Birthday Names
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 9 pages
of 9
German
"bald"
Contrary to popular belief, the name Kahlo has German origins, rather than Spanish. It derives from kahl , a German word meaning "bald." Mexican Artist Frida Kahlo was born to a German father,…
Latin
"yellow hair"
A Latin clan name that may rise again along with other things Roman.
African, Akan
"fifth born child"
Even if you're not planning on having five kids, Enu makes a cute name for a son or daughter.
Hungarian
"mother"
A Hungarian name rarely heard outside its native culture, Emese appears as the legendary grandmother of Árpád, the founder of the Hungarian state. It featured in the Hungarian Top 100 from when the…
French
"Emerald"
Gemstone names have a long history of use, from Ruby to Pearl. Emeraude is the French word for emerald. If the Spanish Esmeralda is stylish, why not Emeraude?
Word name English from Norse
"park with deer"
Derby might be considered a word name or a surname-name. In England, it would be pronounced darby, causing confusion with that similar name.
Greek
"fair flower"
Evanthe is a pretty Greek name not often heard outside its native culture. With its stylish Ev-begining, Evanthe could make an interesting choice if you're looking for a generic flower name.
"the mother of all gods"
The Anatolian mother goddess Cybele had a place in Greek, Roman, Trojan, and Anatolian mythology. Today, she has special meaning as a symbol of gender nonconformity. In ancient Rome, Cybele's cult…
Native American
"wind"
A place name from Venezuela believed to come from an indigenous word for wind, this can make an innovative choice for a child of either sex.
"soft leather, yellowish-brown"
Pronounced SHAM-ee, this color and word name is soft and appealing.
Anglicized version of Italian Catai; place name
A perfect example of what a difference a single letter can make. Add an 'a' to the ho-hum Cathy and you have the old name for China, often used by such poets as Edna St. Vincent Millay and Ezra Pound.
Flower name, from English
"yellow wildflower"
Though Buttercup is most often reserved for cows (and pets of other kinds), this humble flower name was given to the princess in "The Princess Bride" and to one of The Power Puff Girls . Yet to rank…
"kettle-shaped hollow"
When Kate Hudson named her second son Bingham and announced that she would be calling him Bing, it put this zingy nickname name out on the table. Before that, there was only one, further nicknamed…
Phonecian
"mother goddess"
Astarte is the ancient goddess of sexuality, fertility, and war, associated with Ishtar as well as Venus.
Welsh
"lily-of-the-valley"
Gwenonwy is a poetic and intriguing member of the Gwen- family, taken from a Welsh word for the flower, lily-of-the-valley. According to legend, King Arthur had a sister named Gwenonwy and there is a…
Polish word name
A floral Polish word name with the sounds of Olivia, Kornelia, and Aaliyah, Konwalia is derived from convallaria majalis , the scientific name for the "lily-of-the-valley" flower. Also known as…
Flower name; Greek
"daughter of the wind"
Anemone is a floral name that relates to the ancient Greek myth of the famous love story of Aphrodite and Adonis, in which Aphrodite transforms her wounded lover's blood into a flower, the crimson…
French, a semiprecious stone, or variation of Agatha
Though it's French, most Americans would pronounce it as the stone.
Arabic and Urdu
"breeze, fresh air"
A unisex Arabic name with a fresh and nature related meaning, Nasim may also be spelled as Naseem in Urdu and Arabic, and as Nesim in Turkish. Used predominantly on boys in Iran, it leans feminine in…
