Baby Name Meanings
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 5 pages
of 5
Turkish variation of Ahmad
"greatly praised"
Ahmet is known outside its native land largely thanks to Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun. The original crazy celebrity baby namer Frank Zappa named one of his sons Ahmet, after the influential…
Arabic or Hebrew
"excellence, praised"
A cross-cultural name which derives either from the Arabic jada "excellence" or from the Hebrew name Yehudah/Judah, meaning "praised".
Hebrew
"I will thank God"
Derived from a Hebrew phrase: ode "I will thank, praise" combined with yah "Yahweh". A famous bearer is Israeli-American actress Odeya Rush.
Greek
"the praised one"
In Greek and Roman mythology, Aeneas was the legendary son of Venus (or Aphrodite) who was the hero of Troy and Rome. Appearing in the Aeneid by the poet Virgil, he goes on to found the Roman state…
Italian variation of Aeneas, Greek
Enea is derived from Aeneas, the name of a Roman mythological hero with strong ties to the city of Rome. It's no surprise then, that Italians have embraced Enea, a more modern variation of his name.
Arabic, Urdu or Sanskrit
"respectable, awe-inspiring; or a name for the goddess Saraswati"
Variant of Ayra
Arabic
"thankful, woman of grace"
The mononymous Colombian-born singer inspired a popularity blip in the 90s and early 00s.
Japanese
"respect; soaring peace"
Notably borne by baseball star Shohei Ohtani, Shohei can also be transcribed as Shōhei or Shouhei. As with many Japanese names, the meaning varies depending on what kanji combinations are used, but…
"praise Jehovah"
Yoav is a variation of Joab, a name featured prominently in the Old Testament.
American, possible variant of Arabic Ahmed
"commendable, praiseworthy"
Football fans just might want to honor star footballer Ahman Green, whose name can be seen as a variation of AHMED or AHMAD.
"good, respectful"
A classic Japanese name known to kids around the world as a Nintendo video-game character.
Hawaiian
"praised"
Kaena is a pleasant sounding unisex Hawaiian place name, the westernmost point of the island of Oahu. In the computer-generated fantasy movie Kaena: The Prophecy , the character of Kaena is voiced by…
Israeli place name or Hebrew
"fruit or glory"
Also a city near Tel Aviv, Hadar is a name found primarily in Israel. There is also a citrus fruit associated with the holiday of Sukkat the Torah calls the "hadar fruit".
"praise"
A popular Jewish girl name in Israel, derived from the name Hallel.
Yoruba, African
"honor and respect me"
Nigerian name with an honorable meaning.
Literary name, French
"to love, respect"
The name of a beautiful princess of Wales in Arthurian legend, Esmeree appears the French romance poem Le Bel Inconnu (The Fair Unknown) written by Renaut de Bâgé in the 12th-century. In the poem,…
Germanic
"beloved respect"
A Gothic name belonging to the wife of Theodemir, a 5th century king of the Ostrogoths, and the mother of Theodoric the Great. The name also belongs to a genus of moths.
Slovene variation of Aeneas, Greek
Enej is a spelling variation of Anej, the Slovene form of Aeneas. Both Anej and Enej follow similar trend lines on the Slovenian popularity charts, with Enej consistently ranking lower.
Italian
"praise the Lord; deliver us"
An Italian form of expressive Hosanna, this spiritual name might appeal to those who enjoy nicknames Ozzy or Anna. Borne by a number of saints, including a 15th century Italian mystic, Osanna also…
"one of many praises"
Polyhymnia was one of the nine Muses of Greek mythology, associated with hymns, poetry, and dance. It's a whole lotta name for one girl, but now that Persephone and Calliope are on the table,…
