Baby names meaning happiness
- Felix
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"happy, fortunate"Description:
Felix is one of those ancient but nontraditional names for boys that have come into favor over the past few decades, a favorite of parents who want a masculine name with history and heft that breaks ranks with the standard Franks and Freds. Felix is also an international darling, ranking in the Top 100 in several European and English-speaking countries.
- Beatrice
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"she who brings happiness; blessed"Description:
Beatrice is back. Stored in the attic for almost a century, the lovely Beatrice with its long literary (Shakespeare, Dante) and royal history is being looked at with fresh eyes by parents seeking a classic name with character and lots of upbeat nicknames, like Bea and Bee.
- Asher
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"fortunate, blessed, happy one"Description:
Asher—an excellent, soft and sensitive Old Testament choice—is a baby boy name on the rise, and is a Nameberry biblical favorite.
- Felicity
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"good fortune, happy"Description:
Felicity is as accessible a virtue name as Hope and Faith, but much more feminine -- and dare we say, happier. The hit TV show did a lot to soften and modernize the once buttoned-up image of Felicity, and it got further notice as the red-haired Colonial doll, Felicity Merriman, in the American Girl series. A current bearer is actress Felicity Huffman.
- Tate
Origin:
English from NorseMeaning:
"cheerful"Description:
A strong single-syllable surname with a joyful meaning, Tate is finding a place on more and more birth certificates.
- Caius
Origin:
Variation of Gaius, LatinMeaning:
"rejoice"Description:
Caius is classical and serious but also has a simple, joyful quality. There was a third century pope named Caius, as well as an early Christian writer, several Shakespearean characters, and a Twilight vampire. We would pronounce the name to rhyme with eye-us though at Cambridge University in England, where it's the name of a college, it's pronounced keys.
- Zelda
Origin:
Diminutive of GriseldaMeaning:
"gray fighting maid"Description:
Classified as an early beauty, Zelda has long and often been used as such for characters in books and films. Since 1986, Zelda has been a prime Nintendo name, as in the Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.
- Allegra
Origin:
ItalianMeaning:
"joyous"Description:
In music, the term allegro means "quickly, lively tempo," which makes this quintessential Bohemian ballet dancer's name all the more appealing. Allegra is one of the most distinctive yet accessible girl names starting with A.
- Gwyneth
Origin:
WelshMeaning:
"blessed, happy"Description:
Because of Gwyneth Paltrow, this has almost become a one-person name, but not in the prohibitive there's-only-one-Oprah sense. Also seen as Gwenyth and Gweneth, this mellifluous appellation is definitely becoming more and more appreciated by American parents-- enough to land it on this year's Top 1000.
- Joyce
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"merry, joyous"Description:
Joyce was once a boy name, but took off for girls during the mid-twentieth century, when it spent 1930 to 1947 in the Top 20.
- Ilaria
Origin:
Italian variation of HilaryMeaning:
"cheerful, happy"Description:
Hilary may feel too connected to a single personality, but this version offers a fresh and interesting alternative.
- Farah
Origin:
ArabicMeaning:
"happiness"Description:
Farah is a soft and lovely Arabic name, best known here in this original spelling via the last Empress of Iran, Farah Palavi. It's currently a Top 250 name in both France and the Netherlands, which both have a large Arabic-speaking population, and appears in at least two video games.
- Letitia
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"joy, gladness"Description:
Letitia is a delicate, once prim and proper sounding name whose staid image has been unbuttoned by numerous phonetic spellings. The original, often used in Spanish-speaking families, would still make an attractive, delicate choice. After a solid century on the Top 1000 list, Letitia fell off in the early 1980s and has not yet returned.
- Cayo
Origin:
Latin, from the Roman family name CaiusMeaning:
"rejoice"Description:
Cayo is a rare and rhythmic Spanish name, all but unknown in the English-speaking world, that would make a lively choice.
- Leta
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"glad, joyful"Description:
Leta has hipster cred as the daughter of cool mommy blogger Dooce. Related to the Greek mythological Leda, a great beauty who mothered another great beauty, Helen of Troy, Leta is a name that's as unique as it is historic: Only 14 baby girls were named Leta in the US last year, and 18 were named Leda. Pronunciation is lee-tah.
- Hilary
Origin:
Latin from GreekMeaning:
"cheerful, happy"Description:
The only version that works for boys anymore is the Latinate Hilario or Ilario. Better to look to Felix for a happy-meaning name.
- Zorian
Description:
Zorian is a masculine name with Slavic and Greek roots. It derives from the Slavic element 'zor' or 'zori' meaning 'dawn' or 'sunrise,' symbolizing new beginnings and hope. Some connect it to the Greek name Zorus or to Zorios, an epithet of Apollo as a god of light. In Eastern European countries, particularly Russia, Ukraine, and Poland, Zorian has historical usage though it remains relatively uncommon. The name carries a celestial quality with its connection to light and daybreak, while its distinctive sound offers a contemporary feel despite its ancient origins. Zorian has gained modest international appeal in recent years as parents seek names that are both meaningful and uncommon, with a balanced combination of strength and melodic quality.
- Felice
Origin:
ItalianMeaning:
"lucky"Description:
Felix is rising in the chart for boys, and its feminine variations are sure to follow. The best knows these days, thanks to the TV character, is Felicity, but there's also Felicia and Felice. Like Lucia, Felice is a name with different pronunciations depending on where it's used. The Italians pronounce it fa-LEECH-ay, but the Americanized version is feh-LEESE.
- Alair
Origin:
Variation of HilaryMeaning:
"happy, cheerful"Description:
Alair is a lighter, more unusual form of Hilary.
- Aleeza
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"joy"Description:
Aleeza is one of the most energetic of the legion of Alyssa/Alicia/Eliza names. Another spelling of Aleeza: Aliza.