Baby Name Meanings
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 9 pages
of 9
Welsh
"white ring, circle"
Gwendolen, an ancient Welsh favorite, retired decades ago in favor of the short form Gwen, but now, as in the case all across the naming board, the nickname has faded and the more distinguished…
Turkish and Arabic
"white"
Beyzs is both a girls' name, most popular around the turn of this century, and a place name of a city and county in Iran.
"white breast"
Bronwen is widespread in Wales, but still rare enough here to sound somewhat international — we think Bronwen is a real winner. (Note: the Bronwyn spelling is an Anglicization, since the -wyn ending…
Portuguese from Latin
"snow-white"
Nivea, or Nívea, is most commonly seen as a given name in Brazil, where it was derived from niveus , meaning "snow-white" in Latin. The German skincare brand NIVEA, founded in 1882, took its name…
Irish
"fair"
This lilting Irish saint's name shone in neon lights on Broadway for the classical 1947 musical "Finian's Rainbow," later made into a film starring Fred Astaire as Finian McLonergan, and there was…
"very fair, beautiful"
Anwen is one of the simplest and best of the classic Welsh girls' names, more unusual than Bronwen but with the same serene feel.
Place-name
Long before the current place-name craze, a pair of the more daring pop singers of the Age of Aquarius picked this name for their daughters. Jefferson Airplane's Grace Slick used the conventional…
Latin and French
"fair Christian"
Though Isabel is a smash hit, Christabel still hasn't been fully embraced. It was originally popularized in England via the Coleridge poem Christabel ("whom her father loves so well") and was given…
Flower name, from German
"noble white"
Edelweiss, made famous by the Rogers and Hammerstein song in "The Sound of Music", is a rare female name. In German 'edel' means 'noble' and 'weiss' means 'white'. Edelweiss is the colloquial name…
Tree name
Birch is a rarely used nature name that calls to mind the lovely image of the tall, strong but graceful white-barked tree. The best known bearer of the name is former high-ranking Democratic Senator…
"band of warriors"
Fianna, a virtually unknown Irish name in the US, combines the best elements of Fiona and Brianna. In Irish and Scottish mythology, the Fianna were independent bands of warriors. It has ranked in…
Irish, short form of Fionnuala
"white shoulders"
Officially a shortening of the traditional and tricky Gaelic Fionnghuala/Fionnuala, Nuala makes a lovely choice all on its own. Nuala is well-used in Ireland.
Irish Gaelic
This lovely Gaelic name, very popular in the Emerald Isle, has inspired a whole host of diminutives (including Nuala and Nola) and variant spellings, from Finola to Finula to the Scottish and English…
"white brow"
A little bit Isla, a little bit Elowen. Also the Kentucky-based heroine of a 2018 novel by Gwen Kaelin.
Russian diminutive of Euphemios, Greek
"fair speech"
Efim originated as a short form of the elaborate Greek name Euphemios and is now used as a name in its own right. It can also be spelled Yefim.
Greek, diminutive of Euphemia
This can be a short form of any Greek girls' name starting with 'Ef', such as Efstraria or Efrosini. It has also been suggested as a possible nickname for Elizabeth.
"fair lady, white lady"
The traditional Irish girl's name Bevin – an Anglicization of Bébhinn – is rarely heard outside the Emerald Isle, but could make an fresh and fashionable namesake for an Aunt Beverly.
"silver, white, fair, blessed"
Rarely heard outside of Wales, Arianwen combines the pretty Welsh element gwen with the silvery arian , giving it a metallic and shining meaning. The name is sometimes listed as one of the daughters…
"fair April"
An elaboration of the month name, which is rare (though not unheard of) even in Wales.
Latin
"fair-haired"
Fresh choice, but with feminine lilt.
