Birthday Names
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 6 pages
of 6
Thai, Hebrew, Yoruba, Arabic
"eternal; plowed field; first-born son; memory, vision; fires"
Simple, attractive, and worldly, would fit in with the Kierans and Kylans in the preschool class. It has its origins in Thai, from which it means "eternal", and in Hebrew, from which it may be a…
Finnish
"flame"
A rare Finnish word name with a fiery meaning.
Spanish
"adventurer, explorer"
A worldly and attractive choice for a child of any background. Two early New World explorers were Hernandos — de Soto and Cortés.
Latin
"of the garden"
Hortensia is an ancient Roman name that's also the common name of the flower hydrangea. The French form of the name is Hortense, which is coming back into style in Paris but has never caught on in…
Armenian
"turquoise"
Interesting on paper, though most people would confuse it with the word peruse.
Flower name, from Greek
"asphodel"
Yes, though it seems so extreme, girls were actually sometimes given this name a century ago; now it is so uncommon it would make a strong springtime statement. Biggest obstacle: the nickname Daffy.…
Literary name
Puck was Shakespeare's mischievous pixie who'a had a few television incarnations in more recent years. A popular name in The Netherlands but nowhere else, from what we can tell. We love Puck for its…
Gemstone name
Citrine is a type of quartz named after its citrus-colored hues. if Amethyst, Jasper, and Onyx (all other types of quartz) can be used, why not Citrine, which has a lovely French-sounding suffix.…
