Names That Mean Jewel

Soraya is a Persian name made famous in the Western world by the one-time empress of Iran, who settled in Europe, primarily in France. Soraya is derived from Thurayya, the Arabic name of the Pleiades, a group of stars in the constellation Taurus.

Dated British favorite that never caught on in this country, where Jade remains the green gem of choice. Interesting namesakes: British writer Beryl Bainbridge and British aviatrix Beryl Markham.

Sapphire goes waaaaay beyond Ruby and Pearl. This September birthstone, occasionally used a century ago, might be worth a reappraisal, perhaps as a Sophie/Sophia alternative. Sapphire is the pseudonym of Romona Lofton, who wrote the book Push, which was turned into the movie Precious. Sapphire entered the Top 1000 for the first time in 2022, and is proving to be one of the freshest gem names for girls. Another intriguing variation is the lovely Sapphira.

Sapphira is a lovely name which unfortunately has an unsavory Biblical history. The New Testament Sapphira was killed by God for lying about a tax payment.

Bijou is a name that lives up to its definition -- a real jewel. Warning: not unheard of on poodles' dog collars. Actress Bijou Phillips is its best known bearer. It can also be spelled Bijoux.

An attractive and traditional unisex name perfect for a cross-cultural child. Despite the current popularity of names ending in -ari, Johari is surprisingly rare in the US. It's currently used about twice as often for girls as it is for boys.

An energetic African name with a stylish o ending.

Johari is derived from the Arabic word jawhar, which evolved from the Persian word gouhar, both referring to gemstones.

Unisex Japanese name used more often for girls these days. Potential successor to Kai.

A unisex Chinese and Vietnamese with an appealingly simple, vowel-rich spelling.

A lovely Japanese alternative to Tamara.

Japanese name with a special crossover/creative touch via its association with the colorful paintings of acclaimed Mexican artist Rufino Tamayo.

A rare but rising unisex name more common among boys. Names ending in -ari are a hot subset of gender-neutral names that grows each year as parents create new combinations.

Name introduced here via Chinese cinema, has middle-place potential.

Two similarly delicate names, Tamako and Tamaki, can be found in the Japanese community.

An elaborate and shiny choice.

A popular unisex Mongolian name with a precious meaning.

A popular unisex Mongolian name with a precious meaning.

More common for girls in Japan, thanks to the prevalence of the related name Keiko.

An energetic unisex Japanese name which has various potential meanings depending on the kanji used.