names with colorful meanings

  1. Jasmine
    • Origin:

      Flower name, from Persian
    • Meaning:

      "gift from God"
    • Description:

      Jasmine was derived from the Persian word yasmin, referring to the jasmine flower. Scented oil was made from the plant, and it was used as a perfume throughout the Persian Empire. Variants include Jazmin, Yasmin, Yasmine, and Jessamine.
  2. Jasper
    • Origin:

      Persian
    • Meaning:

      "bringer of treasure"
    • Description:

      Jasper originated as a variation of the Latin Gaspar, which ultimately derived from the Persian word ganzabara, meaning "bringer of treasure." As a given name, Jasper’s etymology is unrelated to that of the gemstone, which comes from a Semitic word meaning "speckled stone." Jasper is the usual English form for one of the Three Wise Men who brought gifts to the infant Christ according to medieval tradition and appears in the Bible as a reference to the stone itself in Revelations 4:3.
  3. Jet
    • Origin:

      Mineral and word name
    • Description:

      This super-charged variation of Jett is on the rise -- along with the unlikely newcomer Jetson.
  4. Jora
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "autumn rain"
    • Description:

      Unique possibility for a girl born between September and November.
  5. Jumana
    • Origin:

      Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "silver pearl"
    • Description:

      Rare and rhythmic.
  6. Juniper
    • Origin:

      Latin tree name
    • Meaning:

      "young"
    • Description:

      Juniper is a fresh-feeling nature name -- it's a small evergreen shrub -- with lots of energy. A new favorite of fashionable parents, Juniper joins such other tree and shrub names as Hazel, Acacia, and Willow.
  7. Kai
    • Origin:

      Hawaiian, Frisian, Chinese
    • Meaning:

      "sea; warrior; triumph"
    • Description:

      Kai is an internationally flexible name with many possible origins and meanings, growing in popularity in the US and a diverse range of European countries.
  8. Kali
    • Origin:

      Sanskrit, English
    • Meaning:

      "black one; free man"
    • Description:

      Kali is a number of different things: a playful, contemporary twist on the name Callie; the Hindu goddess of destruction; an alternative spelling for Kaylee; a short form of the Arablic Kalila, the Greek Kalista, or the African American Kaliyah; a masculine name in India; and a trendy form of Kali(fornia).
  9. Kane
    • Origin:

      Celtic
    • Meaning:

      "warrior"
    • Description:

      A name of multiple identities: a somewhat soap-operatic single-syllable surname, a homonym for the biblical bad boy Cain, and, when found in Japan and Hawaii, it transforms into the two syllable KA-neh. Kane also has multiple meanings: in Welsh, it's "beautiful"; in Japanese, "golden"; and in Hawaiian, "man of the Eastern sky."
  10. Kiera
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "little dark one"
    • Description:

      Kiera entered the American popularity list in 1988, though it lags behind the alternate spelling Keira, largely due to the fame of actress Keira Knightley.
  11. Laguna
    • Origin:

      Italian place-name
    • Meaning:

      "pond, lake"
    • Description:

      Laguna Beach is a famous California spot -- though there's "goonie" teasing potential.
  12. Lavender
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "purple flower"
    • Description:

      Lavender lags far behind sweet-smelling purple-hued sister names Violet and Lila, but is starting to get some enthusiastic attention from cutting-edge namers along with other adventurous nature names like Clementine and Marigold.
  13. Lemon
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Description:

      Given to around 25 girls in the US each year, this is a name that could go either way - summery and refreshing or just plain sour. You decide.
  14. Lilac
    • Origin:

      English, from Persian
    • Meaning:

      "bluish or lilac"
    • Description:

      Could Lilac be the next Lila or Lily or Violet? It certainly has a lot going for it--those lilting double 'l's, the fabulous fragrance it exudes, and the fact that it's a color name as well, providing a ready made nursery theme. In addition, the lilac is symbolic of first love.
  15. Lilith
    • Origin:

      Assyrian, Sumerian
    • Meaning:

      "ghost, night monster"
    • Description:

      Lilith is derived from the Akkadian word lilitu meaning "of the night." In Jewish folklore she is portrayed as Adam's rejected first wife, who was turned into a night demon for refusing to obey him. Lilith is unrelated to most other Lil- names, with the exception of Lilita, which is the Latvian variation.
  16. Lillie
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Lily/ Lilian
    • Description:

      A variation of Lileas and Lilian.
  17. Lion
    • Lucerne
      • Origin:

        Swiss place-name or Latin
      • Meaning:

        "lamp"
      • Description:

        Projects the calm and pristine image of the picturesque Swiss lake and mountain town.
    • Luna
      • Origin:

        Latin
      • Meaning:

        "moon"
      • Description:

        The name of the Roman goddess of the moon, Luna is derived straight from the Latin word for moon, luna. Luna may be the name most likely to surprise someone from an older generation by its Top 10 status in the US and its widespread international popularity.
    • Lux
      • Origin:

        Latin
      • Meaning:

        "light"
      • Description:

        This name of a character played by Kirsten Dunst in the movie Virgin Suicides, originally a novel by Jeffrey Eugenides, is gaining attention, also thanks to the heroine Lux, Lady of Luminosity in the League of Legends games. Luz is the Spanish version.