Names That Mean Happy

Sultry name given added interest by that double 'a'.

Older form of Helge, and a masculine form of Helga.

Surname name with an uplifting meaning. Just beware that this is a well-known mattress brand.

Intriguing twist on several familiar names, though many people will mistake this for Elsa, Eliza, and so on.

Lowena is the Cornish word for "joy". As a given name, it is most commonly spelt Lowenna. Another variation is the more unisex Lowen.

This version is a bit more in tune with modern tastes.

Though Bayram is not well known in the US, it's a name that easily crosses cultures because it sounds exactly like the English name Byram, a variation of Byron. Bayram is the name of two Mohammedan festivals, one that ends Ramadan and one that takes place 70 days later. Like Felix and Asher, Bayram is a name with a happy, uplifting meaning. It was in Turkey's Top 100 until 2003.

Tastier than Alicia or Felicia.

This charming West African mini name fits in with the other similarly short names that are all the rage right now. Actress Ayo Edebiri is the star of TV's The Bear.

Aleeza is one of the most energetic of the legion of Alyssa/Alicia/Eliza names. Another spelling of Aleeza: Aliza.

This name was used by Shakespeare (who got it from Plutarch) in Antony and Cleopatra for one of the attendants of the Egyptian queen. An interesting possibility, it is heard occasionally in the UK, even less frequently in the US.

The futuristic consonant x sets this apart -- for better and worse -- from all the other Felices, Felicias, and Felicitys.

A super quirky and upbeat choice, if it can ever shake off its ubiquitous-guy Woody Allen identity.

Helier is the patron saint of the Jersey, one of the Channel Islands, and it is for him that St. Helier, Jersey's capital, is named. The name is related to Hilary, Ilario etc, and therefor shares their wonderful meanings.

A beautiful meaning for a long-awaited child.

An Ethiopian name that means "joy."

Merilee and Merrilee were early respelled or word names, ahead of their time in some ways. Merrilee hit the Top 1000 for a couple of years in the 1940s, but last year no baby girls were given either version of the name in the US, which makes it more appealing.

Sounds a bit like a shortening of Rafael or a condensation of Rafaela, but Rafa is a name in its own right.

The name of the Muse of dancing in Greek mythology. Arguably the least usable of the nine Muses' names, despite serious competition from Melpomene and Polyhymnia. Those two at least have obvious nicknames, Mel and Polly -- and don't have "sick" in the middle. However, if you use the Greek pronunciation, that syllable is not emphasized, and you've got nicknames Tess, Coco, and Terri.