Baby Name Meanings
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 12 pages
of 12
Basque
"beautiful light"
Argider is a somewhat used boys' name in Basque-speaking parts of Spain.
Greek
"lightning"
Asterope is an undiscovered name that has three wonderful nature connotations: 1) (from its meaning) lighting; 2) it is a type of butterfly 3) it is the name of an asteroid. Asterope is a great name…
Italian
"light wind"
A pretty addition to the Au-girl names like Audrey, Aurora and Autumn. The beginning Aur syllable, which often relates to gold, makes this an appropriate and one of the more unusual names for autumn…
Breton form of Elinor or Helen
"light"
One way to spin grandma Helen or Ellen's name off the beaten track. The legendary Azenor was a tragic 6th century Breton princess who was mother to a saint. This personage also may be known as Senara.
German
"bright strength"
One bright spot: famous namesake Threepenny Opera playwright Berthold (later known as Bertolt) Brecht.
French
"heroine, bright maiden"
The name of medieval French saint, similar to Sally Field's name, Bertrille, on the old The Flying Nun sitcom, leading some to expect the word "Sister" in front of it.
English
"bright friend"
One step up from Irwin, and that's not nearly enough.
"light of man"
Cassander is the masculine form of Cassandra, and the name of an ancient king of Macedon from the 3rd century BC. It could make a nice alternative to Alexander or a refreshing way to honour a female…
Literary elaboration of Clara
"bright, clear"
A poetic name first used in Edmund Spenser's "The Faerie Queene" in 1596, it had a literary vogue in the 18th century, especially favored by Robert Burns. "inda" names--Melinda, Belinda, Linda" are…
"bright blue enamel"
Cyane is a mythological Sicilian nymph who lived in a pool and whose name is an intriguing twist on the color name trend.
"bright day"
Almost unheard of in recent years, Dagobert has some connections to the French diaspora. Pere Dagobert was an eighteenth century Capuchin monk who immigrated to New Orleans from Quebec. Dagobert I…
Norse mythological name
"day"
Dagur, one of the top boys' names in Iceland, is the personification of day. His mother is Nott, or night, and together they are thought to ride in a chariot around the earth every 24 hours.
Welsh; Japanese
"beloved; great"
A cross-cultural name that can be a nickname for David, as is common in Wales, pronounced "dye".
"Light of the World"
Clarimond is related to the Occitan name Esclarmonde, and is probably the more wearable of the two variations. Seventeenth century French novelist Nicolas des Escuteaux used the name for the…
Scandinavian
"daylight"
Norse god who's the son of light plus historic diplomat Dag Hammarskjöld and author Dag Solstad combine to boost this Nordic name's appeal, but this could be difficult in English-speaking countries…
Sanskrit
"lamp, light"
Spiritual author Deepak Chopra made this familiar, if not particularly accessible, outside the Indian community.
Hindi
"divine, shining one"
If you don't want your daughter to be a Diva, try this Hindu moon goddess name that was chosen by actress Monica Bellucci for hers.
English; Czech
"twilight; soul"
This name has two origins: the English word Dusk, meaning evening twilight and the Czech name for girls Duška meaning "soul or spirit". Either way, this is an interesting name with some potential.
Italian, German, Dutch, and Polish version of Eleanor
"bright, shining one"
The usual form of Eleonara is Eleanora, with each syllable pronounced, but transposing, adding, or subtracting a vowel or syllable here or there works fine and adds to the international, feminine…
Italian variation of Electra, from Greek
"amber, shining, bright"
Less electric and more serene than Electra which comes with a lot of tragic and psychoanalytical baggage, Elettra is the Italian form that ranks in the Top 200 in the Italian charts. Nicknames Etta,…
