Baby Name Meanings
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 7 pages
of 7
River name and color name
"dark blue, indigo"
Cool, serene name of the Egyptian river can make a fresh choice for a girl. The origin of river name Nile relates to the Arabic and ancient Hebrew word for dark blue or indigo; in ancient Egyptian,…
English word, Old English
"an inlet of the sea where the land curves inward; berry"
One of the most usable of the pleasant, newly adopted nature/water names (like Lake and Ocean), especially in middle position. It's gentle, slightly whimsical, but grounded by its similarity to May…
French
"heavenly"
You may be familiar with Celeste, but have you considered this beautiful choice for a boy, currently highly fashionable in France, derived from Latin Caelestis ("of the sky; heavenly").
Hawaiian
"sky"
A close relative of the very popular Leilani, with just a hint of Lulu.
Latin
"from the sea"
Marine was trending for a long time in France, but the far right politician Marine (born Marion) LePen has dampened the mood.
Arabic, Urdu
"fountain, spring, freshwater"
A popular name in Pakistan and a familiar choice in the UK, Minahil derives from the Arabic and Urdu words for "spring" or "fountain", associating it with water and life sources. Also spelled as…
Turkish
Sema may have hit its peak in its native Turkey in the 1980s, but this simple distinctive name is new in the English-speaking world. Arabic variation Sama ranks in the British Top 1000.
English combination of Celia + Linda, Latin and Spanish
"heavenly + beautiful"
Feels like a hybrid of Celia and Belinda, but Celinda is also a Spanish botanical name for the sweet mock orange.
French color name
Mazarine is a deep blue color also used as a first name in honor of Cardinal Mazarin, a leader of France in the 17th century. As a first name, Mazarine is as charming as it is unusual.
Word name, English from German
"cobalt, blue color"
Even among the range of blue names on the current baby naming palette -- Blue itself, Azure, Cerulean, Teal, Aqua, Cyan, Indigo -- Cobalt remains the most unusual.
Nordic, Arabic
"sapphire; diplomat"
An intriguing name with two distinct etymologies. It can be a masculine version of Sapphire or Sapphira, relating to the gemstone, or it can be an alternative form of the Arabic name Safir, meaning…
English word name
With River and Ocean becoming mainstream, why not consider Sea?
English color name
A romantic elaboration of Blue that would work for a person of any gender.
English color name from Latin
"deep sky-blue"
This vivid sky blue color name is at present used mostly for boys, but it is used in such small numbers that it could easily work on any gender. Whimsical and magical, but reminiscent of more…
Finnish or Sanskrit
"blue; white, fair"
A color name in two languages. As a Finnish word name, Sini is a fancy way to say "blue". In India, it means "white" or "fair".
Estonian
"blue-feathered"
Sirje is a uniquely Estonian name of unconfirmed origins, although the story goes that it was created and offered up by Julius Mägiste, a linguist, in 1929. He derived it from the word sinisirje ,…
Hebrew, English, Spanish
"helper; sky blue; goshawk"
Spiky and edgy, Azor is a Biblical name that appears in the New Testament as an ancestor of Jesus. It possibly comes from the same Hebrew element as the popular Azariah, giving it the meaning…
"slow, sad, songs of lamentation; a music genre of black American folk origin"
While Ivy Blue has made the color a more popular choice for girls, Blues — as in the musical style — could feel more masculine. While some may find it a sad and gloomy choice, thanks to the phrase…
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"…
