Baby Name Meanings
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 8 pages
of 8
Greek mythology name
Io may be one of the slightest names in the book, but there aren't many two-letter names with as much substance as this Greek mythological example. Io, a name used for the largest moon of Jupiter,…
Turkish and Azerbaijani
"moon over the River Nile"
Nilay is a celestial feeling name that paints a picture in the mind. Connected to the moon, water, and a place, it combines the Turkish and Azerbaijani name from the River Nile, Nil , with the…
Turkic, Kazakh, Kyrgyz
"golden moon"
An gold and glowing choice, Altynai appeared in the Top 50 in its native Kazakhstan throughout the 90s and early 2000s. Elsewhere, it remains a rare yet accessible choice which may appeal to those…
Indian, Sanskrit, Nepali
"moon, having a hare"
Shashi is an Indian name for the moon, giving it a shimmering quality, but its literal meaning translates to "having a hare." In India, a hare is a common image to see in the moon.
Hindi
"night"
Shirina is most commonly seen as a name among Hindi-speakers in India and Pakistan, but it could also be considered a variation of the Persian name Shirin, meaning "sweet."
"lord of the full moon"
A dashing name used mainly in India with one of the best meanings around.
Japanese
"beautiful or dark moon"
This handsome Japanese name has dozens of possible meanings, depending on the kanji characters used.
Turkish
"silver moon, glitter moon"
A sparkling choice for a nighttime-born daughter.
Greek
"the sea"
A pretty, rarely used Greek name, Thalassa is the ancient personification of the sea, particularly the Mediterranean, who is sometimes considered the mother of Aphrodite. In 1991, a newly discovered…
Greek mythological name
Thebe is the name of more than one daughter of Zeus, according to some myths, and is also the name of a moon of Jupiter. Thebe rhymes with Phoebe and may appeal to lovers of that name.
"tulle moon"
Tülay is a common name among Gen X and Millennial Turkish women — it was in the Turkish Top 100 through 1990. As a word, tülay can mean "delicate as a tulle" (the fabric) and "bright like the moon",…
Yoruba
"mother of fish"
The name of a major Yoruban deity who presides over the waters, the moon, and women, especially in terms of fertility and childbirth. She is an orisha and the mother of all other orishas . Her name…
Ancient Greek
"inescapable"
In Greek mythology, Adrastea (or Adrasteia) was a nymph who helped raise the infant Zeus. It was also sometimes used as an alternate name for several other goddesses, and is the name of one of the…
Latin
"moon"
With Luna's Top 10 popularity, can Luneth and other variations be far behind? Luneth is a feminine name with an ethereal quality, likely inspired by lunar elements. It appears to be a modern…
One of the moons of Jupiter, named for a nymph that Zeus seduced. Aitne was the daughter of Oceanus. It is from her name, sometimes also spelled Aetna, that the Sicilian volcano Mt Etna derives its…
"over the moon"
Altalune is an invention used by Uma Thurman and Arpad Busson as one of several middle names for their daughter. It's evocative Latin meaning roughly translates to "over the moon." Celebrity baby…
Arabic, Hindi
"full moon"
Strong name, with a regal, romantic natural imagery image.
Romanian
"black"
In Shakespeare's The Tempest , Caliban is the name of the deformed son of a witch: not the greatest literary reference for a child. But Caliban does have an appealing international-yet-accessible…
Greek mythology
"most beautiful"
Best known as one of the moons of Jupiter, Callisto was a nymph coveted by Zeus who was turned into a bear by Hera, becoming the Great Bear (Ursa Major) constellation.
Literary name
"heavenly strength"
Célimène is a literary name invented by the 17th century French playwright Molière for a character in his 1666 play Le Misanthrope . It may be derived from Latin and Greek elements meaning "heavenly"…
