Names That Mean Jewel
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- Soraya
Origin:
PersianMeaning:
"Pleiades constellation"Description:
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.
- Beryl
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"sea-green jewel"Description:
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
Origin:
Hebrew, Greek, and Latin jewel nameMeaning:
"blue"Description:
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
Origin:
Greek variation of Sapphire, Hebrew jewel nameMeaning:
"sapphire"Description:
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
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"jewel"Description:
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.
- Johari
Origin:
Arabic and Swahili from PersianMeaning:
"jewel"Description:
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.
- Kito
Origin:
SwahiliMeaning:
"precious jewel"Description:
An energetic African name with a stylish o ending.
- Kei
Origin:
JapaneseMeaning:
"blessing, excellent, respect, wise, jewel"Description:
Unisex Japanese name used more often for girls these days. Potential successor to Kai.
- Johari
Origin:
Arabic and Swahili from PersianMeaning:
"jewel"Description:
Johari is derived from the Arabic word jawhar, which evolved from the Persian word gouhar, both referring to gemstones.
- Bao
Origin:
Chinese or VietnameseMeaning:
"treasure, jewel"Description:
A unisex Chinese and Vietnamese with an appealingly simple, vowel-rich spelling.
- Takara
Origin:
JapaneseMeaning:
"treasure, jewel"Description:
A lovely Japanese alternative to Tamara.
- Tamayo
Origin:
JapaneseMeaning:
"generation jewel"Description:
Japanese name with a special crossover/creative touch via its association with the colorful paintings of acclaimed Mexican artist Rufino Tamayo.
- Jahari
Origin:
Variation of Johari, Arabic from PersianMeaning:
"jewel"Description:
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.
- Bao
Origin:
ChineseMeaning:
"treasure, jewel"Description:
Name introduced here via Chinese cinema, has middle-place potential.
- Tamako
Origin:
JapaneseMeaning:
"jewel child"Description:
Two similarly delicate names, Tamako and Tamaki, can be found in the Japanese community.
- Erdene
Origin:
MongolianMeaning:
"precious thing, jewel"Description:
A popular unisex Mongolian name with a precious meaning.
- Tourmaline
Origin:
French gem nameMeaning:
"colorful jewel"Description:
An elaborate and shiny choice.
- Erdene
Origin:
MongolianMeaning:
"precious thing, jewel"Description:
A popular unisex Mongolian name with a precious meaning.
- Takara
Origin:
JapaneseMeaning:
"treasure, jewel"Description:
An energetic unisex Japanese name which has various potential meanings depending on the kanji used.
- Kei
Origin:
JapaneseMeaning:
"blessing, excellent, respect, wise, jewel"Description:
More common for girls in Japan, thanks to the prevalence of the related name Keiko.