Birthday Names
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 7 pages
of 7
Scottish, Irish
"marsh, thicket; fort; dark, black"
Keir is a single-syllable name that packs a punch, but also has a endearing quality about it thanks to its similarity to the word care . Sometimes used as a short form of the more popular Kieran, it…
Latin
"snake"
Irish
"little dark one"
Kiernan Shipka, aka Sally Draper on Mad Men , brings this Irish surname into the girls' column. And, like Kieran and Tierney and Tiernan, it's one of the perfectly unisex baby names . Only 14 girls…
Sanskrit
"dark, black, blue"
Shyam is one of the alternate names of Hindu God Krishna.
From Greek
"orchid flower"
Orchid is a hothouse bloom that has not been plucked by many modern baby namers — yet. In the language of flowers, orchids symbolize love, beauty, and sophistication. In a 1926 silent comedy, femme…
Color name
One of the new color names that is catching on, invoking a calm, blue-green-sea feeling.
Greek
"sea-green jewel"
Dated British favorite that never caught on in this country, where Jade remains the green gem of choice. Interesting namesakes: British writer Beryl Bainbridge and British aviatrix Beryl Markham.
Arabic
"powerful, mighty"
One of the names of Allah, this name is also associated with basketball great Kareem Abdul Jabbar (born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor, Jr.).
Jewel name, from the French
"pomegranate"
One of the jewel names in use a hundred years ago, due for revival along with sisters Ruby and Pearl.
Hebrew
"light of God"
Unisex name in Israel, ideal for a Hanukkah baby.
English word name
"eleven"
If Erykah Badu can name her son Seven, why can't you name your daughter (or son) this? Eleven has recently gotten a lot of attention via the character on the TV show Stranger Things .
Flower name, from English surname
"Garden's flower"
More uncommon and powerful than garden varieties like Rose and Lily. Named for Scottish botanist Dr Alexander Garden.
"eagle"
An evocative ancient word that's used as a first name in the New Testament, among other places. It's also the name of an eagle-shaped constellation. That said, contemporary interest in the name…
African, Mwera
"black cloth"
Energetic choice that bounces off the tongue.
Italian, variation of Latin Octavia
"eight"
Softer and more romantic than Octavia, this is a name once used when it wasn't uncommon for families to have eight children. A possible substitute for the epidemically popular Olivia.
Yiddish
"dark, black"
Popular name in Israel, worth considering for a dark-haired daughter with a bit of a bohemian cast.
"gold flower"
One of the rarest of the flower names, that of the blossom celebrated in Japan as a symbol of the sun and a possible object of meditation. One of the rare flower names counted among names for autumn…
"long life; red"
Omaira is an intriguing Middle Eastern possibility.
French, English
"to stay a while"
African-American and women's rights activist Sojourner Truth was born as Isabelle into enslavement. She adopted her new name when she began traveling and preaching abolition in 1843. Sojourner is a…
Animal name
"scorpion"
Animal name with some serious sting to it, Scorpion is one of the unique baby names that should probably stay that way.
