Birthday Names
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 6 pages
of 6
Sanskrit
"perceptive one"
This name is widely used in India.
Bird and color name
This name of both a grayish-greenish-blue color and a kind of wild duck can be used for both boys and girls.
Greek mythology name
"foam or born from the sea"
The name of the Greek goddess of love has rarely descended to mortal use, though the Roman equivalent Venus, thanks to tennis star Williams, now seems completely possible. But with the new fashion…
Irish
"bard, royal poet"
Has a legitimate first name history in its native land and an appealing meaning, but pronunciation is far from obvious.
Fin is a concise, impactful masculine name with multiple cultural origins. In Irish tradition, it's a shortened form of Fionn or Finn, meaning 'fair' or 'white,' connected to the legendary Irish hero…
Spanish
"blackberry"
Intriguing derivation, though people will assume it's a simplified form of Maura.
Hebrew
"graciousness"
A chief member of the tribe of Benjamin, and another obscure Old Testament name that few parents, even those tired of Aaron and Zachary, would consider. But with a pronunciation that rhymes with…
American animal name
"pike, a fish"
The field of nature names is constantly expanding to include all species of flowers and trees and animals and birds and even fish. In addition to its appeal for anglers, Pike recalls Zebulon Pike,…
Fish name; variation of Chad
"battle warrior"
Swam into style and quickly out again, on Chad's fish- er, coat-tails.
Mesopotamian
"lady of heaven"
An ancient Mesopotamian goddess of love, war and justice, with a name that fits modern tastes. In recent years it has become a rare but steady fixture near the bottom of the charts, and feels full of…
Chinese or Vietnamese
"orchid, mountain mist"
A unisex Chinese name with a range of meanings, depending on the characters used. As a Chinese male name, "mountain mist" is one of the main reasons. In Vietnamese, it means "orchid". > In Slovenia,…
Roman god of the sea, freshwater springs, and horses.
This Roman mythology (and planet) name would be very hard to handle. It derives from a root meaning cloud.
Persian place name
Now deeply associated with the gemstone Lapis Lazuli, Lazuli is derived from one of the places where the stone was first mined. The word Lazuli is the root for words like azure. Lapis Lazuli is a…
Greek
"from the sea"
An offbeat possible replacement for the overused Melissa and Marisa, Nerissa was used by Shakespeare for Portia's witty confidante in The Merchant of Venice . Queen Elizabeth has a cousin named…
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…
English word, Old English
"an inlet of the sea where the land curves inward; berry"
One of the most usable of the pleasant, newly adopted nature/water names (like Lake and Ocean), especially in middle position. It's gentle, slightly whimsical, but grounded by its similarity to May…
"perceptive"
The name of two Old Testament kings that seems as ripe as you can get for modern use, given the popularity of sound-alike Biblical brethren Jadon and Jacob (and even mythological Jason). Note that…
Biblical place name from Akkadian or Babylonian
"house of fish"
An ancient city in Assyria, where Jonah was sent to spread the word of God.
Scottish surname
"son of the blond one"
For theater-loving parents — an homage to one of our premiere playwrights.
French
"of the fishing place"
An original choice for a fisherman's child.
