Names That Mean Name
- Slim
Origin:
English word name or diminutive of Slimane, ArabicMeaning:
"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.
- Mint
Origin:
English word name or diminutive of Araminta, English from Greek and LatinMeaning:
"mint; defender; yielding to prayer"Description:
You may be tempted to scoff at Mint as another wacky celebrity baby name — it was used by Dutch model Romee Strijd for her daughter in 2020 — but it's a far more legitimate choice than many would guess. Minty baby names for girls are having a style moment in Nordic countries — Mynte is a Top 50 name in Denmark, and Minttu ranks in Finland's Top 50. It's ultimately not so surprising that a well-traveled international star would choose to use the English variation of these names for her daughter.
- Freeman
Origin:
Word name or surname name, EnglishMeaning:
"free man"Description:
Another meaningful word name that actually dates back to pre-Emancipation days.
- Babe
Origin:
Word name or diminutive of BarbaraDescription:
You can call your baby "babe," but don't name her that.
- Lupine
Origin:
Flower name from LatinMeaning:
"pertaining to the wolf"Description:
Lupine (spelled Lupin outside of North America) is a flower related to sweetpeas. It was given its wolfish meaning because the plant was said to deplete the soil. Comedian Jenny Slate used it as a middle name for her daughter Ida in 2020.
- Mosley
Origin:
English place name and surnameMeaning:
"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.
- Sethe
Origin:
Egyptian mythological name or variation of Seth, HebrewMeaning:
"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.
- Zaynab
Origin:
Arabic, tree name or "beauty, grace"Meaning:
"beauty, grace"Description:
Zaynab, from the Arabic word for beauty and the name of a flowering tree, was the name of a granddaughter, daughter and two wives of the Prophet Muhammed. Related names include the simplified forms Zaina and Zayna and the Swahili-inflected Zainabu, along with possibly Zenobia, a name related to the Greek mythological god Zeus. Zaynab is one of the most popular Muslim girls' names around the world.
- Tatjana
Origin:
German, Finnish, Estonian, Slovene, Croatian, SerbianMeaning:
"from Latin family name"Description:
Tatjana is an interesting twist on an already uncommon name, borne by German-born supermodel Tatjana Patitz. Note that as j is pronounced as y in German, the name is spoken just like sisters Tatiana and Tatyana.
- Fyfe
Origin:
ScottishMeaning:
"place name"Description:
Variant spelling of Fife, borne by English musician Fyfe Dangerfield and Scottish journalist and reporter Fyfe Robertson.
- July
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
"month name"Description:
Most things Jul-related – from the month of July to popular modern names Julia and Julian – originate with Roman emperor Julius Caesar, and the month name July is no exception. Fifteen girls and seven boys were named July in 2013, putting this month name into the class of gender neutral names.
- Ax
Origin:
Word name or short form of AxelDescription:
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.
- Hadar
Origin:
Israeli place name and HebrewMeaning:
"fruit or glory"Description:
A Hebrew name also used for girls, with many variations to choose from. Hadara is another version. The name is associated with the holiday of Sukkot.
- Taja
Origin:
ArabicMeaning:
"to mention, to name"Description:
Soft, sultry resonance.
- Hickory
Origin:
Plant name from AlgonquianMeaning:
"hickory"
- Ode
Origin:
Word name or medieval English form of OttoDescription:
Ode could be part of the extended Otto/Otis family, or it might be a literary term, referring to an elaborate lyric poem.
- Helisent
Origin:
English, GermanicMeaning:
"temple path"Description:
Helisent was used in the medieval days and has royal antecedents found in both France and Germany. Information on its origins is sketchy, but some say it's related to Elise or Helen or Heloise, or that it derives from a Visigothic name meaning "temple path". Variants include Elisende, Elisenda, Elysant, Elysande, Elissent and Elisent.
- November
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
"month name"Description:
November is one of a growing list of month names that can work for a baby boy, and is also one of the ideal names for November babies.
- Jolly
Origin:
English word name and surnameMeaning:
"joyful"Description:
This cheerful name would be a fun seasonal choice of middle name for a child born around the holidays — or as a pet name for a dog or cat adopted during the Christmas season.
- Aurian
Origin:
Literary name inspired by LatinMeaning:
"gold, dawn or breeze"Description:
The eponymous character of the fantasy novel Aurian by Maggie Furey. It may have been inspired by the Latin aurum "gold", or by names like Aurora ("dawn") or Aura ("breeze"), also derived from the Latin.