Desert Mystic

Nefeli

Greek

Modern Greek variant of Nephele.

Neferet

Variation of Nofret, Egyptian

"beautiful"

An ancient Egyptian name with noble ties — Nofret, or Neferet, was a princess of Egypt during the third century B.C.

Nefertari

Ancient Egyptian

"beautiful companion"

Nefertari Meritmut was the first and favorite wife of pharoah Ramesses II "the Great". She was highly educated and undertook important diplomatic work on behalf of her husband, corresponding with…

Nefertiti

Egyptian

"the beautiful one has arrived"

This ancient Egyptian queen's name would be best saved for a cat.

Nephele

Greek

"cloudy"

An enchanting ancient Greek name belonging to the Greek goddess who was created from a cloud by Zeus and so became goddess of the clouds and mother of the centaurs. The name Nephele is not widely…

Nineveh

Biblical place name from Akkadian or Babylonian

"house of fish"

An ancient city in Assyria, where Jonah was sent to spread the word of God.

Niobe

Greek mythology name

The mythological queen whose perpetual weeping for her slain children turned her into a stone has always cast a pall over this name. Still, when other names with less-than-savory associations --…

Nubia

Nubia is a feminine name derived from the ancient northeast African region of the same name, which was home to one of civilization's earliest advanced societies along the Nile River. The name carries…

Ofira

Hebrew

"gold"

Identified with a region famous for its gold, more commonly spelled Ophira.

Olympias

Feminization of Olympos, Greek

"from Mount Olympus"

Famously the mother of Alexander the Great. These days, her name is more commonly seen in the form of Olympia.

Petra

Greek

"rock, stone"

A strong Greek name with pan-European charm, Petra is a relatively recent feminization of Peter, though it relates back to an incredible ancient city in Jordan that was rediscovered in the early…

Saffron

Spice name

"orange-yellow color; a type of crocus"

Spice names are increasingly appealing to the senses of prospective parents; this one, belonging to a precious spice derived from the crocus has a vaguely orange-scented-incense sixties feel. English…

Safia

Safia is a feminine name with Arabic origins, meaning 'pure' or 'clear.' It's a variant of the name Safiya (or Safiyyah), which has significant historical importance in Islamic tradition as it was…

Safira

Portuguese variation of Sapphira, Greek

"sapphire"

The Portuguese word for sapphire was formerly a Top 100 name in Portugal.