Birthday Names
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 8 pages
of 8
Welsh
"white ring, circle"
Gwendolen, an ancient Welsh favorite, retired decades ago in favor of the short form Gwen, but now, as in the case all across the naming board, the nickname has faded and the more distinguished…
English word name
"holy day"
A fun and confident choice, Holiday is a celebratory name, particularly associated with Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hannukah, and New Year, and with rest, leisure, and vacations more generally. Fitting…
Latin
"tenth"
Decimus is one of the Roman numeral names used in large Victorian families--in this case for the tenth child. It is now seeing some new life thanks to the cutting-edge fashion for ancient Roman…
Word name
North's image and gender status was irrevocably changed when Kim Kardashian and Kanye West announced it as the name of their newborn daughter. But why not? West is firmly established as a name,…
English
"divine protection"
Osmund is a masculine name with ancient Germanic origins, composed of elements meaning 'god' (os) and 'protection' (mund). With roots stretching back to Anglo-Saxon and Norse cultures, it was brought…
"lighthearted, happy"
She'd better be. Merry is one of the classic names for Christmas babies .
"dweller near the temple"
The old word name Temple has gained some recent notice as a girls' name via admired autistic writer and inventor Dr. Temple Grandin (born Mary Temple), subject of an acclaimed biopic, in which she…
African, Ethiopian
"mountain goat"
Nyala is a secret nature name with a fashionable animal meaning. Nyala might be an appropriate name for a baby girl born under the sign of Capricorn, which is symbolized by the goat, or in the…
French surname
Though it's close to the German and French form of Matthew, Mathis, this name of the great artist can work as well for girls.
In the days of huge families, this name of the Roman goddess of prophecy and childbirth, and one of the Fates, would be saved for bambina number ten. Now it might be used for a girl born in October,…
Armenian
"turquoise"
Interesting on paper, though most people would confuse it with the word peruse.
Nature name
Worthy sibling for Oak, Elm, Juniper, and Spruce.
Greek
"earth mother"
Demeter, the Greek goddess of grain, agriculture, and the harvest, growth and nourishment, was Zeus's sister and Persephone's mother. Variation Demetria is the full name of actress Demi Moore. Though…
Occupational word name
Drummer entered the baby name lexicon thanks to blogger No Big Dill, who chose it for her newborn son, who joins five older sisters. Drummer is right in step with other occupational names in vogue…
Basque
"snow"
Perfect for that winter baby, when Snow isn't subtle enough. The feminine version is Edurne.
"arrow"
Sagitta is not a part of the Sagittarius constellation, but rather its own collection of stars. However, its meaning, "arrow," would make it ideal for a Sagittarius daughter.
French form of Albinus, Ancient Roman
"white, blond, bright"
Aubin might be seen as a fresher and more decidedly masculine twist on Aubrey, though the two are not related. This stylish French choice derives from the Roman Albinus or Albus, meaning "white,…
Hebrew
"spark, ray of light"
The viv syllable adds vitality.
"small female donkey"
Asella is ultimately derived from the Latin word asinus , meaning "donkey." As a word, asella would have been used to refer to a small female donkey. Though both Latin in origin, with similar…
Arabic
Instead of the more obvious Aqua, Turquoise, or Blue, consider this offbeat Arabic name, brought into the American name pool by actress Fairuza Balk (named by her father for the color of her eyes).…
