Baby Name Meanings
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 6 pages
of 6
Arabic
"good-natured"
Phonetic spelling of the Muslim Aanisah, chosen by singer Macy Gray for one of her daughters.
Welsh
"gentle"
Gareth, the name of a modest and brave knight in King Arthur's court, makes a sensitive, gently appealing choice, used more in its native Wales than anywhere else. The name Gareth first appeared in…
Irish
"noble good"
Mona had more than a moment in the sun, peaking in 1950 at Number 230 but falling off the Top 1000 completely in the late 1980s. Its similarity to the word "moaner" undercuts the appeal of its…
German, diminutive of Liselotte; Hawaiian
"God is my oath + freeman; generous one"
Lilo is the name of the spunky little Hawaiian girl character in the Disney movie Lilo & Stitch -- and is also Lindsay Lohan's nickname. Multi-cultural, it can be found in Hawaiian, German and Hebrew…
English surname derived from Tobias
"God is good"
Tobias-related name that makes an attractive and modern-sounding form of the biblical original. It was recently chosen by Karolina Kurkova for her son.
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…
"the one who brings good news"
Used both as a given name and as a surname, Bashir is a familiar but still unusual choice in the USA and UK, even among Muslim families. In 2014, only 25 boys were named Bashir in the US. One reason…
Swahili, Arabic
"divine grace, blessing"
Ultimately from the Arabic ni'ma , this Swahili name celebrates the blessing of a baby. Also used as a masculine name, Neema is notably borne by film director Neema Barnette and activist Neema…
Hebrew
Tobiah is the original Hebrew form of the better-known Greek Tobias, to which it could make a distinctive alternative. With its ah ending, Tobiah fits in with other stylish Biblical names today, from…
Feminine form of Glenn, English, Scottish
"valley"
Part nature name, part mid-century favorite, Glenda came into use in the 20th century as a feminine form of Scottish Glenn, likely inspired by Linda and Wanda too. While Glenn would give it the…
African, Igbo
"good God"
Beautiful West African name that could appeal across cultures.
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…
Irish, phonetic spelling of Caoimhe
"gentle, beautiful, precious"
Keeva, the name chosen by "How I Met Your Mother" star Alyson Hannigan for her daughter, has recently been a Top 20 name in Ireland, using the authentic spelling Caoimhe. The male version is…
"charitable, good, beneficent"
Following the birth of Zayn Malik and Gigi Hadid's daughter Khai in 2020, Kh- names have been getting more attention. Khairi is a powerful possibility with an on-trend sound, derived from the Arabic…
Persian
"victorious, smiting resistance"
A name from Persian mythology, Bahram is a strong option, associated with a Zoroastrian god of war. Subsequently, it has been used as the Persian name for the planet Mars, making this an astronomical…
Latin
"fortunate, of good fate"
A name borne by nine popes and several saints, which carries strong Catholic connotations. British politician Jacob Rees-Mogg named his sixth child Sixtus Dominic Boniface Christopher in 2017.
Tuvia is the Hebrew cognate of Tobias or Tobiah, found in the Bible and used in this form in Israel. The film "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" included a character named Tuvia, who was female,…
"the bearer of good news"
Nashira is one of those obscure space names that might rise along with such heavenly choices as Orion, Luna, and even Nevaeh. A giant star in Capricorn, Nashira is an unusual and attractive name with…
"good news"
Attractive Middle Eastern choice.
Greek
"gentle girl"
This name of an ancient fertility goddess is associated with the month of May and could make a pretty, unusual choice for a springtime baby. Damaris is a similar possibility.
