Baby Name Meanings
Names with Inspirational Meanings
Across 14 pages
of 14
Latisha
Modern variant of Letitia
"joy, happiness"
Latisha peaked in popularity in the US in 1979, reaching #221.
Lieke
Dutch diminutive of Angelique et al
The popular Dutch name Lieke is one of those diminutives, like Lena, that can be short for a range of names ending in its sound -- which, by the way, is the two-syllable LEE-ka. Despite its…
Lilo
German, diminutive of Liselotte; Hawaiian
"God is my oath + freeman; generous one"
Lilo is the name of the spunky little Hawaiian girl character in the Disney movie Lilo & Stitch -- and is also Lindsay Lohan's nickname. Multi-cultural, it can be found in Hawaiian, German and Hebrew…
Lowena
Cornish
"joy"
Lowena is the Cornish word for "joy". As a given name, it is most commonly spelt Lowenna. Another variation is the more unisex Lowen.
Machiko
Japanese
"fortunate child"
What parent wouldn't love this meaning?
Madoc
Welsh
"fortunate, benefactor's son"
Also spelled Madog, which was the name of an early Welshman, Madog ap Owain Gwynedd, reputed to have been the first European to discover North America in 1155. Maddox, the name of Angelina Jolie and…
Malu
Hawaiian
"peace"
Malu is a charming Hawaiian name chosen by ex-Talking Head David Byrne for his daughter. Malu might also be an abbreviated form of Malou, which is an abbreviated form of Mary Louise. Malu or Malou…
Manfred
German
"man of peace"
Hipsters might consider reviving this old German name, though we're not so sure their sons wouldn't have preferred the classic Fred name Frederick. Manfred B. Lee (born Manford) was half of the team…
Menachem
Hebrew
"the comforter"
A middle-aged, if not elderly, name associated with Israeli statesman and onetime prime minister Begin, this is a symbolic appellation for boys born on the holiday of Tishah-b'Ab.
Merida
Latin
"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…
Mindel
Yiddish form of Hebrew Menucha
"comfort"
Rarely heard outside the Jewish community; another form is Minda.
Minette
French
"faithful defender"
Frenchified name rarely used in France. And perhaps even more rarely used in the US -- there were NO baby girls given the name on the official records of 2021.
Miran
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,…
Mircea
Romanian
"peace"
This widely-used Romanian choice was the name of a medieval ruler who brought stability to the region of Wallachia.
Mirembe
Uganda
"woman of peace"
Mirembe is a feminine Ugandan name stemming from the Luganda word "emirembe" meaning peace, quiet. In Luganda, Rs are pronounced similar to Ls, so mill-EM-beh is an approximate pronunciation.
Mirko
Slavic
"peace, world"
Mirko is a diminutive version of Miroslav but is now given as a full name.
Mitra
Hindi, Persian, Greek
"friend; earth mother"
Deriving from the Sanskrit Mithra , Mitra is the Hindu god of the sun and of friendship. This transcription is unisex in Hindi, while in Persian, it is the feminine form. Notable bearers of Mitra…
Mona
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…
Naamah
Hebrew
"sweetness, grace, beauty"
Interesting Old Testament name that embraces many traditional female attributes; also name of a place in the Jordan Valley. In the Bible, a daughter of King Ammon and wife of Solomon.
Nabila
Arabic
"honorable, noble"
Pretty and feminine Muslim name popular in Egypt.