Baby Name Meanings
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 6 pages
of 6
Diminutive of Patricia
"noble, patrician"
Back in Patricia's midcentury heyday, Patty/Patti was the plebeian nickname while Tricia/Trisha and Tish/Trish carried a snobby-yet-insubstantial image associated with then First Daughter Tricia…
English, Turkish
"noblewoman; country, world commander; ruler of the people"
A name with various origins, Elmira combines the sounds of multicultural Mira with the popular El- beginning. Despite this, the name is rarely heard in the US, though it does rank in the Top 100…
English, feminine variation of Albert
"noble, bright"
This jazzy old name could make a comeback, the way Josephine and Ella have. In England the name was popularized by Queen Victoria's daughter Princess Louise Caroline Alberta, after whom her governor…
Latinization of Elke, Scandinavian diminutive of Adelheid
"noble one"
Much more manageable than the full form of the name. Possible international alternative to Ella.
Latin form of Alfonso
"noble and ready"
This Latinized form of a name that's well used in Italy and Spain is sometimes heard, oddly enough, in Ireland.
Dutch, German, and Frisian diminutive of Adelheid
"noble"
Though she has long stood on her own, Elke has many longer cross-cultural connections, to the Dutch/German/Scandinavian Adelheid and Alice and the English Adelaide, as a feminine version of Elkanah…
Variation of Adara, Hebrew
"noble, exalted"
A pretty and unusual name with a multi-cultural feel — Hebrew, Greek, and a dash of Russian.
Scottish and Irish
This Anglicized spelling makes the pronunciation of Ailís or Aileas — the Irish and Scottish forms of Alice, respectively — slightly more obvious to English-speakers. Ailis or Aileas are more…
French surname
"noble strength"
Loose, lean, and lanky cowboy-sounding names have become a recent trend, but how about the name of a real one--the Singing Cowboy Gene. Autry might be thought of as a masculine spin on the…
Flower name, from German
"noble white"
Edelweiss, made famous by the Rogers and Hammerstein song in "The Sound of Music", is a rare female name. In German 'edel' means 'noble' and 'weiss' means 'white'. Edelweiss is the colloquial name…
English
"elf friend"
Sounds elven in every sense of the word.
French variation of PATRICIA
Patrice is a more modern-sounding and polished unisex alternative to Patricia.
Spanish
"little noblewoman"
Has a petite, dainty charm.
Russian
"noble, generous"
Gennady is derived from an early saint's name (Gennadius) and shares the same Greek root word as the English word generous. It is a familiar if still uncommon boys' name in Russia. If you're looking…
Finnish
"noble, gracious"
A cool Finnish name with a lovely sound and meaning.
Anglo-Saxon
"noble, wealth"
Eadlin and its variants Eadlyn and Edelyn are uncommon in real life, but feel bang on-trend and shorten to the adorable vintage nickname Edie/Eadie. The name may derive from the Anglo-Saxon elements…
"nobleman"
Hidalgo is the name of a minor planet, and, on Earth, the Spanish word for a nobleman, but we don't see much crossover potential.
Swedish variation of Earl
Just as in English, the name Jarl is a noble title. Jarl was also the name of a figure in Norse mythology who, along with his wife Erna, raised a brood of eleven sons, who all became warriors.
Welsh diminutive
"mighty prince"
A Welsh saint who is the namesake of the village of St Breock in Cornwall, and is also venerated in Brittany. The name is a diminutive of Briafael ("mighty prince"). Variants include: Breock, Bryok,…
Irish
"handsome and noble"
Keefe is an energetic Irish surname occasionally used as a first. Only caveat: Will people think your little Keefe is a Keith with enunciation problems?
