Names That Mean Name

  1. Slim
    • Origin:

      English word name or diminutive of Slimane, Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "man of peace"
    • Description:

      Slim may be too on-the-nose for the child of two beautiful models, but it's the name Nara Pellman and Lucky Blue Smith chose for their son, Slim Easy. Smith, who has daughters named Gravity Blue and Rumble Honey, is known for choosing outrageous word names. But Slim — when pronounced as "SLEEM" — can also be a short form of the Arabic name Slimane. This origin is shared with Pellman's middle name, Aziza.
  2. Zircon
    • Origin:

      Gem name from Greek
    • Meaning:

      "gold-hued"
    • Description:

      Although Zircon means "gold-hued," the gem comes in a variety of colors.
  3. Boo
    • Origin:

      Word name or nickname
    • Description:

      Boo as a first name first achieved notoriety as the name of the child-man in Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird. Arthur "Boo" Radley was meant to be frightening, but only in a simple, non-threatening way. More recently, Boo has been used as the middle name of one of chef Jamie Oliver's children and the nickname in the middle of television's Honey Boo Boo. Boo is also the name of the world's cutest dog and of the adorable little girl in Monsters Inc. In a more basic way, Boo is a term of endearment.
  4. Wolf
    • Origin:

      Animal name or diminutive of Wolfgang
    • Meaning:

      "traveling Wolf"
    • Description:

      Notable Wolfs like Blitzer, Mankowitz, and Kahn give this name a masculine bent, but nature names are inherently unisex, so we see no reason why Wolf can't be used on a baby girl.

      Historically Wolf has been more common among German (where it's pronounced Vulf) and Jewish families, occasionally as a nickname for Wolfgang.

      The nickname Wolfie softens and feminizes Wolf, while Wolfe turns it into a surname.

  5. Ax
    • Origin:

      Word name or short form of Axel
    • Description:

      Ax makes a somewhat threatening short form of the popular Axel, given to more than 3000 baby boys last year. It can also be used on its own, though it usually isn't. There were, however, seven baby boys named Axe in the US in 2015.
  6. Hendrix
    • Origin:

      Dutch and German, from first name Hendrik
    • Meaning:

      "estate ruler"
    • Description:

      Hendrix is an improbably trendy first name rising in honor of guitar great Jimi.
  7. Sethe
    • Origin:

      Egyptian mythological name or variation of Seth, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "appointed, placed"
    • Description:

      Author Toni Morrison is an acknowledged master of naming, and Sethe, the name of one of the main characters of Beloved, which can be pronounced as Seth or Seth-eh, relates to the male biblical name Seth but is also the name of the Egyptian god of confusion.
  8. Caris
    • Origin:

      Welsh, Greek
    • Meaning:

      "love; grace, kindness"
    • Description:

      Beautiful meanings no matter which origin you want to go with. But either way, it rhymes with Paris.
  9. September
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "month name"
    • Description:

      Parents are beginning to turn away from springtime months like April and June and are moving toward the cooler and crisper three-syllable September, October, November, and December.
  10. Luiseach
    • Origin:

      Irish, from the deity name Lugh
    • Description:

      Authentically spelled Luíseach (with Luighsech as a variant), this obscure saint's name is thought to derive from the mythological figure Lugh, perhaps a reflex of an older god. Luíseach is sometimes considered the Irish version of Lucy. In fact, they are historically separate names, but if Lugh derives from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "shining" then they are very distant cousins.
  11. Chrysalis
    • Origin:

      Nature name, English word name
    • Meaning:

      "a quiescent insect pupa, of a butterfly or moth"
    • Description:

      Chrysalis is a girls' baby name derived from the state of a butterfly or moth between larva and adult. A chrysalis is a hard-shelled pupa in which the transition of the butterfly or moth takes place. As a baby name, Chrysalis came to the fore as the rumored name of the baby girl of Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott, who reportedly love butterflies. Chrysalis does certainly have potential as a new word name or nature name for babies, with the simple familiar nickname Chrys.
  12. Antinea
    • Origin:

      French after the Greek name for the Queen of Atlantis
    • Description:

      In Pierre Benoit's novel, Antinea is a beautiful and charming queen with a hideous secret: She has a cave wall with 120 niches carved into it, one for each of her lovers. Only 53 have been filled; when all 120 have been filled, Antinea will sit atop a throne in the centre of the cave and rest forever.
  13. Fife
    • Origin:

      Scottish
    • Meaning:

      "place name"
    • Description:

      Great middle name choice for music lovers or those with Scottish roots, also spelled Fyfe.
  14. Shem
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "name"
    • Description:

      This down-to-earth Bible name is surprisingly little-used, considering the popularity of other Old Testament names. Shem was Noah's eldest son, and is the origin of the term Semitic (as in the language family).
  15. Historia
    • Origin:

      Spanish word name or Greek
    • Meaning:

      "history"
    • Description:

      Historia originated as a Greek term and is the basis for the word "history" in many languages, including English and Spanish. It is used as a name for the character Historia Reiss in the anime series Attack on Titan.
  16. Belphoebe
    • Origin:

      Invented literary name
    • Meaning:

      "beautiful shining one"
    • Description:

      The name of the character in Edmund Spenser's "The Faerie Queene" whom the poet intended as a representation of Queen Elizabeth I. While it will no doubt thrill your daughter's English professor, the addition of the "Bel" to already great Phoebe is on the fussy side.
  17. March
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "month name"
    • Description:

      March has never been popular as a month name, possibly because of its slightly abrupt sound. But with all kinds of month (and season, day, and holiday) names, from January to December, Sunday to Easter, Winter to Midnight, coming to the fore, March is beginning to seem eminently baby-ready.
  18. Locklyn
    • Origin:

      Variation of male name Lachlin, Gaelic
    • Meaning:

      "lake land"
    • Description:

      This phonetic spelling of a traditional Scottish male name wasn't seen until used by Vince Vaughn for his daughter. As Lachlan becomes more of an established boy's name in the US, more parents are turning to the Locklyn spelling on the girl's side.
  19. Mosley
    • Origin:

      English place name and surname
    • Meaning:

      "peat bog, mouse clearing"
    • Description:

      Mosley, former best known as the surname of author Walter, has been put in play as a first name for girls by football great Peyton Manning, who used the name for his twin daughter, sister of Marshall. Alternate spellings are Moseley and Mosely and the first syllable rhymes with Rose.
  20. Lakelyn
    • Origin:

      American invented name or variation of Lachlan
    • Description:

      Baby girl names ending in lyn seem to become more numerous all the time, and this choice combining the pretty nature suffix Lake with lyn is destined for more widespread use. Lakelyn and her sister spelling Lakelynn both entered the US charts for the first time in 2022, and are sure to continue to rise.