Baby Name Meanings
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 9 pages
of 9
Basque
"blond"
There are many names that mean redhead or dark, fewer that mean blond, but this is an intriguing little-known option from the Basque region of Spain, deriving from the Latin Flavianus.
Welsh
"slender, fair"
The delicate and haunting Welsh Rhonwen is still a rarity in the U.S., where her English version Rowena is better known, but would be a lovely choice for any parent in search of a name that was both…
"white rose"
If you're looking for an unusual alternative to all those Rose names, Rhoswen might be a good choice. This name has the soft sounds we've come to love from the Welsh language but is still not as…
Japanese
"white jasmine or reason, logic"
Riko is a hugely popular name for baby girls in contemporary Japan, and one that easily translates to the West.
Maori
"white cloud"
A vowel-rich Māori name with a nature-inspired and dreamy meaning. New Zealand is known in Māori as Aotearoa, which can be translated as "land of abiding day" or "land of the long white cloud".
Cornish
A rare and beautiful member of the "Rose" family of names, Rosenwyn is a modern Cornish compound name meaning "white rose" or "fair rose". There is a popular Cornish folk song titled An Rosen Wyn ,…
Arabic
"white gazelle"
Rym is one of those simple-yet-uncommon names that's extremely rare in the US , where no baby girls were given the name last year. But it certainly can travel anywhere.
English
"fair-haired"
If ever there was a one-person name, it's probably Sherlock. But Sherlock Holmes the character has arguably never been hotter: he's been played by Robert Downey Jr., Ian McKellen, Jonny Lee Miller…
Sanskrit
"white"
In Hinduism, white symbolizes purity, adding an extra layer of meaning to Shweta, which comes from the Sanskrit word for the color. Shweta is a common name among Hindu women and is connected to the…
Finnish or Sanskrit
"blue; white, fair"
A color name in two languages. As a Finnish word name, Sini is a fancy way to say "blue". In India, it means "white" or "fair".
Lithuanian
"little snow"
The Lithuanian name for Snow White, as well as the word for "snowflake" and the snowdrop flower.
Swedish
"white snow"
Used as the Swedish name for Snow White.
"fair brow"
Talwyn is a contemporary Cornish word name that can be pronounced with the emphasis on either syllable. With its fashionable -wyn ending, Talwyn could easily be used on an American-born baby.
"white fire"
Tanwyn is a modern Welsh name that can work for either sex depending on the spelling -- wyn is the traditional boys' spelling, while wen as in Tanwen is the girls' version. Famous bearers include…
"white brow; nourishing"
An unusual but beautifully simple name, possibly a variation on Aelwen, that belongs to a river in north-east Wales. It may appeal if you like similar names like Arwen, Anwen and Olwen. The exact…
"fair, white, beautiful"
A Welsh name for space fans, thanks to Tecwyn Roberts, a pioneering aerospace engineer at NASA.
"fair, white, blessed, beautiful"
Tegwen is a Welsh name that balances between clunky and mystical, sweet and tough. Created back in the 19th century by blending the element teg "beautiful, pretty", with the element wen "fair, white,…
"white wave"
Tonwen is another name for Gwen, the mother of Saint Cybi and sister of Non (who was the mother of St David, patron saint of Wales). An unusual -wen ending option.
Cherokee
Cool Cherokee color name.
French
"vanilla"
While Vanilla might be too bland, the French version is more flavorful.
