Baby Name Meanings
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 12 pages
of 12
Diminutive of Yelena, Russian
"bright and shining light"
New name in the pool of international names, added by lovely supermodel Alyona Osmanova.
English combination of Clara + -bel, Latin
"bright + beautiful"
Claribel improves on its mother name Clarabelle by distancing itself from the clown and the cow.
Spanish
"light"
Lucero is a relative or nickname of Luz, meaning light. This intriguing name is swimming just beneath the Top 1000 for girls in the US, but is used for boys too. It is especially popular in Latin…
Latin
Lumen is a Latin word meaning "light", and the term used for the measurement of light output (making it an attractive choice for science-buffs). The name was used for a female character in the TV…
English
"sea-bright; pleasant hill"
Merrill, once fairly common for American boys back in the first half of the 20th-century, is now a rare choice, given to just 7 girls and 6 boys in a recent year. Alternative spelling Meryl is also…
Hebrew or Greek
"my candle; ocean spirit"
A simple but unusual name with roots in disparate cultures, Neri appears in the Bible as a male name and is still sometimes used for boys as well as girls. The appeal of Neri are its deep roots…
Greek, feminization of Fotis or Fotios
Toula came to light as the name of the heroine of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," short for Fotoula, a variant of Fortini, a feminine version of Fotis or Fotios, meaning "light". Toula is cute and…
German
"grace + god is my light"
A pretty and substantial German smoosh name, a combination of Hanne and Eleonore. Most popular in Germany from the 1930s to the 1950s. Former German Chancellors Helmut Kohl and Helmut Schmidt both…
English variation of Robert
"bright fame"
All varieties of Hob are antiquated nicknames for Robert, though this one has the "Calvin and Hobbes" cartoon association too. It may also be linked to philosopher Thomas Hobbes, giving it a more…
Arabic
"source of light, beacon, torch"
A soft and sweet unisex Arabic name with an international sound, Mishal can also be spelled as Mishaal. British broadcaster Mishal Husain is a notable bearer.
Irish
"bright, shining"
A popular Irish name virtually unknown here, but one that feels like it could follow in the footsteps of Siobhan and Saoirse. It's pronounced SOR-ka, but with a little hiccup between the ' r ' and…
Lito is an onomatopoeia of a name: a name that sounds like what it means. A modern bearer is Lito Sheppard, Philadelphia Eagles cornerback. Lito might also be a short form of such names as Carlito…
Finnish; Malagasy
Really offbeat, upbeat multi-cultural name with light sound and meaning. Valo might make a more unique spin on Milo.
African
"light or jungle"
Simple, delicate, and unusual.
"like light"
This elaboration of the popular Noor and Nur combines the radiant Arabic name with the Persian suffix -an to form a name that suggests the bearer is comparable to light. Nuran and Nurana are…
"torches, beacons, laterns"
A melodic but sturdy, Mashael is an Arabic name with a bright and uplifting meaning. Derived from the same source as the unisex Mishal and associated with light sources, this form is notably borne by…
Persian
"radiant sun"
Khorshid, also found as Khurshid, is the Persian word for sun and is also the name of a place in Iran. The name is found mostly in Iran, Turkey, and Azerbaijan and can be used for both boys and…
Khorshid, also found as Khurshid and Khursheed, is the Persian word for sun and a name used for both girls and boys. The name of a place in Iran, Khorshid is the title of an Iranian film about street…
Dutch
"of the sun god"
Pleun is a unisex Dutch name deriving from Apollonius or Apollonia, although now it ranks far higher for girls in its native land than the original form. In 2024, it ranked in the Top 140 in The…
Basque
This name may mean light but is likely to be heavy to wear outside of Spain.
