Names That Mean White or Fair

The surname Witten (and variants such as Whitten) is a patronym derived from Witte or Witt, which was a nickname for people with white hair or a pale complexion in Germany and the Netherlands. It makes a very cool (and rare!) name for a son — the stylish nickname Witt seals the deal.

A vowel-rich Māori name with a natural 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".

Gauri the Brilliant is one of the many names for the Hindu goddess Parvati.

A bold and evocative African place name. The country of Kenya gets its name from Mount Kenya, referred to it as "Kirinyaga" or "Kerenyaga" by the local Kikuyu people, meaning "mountain of whiteness" due to its snow-capped peak.

Greek variation of Candace used in the Bible.

Gwenno originated as a diminutive of Gwenllian, Gwynhwyfar or Gwendolen, but it is increasingly being bestowed as a full name, with between 10 and 20 births a year in England & Wales. Musician Gwenno (full name Gwenno Mererid Saunders) is a famous bearer.

The Old Norse Finnr or Finnur may resemble the Irish Finn or Fionn but is a name referring to a Finn or Laplander, the original meaning of which is wanderer.

A rare French name deriving from Latin albus "white", also related to the French word for "dawn", aube.

Quintessentially, stylelessly preppy.

For towheads with ties to Scotland -- in theory, anyway.

In Irish mythology, Fionnabhair (Old Irish Findabair or Finnabair) is the daughter of Queen Medb of Connacht and Ailill, whose beauty is exploited by her mother to persuade a long line of warriors to face the legendary hero Cú Chulainn in single-combat. All are defeated and killed, a bloody battle ensues, and Fionnabhair drops dead of shame when she discovers that she has inadvertently been the cause of all the death and destruction.

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.

A Southern place name — found in North Carolina and Virginia — borne by early enslaved people in the US. It came over from England, where Albemarle was a variation of the French county name Aumale, from the Latin Alba Marla, "white marl." Marl is a type of soil.

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.

A charming Indian color name with mythological connections — Chandika is a form of the Hindu goddess Mahadevi.

Mostly used among Hindus, Dhaval is a striking choice traditionally given to baby boys with fair complexions.

A Hawaiian option for a winter-born daughter. Derived from the elements hau, meaning "snow," and kea, "white."

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.

The original male name Alban is a lot sleeker and more usable.