Baby Name Meanings
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 14 pages
of 14
English virtue name from Latin
"the quality of being clear"
Clarity is one of the lightest of the newly rediscovered virtue names, with a bit of three-syllable sparkle, old-fashioned charm and a clear vision for the future. Clarity is a very desirable quality…
Latin
"faithful"
The association with the Cuban leader Castro is still strong, but he's by no means the only Fidel. This name was in the Top 1000 for over 80 years, from 1919 to 2005. From the late Latin name…
English word name
"charity"
Charity is one of the Big Three abstract virtue names, along with Hope and Faith, though far less widely used than the others. But as Faith, Grace and Hope grow more common, some parents are…
English, Lithuanian
"noble strength; storm"
Used primarily in Scotland, and represented here by singer Audra McDonald, the girls' name Audra has been overshadowed by the return of the classic Audrey. Audra may be to Audrey what Jenna is to…
Slovene, Persian, Kurdish, Hebrew
"peace, world; prince; to sing + light"
Just as internationally appealing as its feminine form, Mira, Miran is a name with multiple origins that is popular in Turkey, Azerbaijan, The Netherlands, and the UK. As a Slovene and Croatian name,…
"peaceful"
Pax, one of the variations of names meaning peace that are newly popular in these less-than-peaceful times, got a lot of publicity when chosen by Brad & Angelina for their Vietnamese-born son.…
Diminutive of Regina, Eugenia, Georgina, and similar, English, German, Spanish
"queen; well born; farmer"
A short form for a whole variety of names, this short form has been used across Europe as a stand-alone since the 1920s. It spiked in popularity in the 1950s, owing to the fame of Italian actress…
Norse
"hope"
One of those midcentury shortenings that are starting to sound cool again, though we prefer Van.
"great joy"
A sweet, uplifting and still fairly uncommon modern virtue name. Its single syllable makes it especially good as a middle name, but it would also make a big impact in the first spot; in fact, nearly…
Arabic
"charitable, generous"
Name of a son of the Prophet Muhammad, with a particularly positive meaning.
English word and virtue name
"honor"
Honor is a somewhat more straight-laced virtue name than Hope or Grace, placing a high standard on any girl carrying it, but it's a goal worth setting. By choosing Honor for her daughter, Jessica…
"full of virtue, pure"
Not related to Zack, Zacky, Zachary, or Zachariah – but many will assume it is.
Sanskrit
"place of great bliss"
Well, parents are naming their children Eden and Heaven...so why not?
"angel of Saturday"
This name of the archangel who protects those born under the sign of Capricorn is one of the most attractive and distinctive December baby names or January baby names . Cassiel is a little-known…
French from German
"noble, ready for battle"
Rarely used, and for good reason. Alonzo is a preferable choice. Alphonse does have a mixed bag of notable namesakes—French novelist Alphonse Daudet, painter Alphonse Mucha, and it was the birth name…
"one who has achieved a high place of honor"
You'll probably be hearing more of this name thanks to the newest Pixar film, featuring Princess Merida, the first Pixar princess--a feisty, athletic, independent medieval Scottish girl with wild red…
"lucky, fortunate"
This female form of Sa'id is one of several eminently usable Arabic S names.
"fortunate, auspicious"
Shreya is an Indian name with several positive meanings--beautiful, fortunate, auspicious, favorable--and ties to the goddess Lakshmi. Shreya was on the U.S. popularity list from 2002 to 2005.
Irish
"noble good"
Mona had more than a moment in the sun, peaking in 1950 at Number 230 but falling off the Top 1000 completely in the late 1980s. Its similarity to the word "moaner" undercuts the appeal of its…
Word name
A bit too self-congratulatory and, understandably, exceedingly rare. Still, if you're looking for a modern virtue name for your daughter, this may be one of the best qualities to exemplify.
