Birthday Names
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 8 pages
of 8
Greek
"evening, evening star"
Hesperos or Hesperus is the personification of the evening star in Greek mythology; in Roman myth, that role is held by Venus. There's a Longfellow poem called "The Wreck of the Hesperus" about a…
Hindi
"earth lord"
Ilesha is an unusual choice that will undoubtedly be confused with similar and far more common names such as Alicia and Elissa.
Israeli
"amber"
Fashionable choice in modern Israel, also a place-name there, not likely to succeed here.
Indonesian
"pretty"
An Indonesian name that is virtually unknown in the Western World but that is eminently portable, sister of India and Indre or Indra.
Mesopotamian
The mother goddess Ishtar (also called, or identified with, Ashtoreth, Ashtoret, Astarte and Inanna) was worshipped by the Assyrians and Babylonians as the goddess of love, war, justice and…
Anglicization of Iarlaithe, Irish
"tributary lord; sovereign"
Traditionally spelled as Iarlaithe, Iarfhlaith, or Iarlaith, this is the English form of the regal, rugged Irish name. Familiar but distinctive in Ireland, it was given to 6 boys in a recent year,…
Yoruba
"second-born of twins or one who falls behind"
This African name, which derives from the Yoruba tribe of Nigeria, is used for both girls and boys -- but in the US, its most notable bearer is (male) artist Kehinde Wiley. Wiley, who paints brown-…
Hebrew
"corn, grain"
Popular in Israel for girls and boys born on Shavout, a harvest festival. In Babylonian mythology, Dagan was the god of the earth and grain.
Slavic
Lada is the Slavic goddess of youth, merriment, beauty and fertility, usually associated with spring. Her name is referenced in wedding and folk songs in Eastern Europe, but largely unknown in the…
Syrian mythology
"lady of the mountains"
Liluri was the goddess of the mountains in Syrian mythology, associacred with the Nur mountains, the weather and with bulls, the latter being sacred to Liluri and her consort, the weather god…
French
"violet-colored"
Mauve is an offbeat color name whose soft and sentimental Victorian spirit is conveyed by the name. One of the newer color names like Blue, Gray and Plum that are increasingly being used as novel…
"bee-eater bird"
This obscure name from Greek mythology (Merope was one of the Pleiades) is better known from J.K.Rowling's Harry Potter series, as the name of Tom Riddle's ill-fated mother.
Dutch, diminutive of Bartholomeus
"son of the earth"
Apt choice for an architect's child, honoring German-born Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, a central figure in modern design, and universally referred to as Mies.
Persian
"wild rose"
Nasrin has a strong sound and lovely floral meaning. International variants include the Turkish Nesrin and Egyptian Nesreen.
Russian, Bulgarian, and Macedonian form of Nahum, Hebrew
"comfort"
Naum is a Biblical name, rarely heard outside Russia, Bulgaria and surrounding areas, though alternative form Nahum is beginning to receive more attention in the US. Derived from the Hebrew naham ,…
See NECHAMA.
Odran is a masculine name of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic 'Ódhrán' meaning 'pale green' or 'sallow.' This ancient name was borne by several Irish saints, including a 6th-century monk who was…
English word name
This Puritan virtue name may be unstylish, but it is also sympathetic and appealing in these largely uncomfortable times.
Irish
"shapely"
Attached in Irish mythology to a Cliona who was, among other things, an inspirer of poets. Cliona is well-used in modern Ireland, along with Irish form Cliodhna, though it's largely unknown in the…
Color name
"grayish green"
Like Cerulean, one of the new and unusual color names -- it's a soft grayish green -- suitable for a boy.
