Baby Name Meanings
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 7 pages
of 7
Irish, variation of John
"God is gracious"
Though Eoin is a Gaelic form of John, its Anglicized pronunciation links it directly to Owen. Eoin is currently a Top 30 name in Ireland. Other variations: Ewan, Ewen, Evan and Eoghan (pronounced as…
Greek
"grace"
Reference to the mythological Three Graces of womanly charm, this one representing charity. Pronounced in Greek as starting with a back-of-the-throat H sound, most English-speakers would translate…
Korean; Hindi; Turkish; Arabic; Ewe
"this world's beauty or grace; army; to praise; bringing heaven to earth"
Sena is one of those names that is as obscure in the Western World as it is simple and straightforward. Sena exists as a name in a range of languages and cultures and may be pronounced like Senna…
Trending down, along with others of both the Car and the issa groups.
Chinese
"graceful willow"
Could be confused with the much less captivating Leanne.
Scandinavian; Finnish; Slovene; Croatian; Serbian, from Russian
Anja is one of the most international of several versions of Ann/Anna now being imported, also including Anya and Annika. Anja is heard in several European cultures, including Germany, the…
Latin, short for Kalonymous
"gracious, good reputation"
This is a rarely heard multi-cultural name, related to a 14th century Jewish scholar named Kalonymous ben Kalonymous, who translated important texts from Arabic to Hebrew. It is also a Hungarian…
Breton form of Anna
Also spelled Anael, this offers a new spin on an old standard. Or even a couple of old standards, if you count Annabelle.
French variation of Jean
Pronounced just like Jean in the English-speaking world, but as the more unusual zhahn in France, this has sailed away with the first wave of French favorites: Denise, Michelle, et soeurs.
Breton
Yannick originated as a diminutive of Yann, the Breton form of John. However, it has since become popular as a standalone name in its native region of Brittany, as well as in France as a whole, where…
Elaboration of Grace, virtue name
Grace, meet Grayson. The stylish classic girls' name Grace -- it's in the Top 20 -- and the trendy boys' name Grayson or Greyson, a member of the Jason-Mason-Cason club, combine to create the girls'…
Scandinavian variation of Annalie or Hannah
Anneli is one of the hundreds of Anne variations with an intriguing spelling. This name has been popular throughout Scandinavia over time and would certainly translate easily to English-speaking…
Greek or variation of Carys, Welsh
"grace, kindness; love"
Caris is either a variation of the Carys, a modern Welsh name meaning "love", or a spin on the Greek Charis, meaning "grace, kindness", and used to describe the Three Graces collectively. It briefly…
French/Breton variation of John
This might be a better choice than the similarly pronounced Jan, to avoid gender confusion.
Spelling variation of Sean
Shawn is one name that's become less unisex and more distinctly male over time in all its spellings, given to only 14 baby girls and over 500 boys in the US in the most recent year counted. But at…
Anglicization of Sine; Irish variation of Jane
Animated Gaelic name popularized by singer Sheena Easton, also brings to mind Sheena, Queen of the Jungle, the Amazonian comic book and TV series heroine. Sine is considered to be and English…
Hebrew
"graciousness"
A chief member of the tribe of Benjamin, and another obscure Old Testament name that few parents, even those tired of Aaron and Zachary, would consider. But with a pronunciation that rhymes with…
Italian, diminutive of Grazia or variation of Grace
Graziella, an Italian form of Grace, is another Latin version that adds spice. Consider Graziella as a distinctive alternative to either Grace or Gabriella.
Arabic
"thankful, woman of grace"
The mononymous Colombian-born singer inspired a popularity blip in the 90s and early 00s.
Scandinavian variation of Johanna
A Scandinavian short form of Johanna, properly pronounced with a Y sound at the start, but would likely be read as the more prosaic "John-a" in an English-speaking context.
