July Names

St. Merryn, the name of a Cornish town derived from Mirin, a 6th century Irish saint important in Scottish history often as Mirren, is sometimes used in modern times as a girl's name.  Lovely, sleek, shimmery feel though many will assume it's invented until you enlighten them on its long history. Also spelled Meryn.

Merryn

Dune is a name of several layers. It's a modern nature name, like Ocean, Bay and Reef, although rarer, conjuring up images of breezy sand dunes on summer beach days.
 
It's also assocated with Frank Herbert's Dune iconic series of sci-fi novels. The name increased in popularity in 2021, when the most recent movie adaptation was released.

Dune

Jaunty and dapper, Rafferty is one of the most engaging of the Irish surnames, used by Jude Law and Sadie Frost for their son in 1996. Derived from the Irish, O'Raighbheartaigh, it means "(spring) flood tide", though some sources relate it to the Old Irish rath meaning "abundance" and "prosperity."
 Preppy and energetic but earthy too, it also comes with cool nicknames Raffy, Rafe, and Raffa. A rare choice in the US, it has been appearing in the England and Wales Top 1000 since 2003 and has more recently appeared in the Top 250.

Rafferty

Could cute nickname Gertie, remembered as cute five-year-old Drew Barrymore in E.T., revive the long shunned Gertrude?
 It's tempting to dismiss Gertrude as a name on its way through the door marked Out Forever, except that its long and honorable pedigree--as a goddess in Norse mythology, as the gentle and mystical Saint Gertrude the Great, and another St. Gertrude who is the patron of cats, and its use by Shakespeare for Hamlet's (not exactly exemplary) mother--earns it a place on the permanent roster. It has also been borne by such varied figures as writer Gertrude Stein, swimming champ Gertrude Ederle, British stage star Gertrude Lawrence, and arts patron Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney.
 The pinnacle of fashion a century ago, Gertrude reached as high as Number 23 in 1900, but dropped off the list completely in 1966.

Gertrude

Arty and elegant, Ginevra is one of the most popular girls' names in Italy at the moment, ranking at #3 in a recent year. Ultimately from the Arthurian Guinevere, it's a relative of Jennifer, meaning "white wave, white shadow" or "white phantom".
 
Ginevra is also used as the Italian name for the city of Geneva in Switzerland, and may additionally be associated with the word ginepro meaning "juniper". As such, it ticks plenty of boxes as a historical name, a mythical name, a place name, and a nature name.
 
Despite its popularity in Italy, it remains a rare choice in the US, given to just 25 girls in a recent year, and as such, it could make an unexpected honor for a family Jennifer. Nicknames Ginny and Gigi add to its appeal.

Ginevra

Most things Jul-related – from the month of July to popular modern names Julia and Julian – originate with Roman emperor Julius Caesar, and the month name July is no exception. Fifteen girls and seven boys were named July in 2013, putting this month name into the class of <a href="https://nameberry.com/unisex-names">gender neutral names</a>.

 In the 21st century, July feels – literally and figuratively – hotter than June.

July

Fintan is an ancient Irish saints' name that in legend is also the name of the only person to survive The Flood.  Popular in modern Ireland, Fintan is ripe for export to the US where it is rarely used but could make an excellent long form for the stylish Finn.

Fintan

A presidential and place-name that's not a stand-out in either category. 

Cleveland

Sweet, enchanting Lilou is considered both a pet name from the Occitan language (spoken in Provence in the south of France), and a compound name, blending floral Lili with classic Louise. It peaked in France back in 2009 when it reached #12, and while it has now fallen in popularity, it remains in the Top 200.
 
The name first began to catch on back in the late 1990s, following the release of the 1997 film The Fifth Element, featuring a character called Leeloominaï (meaning "precious stones" in film's fictional language). Known by Leeloo, the character pushed alternative spelling Lilou into the Top 500 the year after the film was released.
 
Also appearing as Lylou, and more rarely as Liloo and Leelou (both of which did rank in the French charts when Lilou was at its peak), the name is currently in the Top 500 in the Netherlands and the Top 200 in Belgium, while in the US, just 12 girls recieved the name in a recent year.

Lilou

When playwright Thomas Lanier Williams adopted the pen name of Tennessee, he created a new possibility among American place-names, although it's admittedly a bit bulky in size. 

Reese Witherspoon brought it back into the spotlight when she chose it for her son. While Tennessee's two most famous bearers are male, the name can work equally well for a child of any gender.

