Baby Name Meanings
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 9 pages
of 9
English, Irish
"from the marsh or fen; fair"
No, not Ben (you'll say a million times), not Van -- Venn. John Venn was a British logician and philosopher famous for introducing the Venn diagram, which is used in several fields, including logic,…
Cornish
"white / fair"
Like the variation Wenna, Wenn is an early Cornish form of Gwen. Confusion with the English word "when" leads us to suggest that the longer form Wenna would be more "name-like".
"white, fair"
Wenna is an early Cornish form of Gwen, belonging to two 5th-century Cornish saints. It shares the same meaning of "white, fair". Similar in feel to Wrenna, Tessa, and Willa, it could also be a…
English
"from the white ford"
Quintessentially, stylelessly preppy.
Finnish variation of Albin, Latin
"white"
Although it resembles Alvie, Alvi has separate origins. It comes from the Latin name Albin, meaning "white," while Alvie is derived from Alvin, meaning "noble friend."
German
"elf warrior"
This name woould be hard to picture in a contemporary kindergarten, though it does have some cultural cred via Finnish architect and furniture designer Alvar Aalto. Aalto would actually make a more…
Latin
The original male name Alban is a lot sleeker and more usable.
English from Latin
"white marl"
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,…
Mineral name
Alabaster is a white stone that was often used to make sculptures. The name is thought to derive from an Egyptian term al-abaste, which refers to the Egyptian God Bast.
"dweller at the white cliff"
Haitian-born rap superstar and humanitarian Wyclef ("Fugees") Jean has lent this name a powerful musical beat.
Hungarian from Turkish
"white eagle"
Hebrew
"fair, righteous"
A biblical name that was used in colonial times, but which has an unpleasant sound to the modern ear.
Welsh: "white brow"
"white brow"
Aelwen was first used in the revival of native Welsh names in the nineteenth century. It is occasionally used in Wales, but has not made the charts there for at least 20 years. If more parents knew…
French place name
The name of a French city famous for its fine lace. Another association: Chantilly cream – a sweetened whipped cream apparently invented there in the 17th century by a chef at the Château de…
Welsh invented name
"pretty and fair"
Delwen appears to be a modern invented name in Welsh, deriving from two common name components: del - meaning pretty and wen - meaning fair/white. Similar names include Delyth, also Welsh, and…
Sanskrit
Mostly used among Hindus, Dhaval is a striking choice traditionally given to baby boys with fair complexions.
Welsh
"fair, white, blessed"
Welsh heritage choice that's rare today even in its native land.
Hindi
"silver"
A charming Indian color name with mythological connections — Chandika is a form of the Hindu goddess Mahadevi.
"fair April"
An elaboration of the month name, which is rare (though not unheard of) even in Wales.
Greek, diminutive of Euphemia
"fair speech"
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.
