Names That Mean Beautiful

A rare but historic English name bestowed upon girls in the 19th century. Fairlight seems to have been particularly popular among baby girls in the Appalachian region of the US. It appeared as a character name in Catherine Mashall's 1967 novel Christy, which was turned into a TV show in 1994.

Both an independent name and an alternate spelling of Jada.

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.

Also spelled Merinda, this name meaning beautiful comes from the language of the Gadigal people in Eastern Australia. One famous bearer of this name is Merindah Donnelly, a dancer and nominee for Australian of the Year.

Nizhoni is the Navajo word for "beautiful." It's a rare, elegant, and meaningful option, used as a baby name for around 30 baby girls each year. It's uniquely common in Arizona, a large part of Navajo Nation.

This fairly common Korean girls' name counts Korean actress Lee Mi-Yeon and American composer Serra Miyeun Hwang among notable bearers.

Pretty and unusual.

Soft and appealing, with a whiff of vanilla.

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.

Argider is a somewhat used boys' name in Basque-speaking parts of Spain.

Marabel was a form sometimes seen in the seventeenth century, and might appeal to someone looking for an uncommon 'bel' name.

Kazumi can be used both as a masculine and feminine name. It is related to names like Kazuko, Kazuo and Kazuki.

There will probably be lots of little namesakes after the fastest man in the world, Jamaican Olympic runner Usain Bolt--middle name St. Leo.

Hip-swayingly evocative.

One spelling of a well-used Arabic name. Hussein ibn Ali was a grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. It gained in popularity in the USA during the presidency of Barack Hussein Obama.

You can just hear some sassy dame in a 1930s movie using this name. We prefer the original -- or even its original, Amabel.

This name is a variation of U'i lani, which means heavenly beauty in Hawaiian.

Not a variation on Rose, but definitely made familiar by the similarity.

A modern Hebrew translation of Shayna, the Yiddish word for "beautiful," and commonly heard in Israel.

Nefertari Meritmut was the first and favorite wife of pharoah Ramesses II "the Great". She was highly educated and undertook important diplomatic work on behalf of her husband, corresponding with other prominent figures and even making speeches.