Names That Mean High

  1. Arion
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "moon creature on high"
    • Description:

      The name of a divine immortal talking horse in Greek mythology – son of the gods Poseidon and Demeter. The name Arion was also borne by a Greek singer and poet, inventor of the dithyramb.
  2. Britt
    • Origin:

      Swedish, contracted form of Birgit
    • Meaning:

      "high goddess"
    • Description:

      Brisk but rather brittle. Britt Eklund was a Bond Girl in the 1974 The Man with the Golden Gun. Britt is a contracted form of Birgit, but be aware that it does come with the strong possibility of being confused with Bret/Brett—or as a shortening of Brittany.
  3. Alto
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "high"
    • Description:

      With its musical allusions, a harmonious possibility.
  4. Hyperion
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "the high one"
    • Description:

      In Greek mythology, Hyperion is one of the twelve Titans: children of Gaia (Earth) and Uranus (Sky). Hyperion presides over heavenly light, and is the father of Helios (Sun), Selene (Moon), and Eos (Dawn).
  5. Ely
    • Origin:

      Russian variation of Eli
    • Meaning:

      "ascended, uplifted, high"
    • Description:

      Russian form of Eli mainly used today by families with Russian Jewish heritage.
  6. Alpenglow
    • Origin:

      German, “the rosy light of the setting or rising sun on high mountains”
  7. Aaro
    • Origin:

      Finnish variation of Aaron, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "high mountain; exalted, enlightened"
    • Description:

      Classic Finnish name also found in neighboring Estonia.
  8. Ardal
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "high valor"
    • Description:

      An anglicized spelling of Irish Ardghal, this name is most famously borne by Ardal O'Hanlon, an actor, author and stand-up comedian best known for his role as Dougal Maguire in the comedy series Father Ted.
  9. Aarin
    • Origin:

      Variation of Aaron, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "high mountain; exalted, enlightened"
    • Description:

      A rarely-used spin on a classic.
  10. Takai
    • Origin:

      Japanese surname
    • Meaning:

      "high well"
    • Description:

      Takai is primarily seen as a surname in Japan but has great potential as a first name abroad. The authentic pronunciation is three syllables, but American parents may be saying it as tah-KYE.
  11. Galt
    • Origin:

      Norse
    • Meaning:

      "high ground"
    • Description:

      A literary surname that's short, to the point, and very rare. It combines several origins: Scandinavian meaning "high ground", Scottish meaning "stranger", and English meaning "wild boar" (hello, secret animal name!).
  12. Ostara
    • Origin:

      Old High German
    • Meaning:

      "dawn"
    • Description:

      In Germanic mythology, Ostara is the goddess of springtime, fertility, and dawn. Her existence as a mythological figure was pieced together by scholar Jacob Grimm, who used evidence such as the German word for April (ostermonat) and parallels to the Anglo-Saxon Eostre. Ostara is also the modern German name for the Easter holiday.
  13. Zaltana
    • Origin:

      Native American
    • Meaning:

      "high mountain"
    • Description:

      Has an evocative feel, unusual to the Western ear without being identified with any particular culture.
  14. Erskine
    • Origin:

      Scottish
    • Meaning:

      "from the high cliffs"
    • Description:

      Rarely used un-Gaelic-sounding Scottish name with literary associations to Erskine Caldwell, author of Tobacco Road and God's Little Acre.
  15. Madelaine
    • Origin:

      French variation of Madeleine
    • Meaning:

      "high tower"
    • Description:

      This spelling gives the name favorite an Elaine spin.
  16. Arionas
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "moon creature on high"
    • Description:

      Modern Greek form of Arion
  17. Alpenglow
    • Origin:

      German, “the rosy light of the setting or rising sun on high mountains”
  18. Sümeyye
    • Origin:

      Turkish variation of Sumayyah, Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "high up"
    • Description:

      The Turkish form of Sumayyah, the name of the first Islamic female martyr.
  19. Haroun
    • Origin:

      Arabic variation of Aaron
    • Meaning:

      "exalted, high"
    • Description:

      This common Arabic name is related to Aaron, but feels far more distinctive in the US. Haroun Khalifa is the protagonist of Salman Rushdie's Haroun and the Sea of Stories.
  20. Amahia
    • Origin:

      Variation of Amaia, Spanish or Basque
    • Meaning:

      "high place or end"
    • Description:

      This Amaia variant is more common in Puerto Rico than in the rest of the US combined.