Names That Mean Beautiful

Isla is hot, Iona is cool – maybe it's time Iola got a second look? Last heard from on Carol Burnett's Mama's Family show, Iola feels like just the sort of uncommon, vowel-rich, vintage name that should be ripe for rediscovery.

Kiyomi is a Japanese name that means 'sacred and beautiful' or 'clean and beautiful.' It refers to a variety of citrus fruit and is gaining popularity for baby girls in the U.S., with just under 200 girls receiving the name in 2022. Kiyomi combines a meaningful and elegant definition with a unique cultural reference, making it a distinctive choice for parents.

Tove is a modern variation of an Old Norse name, related to Thor. Tuva is a form of the name popular in modern Scandinavia.

An attractive enough name, but for die-hard Star Wars fans only.

Not a spunkier version of Merlin, Zerlin has roots in the Middle East, Spain and Eastern Europe and is thought to mean "beautiful dawn". The countries where this name is most heard are Israel, Romania and the US, though it has never made it into the Top 1000. Italian and Spanish variant Zerlina and the French Zerline were once popular in the theatre for pretty and clever female characters.

Rosabel, a vintage smoosh name created in the 18th century, feels slightly less frilly than her cousins Rosabelle and Rosabella. It could make for a more distinctive alternative to Isabel, or an unusual name that gets you to sweet nicknames Rosie or Belle.

French form of Callistus or Callixtus, borne by several popes and saints.

One of the fastest-rising names currently, thanks to LeBron James' daughter Zhuri. This spelling entered the Top 1000 for the first time in 2022, following in the footsteps of red-hot Zuri.

Ahsan is a superlative variation of Hasan, which means "beautiful." Hasan is an important name in Muslim culture, as it is the name of the Prophet Muhammed's martyred grandson.

The meaning of this sweet Japanese name varies depending on the combination of kanji used, but the first element mi means "beautiful".

Derived from Italian bello "beautiful" and vedere "view", Belvedere is a dramatic name that was used for a cartoon hound dog in George Webster Crenshaw's comic strip by the same name, which ran from 1962 to 1995.

Despite being etymologically unrelated, Aimi has a similar meaning to the name Amy, "beloved."

A good cultural crossover choice for Chinese-American parents, Meilin has a beautiful meaning, an on-trend sound, and is straightforward in terms of pronunciation in an English-speaking environment. Meilin is also the name of the protagonist of Pixar's film, Turning Red.

A favorite in Near Eastern cultures, with a charming meaning.

Folk singer DiFranco popularized this simple, appealing form. In Igbo mythology, Ani is one of the names of the goddess of the earth, fertility, creativity, and morality.

A combination name that might be dismissed as a clown and cow name. The sounds are nevertheless pretty and the meaning is good - though spellings Claribel or Clarabel might help distance it from the cow association.

This name has it all - looks, brains, charms and an international sound that can go anywhere.

Buford has lost any charm it once had. Try Beauford instead.

Derived from the Igbo elements ífé meaning "thing" and ọ́má, "good" or "beautiful."

Anglicized spelling of the difficult-to-decipher Gaelic Aoibheann, the name of several Irish princesses, this name rhymes with Steven. Eavan Boland is a distinguished Irish poet who teaches at Stanford University.