Alternatives to Nevaeh

Nova

Latin

"new"

Nova has the feel of both newness, from its meaning, and great energy as an astronomical term for a star that increases suddenly in brightness before fading. Nova had some reasonable degree of…

Genesis

Word name, Biblical

"the origin and formation of something; The First Book in The Bible"

With the sounds of Jennifer and Alexis, and the vibes of Eden and Serenity, Genesis is a Biblical inspired choice that has been popular in the US since the 2000s. Derived from Greek, Genesis means…

Eden

Hebrew

"place of pleasure, delight"

Eden is an attractive, serene name with obvious intimations of Paradise, one of several place names drawn from the Bible by the Puritans in the 17th century. Eden entered the Top 1000 in 1989, and…

Aaliyah

Variation of Aliya, Arabic

"heavens, highborn, exalted"

Both powerful and pretty, with a melodic sound, Aaliyah joins Layla, Lila, Zara, and Aisha as a name of Arabic origin that is also popular in the English-speaking world. Back in 1993, the name was…

Serenity

Latin

"peaceful"

Peaceful, calm, and untroubled: these are qualities parents may be hoping for, either on their parenting journey or in their child’s life. The name Serenity encapsulates these hopes, conjuring up a…

Natalia

Latin

"birthday [of the Lord]"

Natalia was derived from the Latin word natalis , meaning "birthday." It refers to the birthday of Jesus Christ, and thus originated as a name for girls born on Christmas Day. Related forms include…

Octavia

Latin

"eighth"

Octavia began as the Latin, then Victorian name for an eighth child. While there aren't many eighth children anymore, this ancient Roman name has real possibilities as a substitute for the overused…

Navy

English, word name

"fleet of ships; sea-based branch of the armed forces; dark blue"

When R & B singer Nivea made this highly original choice for her daughter's name back in 2005, she claimed to have thought of it in terms of the color and not the seagoing armed service. As a word…

Malia

Hawaiian variation of Mary

"bitter"

Malia rose up the charts back in 2009 when it was brought into the spotlight as the name of the Obama's eldest daughter. It leapt into the US Top 200, and while it hasn't reached that level of…

Journey

English word name

"passage from one place to another"

One of the new word names, appealing to parents attracted to the idea of a spiritual -- or even an actual -- voyage. The Journee spelling is also being used. Unisex alert: Jenna Jameson used Journey…

Trinity

Latin

"triad"

A name that feels both spiritual and trendy, Trinity surged up the charts in the early 2000s, following the release of The Matrix . In just two years, it made an impressive jump from the latter end…

Miracle

Word name, Latin

"wonder, marvel"

A surprisingly popular spiritual name that entered the US Top 500 in 2003. As of 2023, it is still a Top 500 choice, where it fits in with similar bold word names like Chosen, Blessing, and Dream.…

Heaven

Word name

Among the children named Heaven are the daughters of TV personality Brooke Burke and rap singer Lil' Mo, who also has a daughter named God'iss Love. Some parents have taken to using Nevaeh…

Ivanna

Feminine of Ivan, which is itself a variation of John

Ivanna / Ivana both come out of the name "John" by way of the Russian variant Ivan. Whereas Joanna feels dated, Ivanna feels cosmopolitan and fresh. Ivanka (of Trump fame) is a diminutive version of…

Destiny

Word name, English from Latin

"destiny, fate"

If Destiny is your daughter's destiny, she probably won't be the only one in her school: until 2009, Destiny was in the Top 50, with three of its alternate spellings in hot pursuit. It has since…

Lyric

Greek

"of the lyre; songlike; a personal, emotive poem"

Associated with poetry, pop music, and the Greek lyre, Lyric has a light and zippy sound to it and joins the likes of Melody, Harmony, Cadence, and Aria as musical names that have become baby names.…

Promise

English word name

"a declaration that one will do or refrain from doing something specified"

Promise is one of those word names with an uplifting meaning that is making inroads as a girls' name , like sisters Dream and Serenity. How promising is Promise as a first name? Our try at cleverness…

Novalee

Compound name, Nova + Lee, Latin and English

"new meadow"

Can be shortened to Nova, which has seen a meteoric rise into the Top 50 in recent years. Novalee appeared on the US Top 1000 for the first time in 2016 and continues to drift gently upward.

Heavenly

Word name

Heavenly, the word that's become a name, has been flirting with the bottom of the Top 1000 for a handful of years now. Heaven and cousins like Nevaeh have been well-used so adding the popular -ly…

Verity

Latin

"truth"

If you love Puritan virtue names and want to move beyond Hope and Faith and Grace, this is a wonderful choice, both for its meaning and its sound. A rare find here, though occasionally heard in…