Tennessee

Loch is a watery word that sounds more like a name because it's one step removed from its English form. Pronounced as "lock," it's also a short form of the variously-spelled Lachlan.

Loch

In Hindu tradition, Indra is the warrior god of sky and rain, whose name is often used as element of other names, such as Jaswinder or Rajendra. Its use as a feminine name may come from the Western world hearing it as feminine (thanks to Alexandra, Indira, or similar), or simply as a shortening of Indrani (meaning "wife of Indra").
 
In Latvia and Lithuanian, however, it is a girl name, inspired by Indraja, meaning "reed". In Lithuanian mythology, Indraja was the personification of Jupiter, associated with the aforementioned Hindu god, and known as "the water witch". Additionally, Indra may come from the Latvian Indra River, also known as the Indrica, and as such, a feminine form of Indriķis, a Latvian form of Henry.

Indra

Cherokee is the name of a Native American tribe, the largest in the United States stretching from North Carolina through Oklahoma. The meaning of the word Cherokee is uncertain: It may be Choctaw for "those who live in the mountains" or "those who live in the cave country" or it may be an Anglicization of the word the Cherokee use to refer to themselves, Tsalagi. The name was given to 19 baby girls in the U.S. in 2013 but was not recorded on the boys' roster, though we'd consider it a <a href="https://nameberry.com/unisex-names">gender neutral name</a>.

Cherokee

Fiammetta, from the Italian word for flame, has both femininity and fire. Fiammetta could make a good alternative to more conventional Italian girls' names like Giovanna. 
 Fiammetta has some romantic, if not fiery, references. It was the pseudonym of Boccaccio's beloved in the Decameron and other works (the subject of a famous Pre-Raphaelite painting by Dante Gabriel Rossetti); and another Fiammetta was a famous courtesan and lover of Cesar Borgia. Currently there is an Italian model named Fiammetta Cicogna.

Fiammetta

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.

Coro

Name for a seventh child, back when people had them. 

Septima

Rube is a masculine name that originated as a diminutive form of Reuben, a Hebrew name meaning 'behold, a son'. Historically, it gained recognition in American culture as a nickname and eventually as a stand-alone name. In the early 20th century, 'Rube' became associated with the cartoon artist Rube Goldberg, known for his illustrations of complicated gadgets. The name has also carried connotations of rural simplicity, as the term 'rube' came to mean a country bumpkin in American slang. Though never extremely popular as a formal given name, it maintains a vintage Americana charm. Its short, straightforward sound gives it an unpretentious quality that might appeal to parents seeking a name with historical character and simplicity.

Rube

An African family name ripe for adoption in honor of Nelson Mandela, the South African activist imprisoned for almost thirty years for his antiapartheid activities.

Mandela

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, photographer Guillermo Kahlo. 
 
Kahlo is given to baby girls and boys in roughly equal numbers each year. It's a modern hero name — the names of virtually all baby Kahlos were inspired by Frida.

Kahlo

A dashing French surname name most famously borne by Henry David Thoreau, an American naturalist, writer and philosopher who influenced such notable figures as Leo Tolstoy, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr. The most common modern American pronunciation is "thor-OH", with emphasis on the final syllable, although Thoreau himself pronounced it "THOR-oh".

 The origins of the surname are not entirely clear, although one possibility is that it derives from a diminutive form of the Old French tor, meaning "bull" (the root of the modern French word taureau). A fitting choice for a Taurus baby boy!

 Thoreau may also be related to the Norse name Thor "thunder", or to the Germanic name Theodoric and its French form Thierry "ruler of the people".

 With its on-trend sound and literary pedigree, Thoreau certainly makes for a rare but appealing choice. Zac and Kate Hanson used it as a middle name for their fifth child, born in 2021.

Thoreau

 and can be connected by the Independence Day holiday, which abounds with name inspiration. July itself works as a name for a July baby, as do all the other related names like Julian and Juliette.

, the larkspur and water lily, are excellent options, as are those related to the ruby, July's birthstone.

include Luna, Ruby, Amelia, and Edith. In addition to Julian, other 

include Cyrus, Phoenix, Declan, and Apollo.

 are appropriate for children born earlier in the month.

Since July is the seventh month of the year, names like Seven and Septima are especially appropriate for a July baby. 

 can also reference saints whose feast days are celebrated in July.

If your baby is going to be born in July, these names make wonderful options. Here is our full collection of names for July babies.

July baby names include names for a baby born in summer in the month of July, such as Ruby, Leo, and Luna. (Page 6)