Australian Names: Aussie Favorites

When Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman became one of the first Europeans to find Australia, he gave his name to a sea and to an island. in turn some parents have chosen to honor their homeland by choosing this name for their child. Tasma is the feminine version.

Traditionally pronounced "ming-iz" and thus the relationship to the jazzy Mingus, Menzies is an old Scottish surname related to the more common Manners.

The Narellan is the name of a river in New South Wales. From this name comes this quasi-French girls' name, which is quite common in Australia.

Jarrah is the name of a beautiful Australian tree famous for its richly-colored red timber and lovely scent. Jarrah may be used for both girls and boys.

To most, the name Austra is most likely to be connected to Australia (or Austria), but to Latvians, Austra was the goddess of the dawn.

Maroochy Barambah, an Australian singer, brought this name into prominence in Australia.

When Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman became one of the first Europeans to find Australia, he gave his name to a sea and to an island. in turn some parents have chosen to honor their homeland by choosing this name for their child. Tasma is the feminine version of his surname. A famous bearer of this name is Australian actress Tasma Walton.

Most closely associated with Australia's iconic progressive Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam, this name is a great choice for politicos or parents wanting to honor their Welsh heritage in naming a red-haired son.

Not an alternate spelling of Warren, Warrin is a Pitjantjatjara name meaning the cold months. A good name for a winter baby.

To most Australians and New Zealanders, using the name Anzac might feel sacrilegious now, as the ANZAC story has become interwoven with national identity. But Anzac was used as a name for both boys and girls on both sides of the Tasman Sea in the aftermath of the First World War. It was often used in combination with other names associated with battles or military leaders - for example Dardanella Anzac and Verdun Anzac (both girls) and Winston Anzac and Anzac Kitchener (boys).

A name gaining recognition in Australia, based on the huon pine tree which grows in Tasmania. Boatbuilders especially love this rare wood, which floats well, is resistant to rot, and has a strong pine-y scent.

Australian opera singer Nellie Melba—self-named for her hometown of Melbourne—inspired this now-dated name more associated today with a peach dessert and dietetic toast.

Colbee was a warrior of the Gadigal clan in Sydney when the British First Fleet arrived in 1788. He was captured but later escaped.

A variation made famous by Australian Aboriginal tennis champ Evonne Goolagong.

This Noongar girls’ name has a dainty sound that belies its fierce fire meaning and could easily cross over into the American or European context.

Also spelled Merinda, this name meaning beautiful comes from the language of the Gadigal people in Eastern Australia. One famous bearer of this name is Merindah Donnelly, a dancer and nominee for Australian of the Year.

Dianella is the botanical name of a small plant which grows across Australia. It flowers in spring with a star-like purple flower which develops into a blue berry. Dianella feels wearable as an elaboration of Diana.

For most, Eureka will be tied up with the bathtub myth of Archimedes' discovery of volumetric displacement, making it linked to the idea of invention, discovery and innovation. Some Australians might more closely link it to the Eureka stockade, a 19th Century rebellion of miners and workers against the colonial British government. Amanda Knox named her baby girl Eureka in 2021.

This is a Scottish pet form of John, the equivalent of Jack in England. Has long been used as a generic name for a Scotsman, here it's a generic name for a--well--jock.

Lutana is the Paredarerme word for moon and is occasionally seen as a girls name, especially in Tasmania, where the Paredarerme were from. A great choice for people looking for alternative to other moon names, and especially cute given the possibilities of Lulu as a nickname.