebrew
"comfort"
A traditional Hebrew name with a tender meaning, Nechama comes from the Hebrew word for "consolation", "solace", or "comfort". It's a popular choice in Israel where it has ranked consistently in the…
Hindi, Sanskrit "destiny, spiritual force; deed, fate"
"destiny, spiritual force; deed, fate"
Some parents are hoping to bestow good karma on their children with this name, derived from the Sanskrit word for "fate". Associated with the Hindu and Buddhist belief that someone's actions in this…
