Baby Name Meanings
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 12 pages
of 12
Japanese
"bright tree"
As well as Japanese physicist Hideki Yukawa, two Yankees ballplayers, Hideki Irabu and Hideki Matsui, made this name familiar to Americans.
English combination of Clara + -bel, Latin
"bright + beautiful"
Claribel improves on its mother name Clarabelle by distancing itself from the clown and the cow.
Hawaiian
"bright, polished, gleaming, unsullied"
Evocative of hulas, leis, and luaus.
German
"bright, shining intellect"
A name that sounds so old-fashioned some parents out there might conceivably find it quirky enough for a comeback, along with other one-time fuddie-duddies like Oscar and Homer. Along with other…
English
"divinely brilliant"
Some cutting-edge parents might revive Osbert as a substitute for Oscar. We like the "divinely brilliant" meaning. Cool or terminally nerdy? Your call. Osbert Sitwell, born Francis Osbert Sacheverell…
"bright grace"
"bright army"
Names ending in bert have long been in limbo, but with the return of Albert, maybe there's hope for Herbert. who could share the Bertie nickname. Herbert is a name that's been used by English…
"bright iron"
Isambard is derived from Old German Isanbert, meaning "bright iron" or "famous iron". Its most famous bearer, rather fittingly, is the 19th century British civil engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel,…
Spanish, feminine form of Javier, Spanish version of Xavier
"new house, bright"
Javiera, pronounced ha-vee-AIR-a, is not as well used as twin brother JAVIER, but makes an attractive Latina choice.
Welsh
"bright water"
Occult name for babies born under water signs -- Pisces, Cancer, and Scorpio.
Diminutive of Elaine
"bright shining one"
Lainie is a nickname for Elaine that has been in the public eye via Lainie Kazan (that was her full given name), who was a popular singer in the 1960s and 1970s (she was Barbra Streisand's understudy…
Latin
"light"
Latona is the Roman equivalent of Leto, the Greek goddess of light. These days Leto feels more modern for a baby girl, but Latona retains its appeal.
Spanish
"splendid brightness"
Leocadia marries a mix of sounds: the strength of a lion, with a rhythmic Latin ending. St. Leocadia was an early martyred Spanish saint, and "La Leocadia" is a famous Goya painting of Leocadia…
Arabic
"torch"
An elegant and fluid Arabic name that casts a brilliant light. Mashal is most commonly used among Muslim families in countries such as Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, but has hopped in and…
"bright, brilliant"
A li'l hell-raiser name in the Ryder-Rogue-Rebel vein.
Chinese
"shining bright"
A common Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean unisex name, and the name of a culturally rich Chinese Dynastic period. Yao Ming is the seven and a half foot Shanghai-born basketball star. Trivia tidbit: His…
Irish
"of the bright sea, sea-bright"
Once a poetic Celtic name, that of the angel who governs the month of June, Muriel has for a time, become the mom or grandma of TV sitcoms. A Top 200 name from 1912 to 1933, Muriel might just be due…
Hebrew
"clear, bright"
Positive meaning -- and a choice of spelling variations.
English, diminutive of Helen, Eleanor, et al
"bright, shining one"
Nell, once a nickname for Helen, Ellen, or Eleanor, is a sweet old-fashioned charmer that is fashionably used today in its own right. While Nell is perfectly in tune with contemporary vintage name…
Italian
"light, clear"
Chiara is a lovely and romantic Italian name that's familiar but not widely used here: a real winner. You might consider Chiara instead of Claire, Clara, Cara, or even Keira. Santa Chiara, Aglicized…
