Baby Name Meanings
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 4 pages
of 4
Asturian and Spanish form of Eulalia, Ancient Greek
"sweetly speaking"
Olaya is a playful and spirited form of Eulalia with a strong O sound. The name is familiar in Spain, particularly in the Asturias region, while the variant Olalla is used in Galicia.
Arabic, Persian, Turkish and Kazakh
"honey"
Top 10 in Turkey and Top 500 in the Netherlands (which has a high Turkish population), this sleek and pretty name is virtually unknown elsewhere.
Greek
"she possesses sweetness and grace"
Ear-catching alternative to Lydia.
Latin, diminutive of Dulcibella
"sweet"
A sweet-meaning and sounding name dating back to the Roman Empire, and later found in the antebellum South, Dulcie has in the modern era been heard most often in Australia. In Agatha Christie's…
Sanskrit
"to extract"
Appearing in an early Hindi scripture, The Vedas, Soma is the name of both a ritual drink or elixir, and of a deity, often connected to the moon god Chandra. The drink is sometimes interpreted as…
Hebrew
"sweetness, grace, beauty"
Interesting Old Testament name that embraces many traditional female attributes; also name of a place in the Jordan Valley. In the Bible, a daughter of King Ammon and wife of Solomon.
Somali
"sweet; halva"
Xalwo is the name of a Somali dessert made out of sugar, ghee, cornstarch, and spices. It is cognates with "halva," which is derived from an Arabic root meaning "sweet." Unlike halva, Xalwo is…
Yiddish
Zusa is a sweet (literally!) and sparky Yiddish name which has real potential in today's naming climate, given the popularity of high-value Scrabble letters like Z.
Dutch
Zippy and light, Zoete derives from the old Dutch word soete , meaning "sweet". Zoetken is a traditional diminutive of the Medieval name.
Galician or Spanish form of Eulalia, Ancient Greek
A playful and spirited form of Eulalia, familiar in Spain.
Basque
"sweet honey"
A sweet and pretty Basque name with a touch of elegance too, Estiñe derives from the word ezti meaning "sweet honey" in Basque. Esti is another form, which coincides with a Hebrew short of of Esther.
Tupi
"honey lips"
Popular in Brazil in the early half of the 20th century, Iracema derives from the Indigenous Tupi–Guarani language, and likely gained attention due to its use in the classic 1865 novel by José de…
Xhosa, Zulu, Southern African
"sweet, pleasant, nice"
A pleasant sounding name with an equally nice meaning, Mandisa is a Xhosa and Zulu name meaning "sweet." A choice that could work easily across languages, the name was notably borne by gospel and…
Anglicized form of Sadhbh, Irish
"sweet, goodness"
An Anglicized form of the sharp and pretty Irish name, Sadhbh or Sadb. The name of several real and legendary Irish princesses, its traditional spelling is popular in Ireland but may feel difficult…
Japanese
"light; honey, nectar, sweetness; beautiful haven, beautiful harbor; three"
A bright Japanese name with multiple appealing meanings, Mitsu can be associated with bright lights, a beautiful place, and with sweet honey, depending on which kanji characters are used. Also…
Greenlandic
"how sweet you are"
A Greenlandic name with a totally sweet meaning, but a spirited sound, reminiscent of Atilla, that stops it feeling overly cutesy.
"sweet, cute"
A saccharine name from Greenland, Natuk has its roots in baby talk: specifically, how babies babble the word inequnartoq , meaning "sweet" or "cute".
Yoruba, Nigerian
"sweetness"
A charming Yoruba name that could easily cross cultures. In Yoruba, the word adùn also means "flavor" and aadun is a popular street food.
Armenian
A dramatic and adorable name with a lot of sweep and swoosh. Also spelled Anush.
English
"cookie"
Cookie is most often used as a dog name, and it should stay that way.
