Name Meanings

Name meanings might be bold or hidden, easy to understand or difficult to pinpoint. We've gathered lists of girl names, boy names, and unisex names organized by their meanings.

The most popular name meanings include names that mean hope, names meaning love, and names that mean strength or power. Traditional name meanings often relate to physical characteristics, like hair color, or dwelling places.

Modern name meanings are often obvious, since many of today's unique baby names are created from words or nature or spiritual qualities. Baby names such as True and Ivy and Bear mean as names exactly what they mean as words.

The meanings of names, whether obvious or hidden, have become more rather than less popular in recent years. Many parents search for name meanings that symbolize a quality that's important to them -- names that mean new beginnings, for instance, or names that mean life -- and work backwards to find a name that fits.

Not all name meanings are positive, of course. Some otherwise-appealing names have negative meanings like lame or rival (sorry, Emily). This may matter to you or it may not, but you definitely should be aware of a name's meaning before you settle on it.

Search these lists of name meanings to find the type of baby name and style of meaning that works best for you.