Birthday Names
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 7 pages
of 7
Arabic
"noble, generous"
Kareem is the more popular form in the US, thanks to basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, but Karim is right on his heels after being among the fastest-rising names of 2022. French soccer player…
French surname
"golden"
Dior has joined Chanel and Armani on the fashionista hit parade of names, appealing due to its designer quality, its succinct sound, and contemporary air. Nearly 400 baby girls were named Dior in the…
Greek
"west wind"
If you're looking for a name that's light and breezy, this could be it. A name from mythology: Zephyrus/Zephyr was the Greek god of the west wind, and with its similarity in sound to the likes of…
Gem and Color name
As flower names become more unique, so can gem names move beyond Ruby and Pearl to names like Topaz, Sapphire, and Peridot. Amethyst, the purple birthstone for February, has never been in the Top…
Word name
Wisdom is a rare modern virtue name that might increase in use as this whole category becomes more mainstream. Wisdom is one of the gender-neutral names now on the table for both boys and girls.
English version of Latin Constantia
"steadfastness"
Constance is one of the more subtle of the virtue baby names , but still has quite a prim and proper image. One impediment to its revival has been the decidedly dated nickname Connie, though modern…
Variation of Amy, French
"beloved"
Amy was a 1970s favorite, and French spelling Aimee peaked in the same decade. Today, about 1500 baby girls are still named Amy every year in the US, versus about 150 named Aimee. Aimee Teegarden is…
Variation of Elaine, English, Hawaiian
"bright, shining; sky, heavens, royal, majesty"
Simple but substantial, Lani is surprisingly underused considering the popularity of Lainey, Leilani, Lana, and Kehlani. A multi-cultural choice with both Hawaiian and English origins, it is also…
Spanish
"breeze"
Brisa is commonly used in Latino families, all but unheard of in others.
English
"rocky water"
A cool, rugged sounding name, Calder is connected to an ancient Scottish clan, an English village, and a Scottish River, along with the sculptor Alexander Calder, who invented the mobile (as in,…
African, Bobangi, Libyan place name, diminutive of Rosella, Marcella, Gizella, or Isabella
"lacking nothing, one who knows the way"
Sunny, sassy, and stylish, Zella is a multicultural and versatile choice which works across multiple languages. Popular back in the early 19th century, Zella is now catching the attention of…
Latin
"strength, health"
Valentine is an attractive Shakespearean name with romantic associations, but those very ties to the saint and the sentimental holiday have sent it into a decline, one which we think may be about to…
River name, color name, or variation of Niall, Irish
"champion"
Water names are a cool category these days, and this one of the famous Egyptian river is no exception. It streamlines the fussier Niles and also may be thought of as a color name, meaning dark blue…
Japanese or Korean
"sky; conch shell"
A simple and pretty multicultural name: as a Japanese name, it's unisex and means "sky"; as a Korean name, it's feminine and means "conch shell".
English word name
"charity"
Charity is one of the Big Three abstract virtue names, along with Hope and Faith, though far less widely used than the others. But as Faith, Grace and Hope grow more common, some parents are…
"of the mind, intellect"
Minerva is the long-neglected name of the Roman goddess of wisdom and invention, the arts and martial strength, one of the mythology names for girls that might appeal to adventurous feminist parents.…
"stag"
Hart could be the hero of a romantic novel, but on the other hand, it's short, straightforward, and strong sounding. The most famous bearer of the name was tragic poet Hart (born Harold) Crane, but…
"all-knowing"
Cato conjures up images of ancient Roman statesmen and southern antebellum retainers; it could have revival potential, with its 'O' ending and the current interest in the names of Greek and Roman…
Turkish variation of Eidel or Nahuatl
"delicate; unique"
As a feminine name, Izel is the Turkish variation of the Yiddish name Eidel, as well as a Nahuatl name derived from the word isel , meaning "unique." Izel is a character in the TV show Agents of…
"a drink of water"
Nahla is a lovely name chosen by Halle Berry for her daughter. Not to be confused with the Disneyfied Nala.
