Names That Mean Dove

Grandmas will remember the old TV detective show; playmates won't. This is a name that has many variations in different cultures, from Columbus to Columba to Colum to Colm.

Dyveke is related to the Frisian word düveke, which means "dove", as well as to the name Dietlinde.

Columba is an early saint's name that rhumbas to a modern beat. While the original St. Columba is male, the name sounds more appropriate for a girl in the modern world. Leave variations Colm and Callum for the boys.

Pronounced ko-LUM, this sophisticated name associated with the symbol of peace, was borne by several French saints and martyrs.

A beautiful flower name deriving from the Latin word for dove. Sadly, in America this name is now forever linked with a tragic terrorist attack on a Colorado high school.

A peaceful Dutch name that many English speakers will find tough to pronounce.

Unlikely to catch on the way the male original has, though it may appeal to some parents as a more formal version of Nina.

Gorgeous and definitely wearable for a Western baby girl.

Azerbaijani and alternative Arabic spelling of Yunus, from Jonah "dove".

Colombia is a South American country name, with a rhythmic sound and peaceful connotations. The Irish Colm, Scottish Callum, and Columba are all attractive relatives of Colombia (or Columbia, if you're thinking of the college).

While the original Irish St. Columba was male, the modern Irish variation Colm or Scottish Callum would be more appropriate for a contemporary boy. We can, however, imagine Columba as a rhythmic and contemporary-sounding girl's name.

A feminization of Yonah, the Hebrew form of Jonah.

More popular in Turkey than either Yunus or Emre independently, this double-barreled first name is given in reference to the influential 13th- and 14th-century Turkish poet. Yunus Emre was a Sufi mystic and Sunni Muslim and was one of the earliest Turkish poets to write in Turkish rather than Arabic or Persian.

Lovely and peaceful Cherokee option for a baby girl.

A variation of Jemima, without all the baggage.

Mima was once a common nickname for the biblical Jemima.

This spelling used in Italy and Spain shares the peaceful meaning of dove with the more familiar Columba. It's a Top 35 name in Chile.