Names That Mean Beautiful

Lacks the vintage charm of the original Arabella, but with the love for all names Bella, it might appeal to some.

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.

No longer a one-person name, as a number of parents have been inspired by basketball great Shaquille O'Neal to adopt it for their own future athletes.

Interesting Old Testament name that embraces many traditional female attributes; also name of a place in the Jordan Valley. In the Bible, a daughter of King Ammon and wife of Solomon.

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

In Turkish, the name is transcribed as Nazlı, with a dotless I.

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.

Rhythmic and unusual.

Despite its Irish sound, this commonly used word name has usually been confined to Jewish families.

Any name that means handsome has something going for it, and Nohea may appeal especially due to its proximity to the popular Noah.

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

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.

This ancient Egyptian queen's name would be best saved for a cat.

Soft and appealing, with a whiff of vanilla.

Has a decidedly middle-aged image.

An extremely rare name of Ancient Greek origin which could be a novel way to Callie. There is a minor Harry Potter character by the name: Callidora Black (later Longbottom).

Like Benita, had some popularity in the fifties.

Blended name sometimes heard in the early decades of the twentieth century.

Bello is as handsome as Bella is beautiful, but rarely heard outside the Italian community. With its energetic 'o' ending, it could be ripe for export.