Names that have a lightness to them — easy to say, fun to hear, a little unexpected. Pippa, Lark, Rafferty, Caspian, Seren. Not costume names. These are names that work in real life while still making you smile.
1,775 names — click any name for full meaning, origin, and analysis
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harp player
Englishmoon
Latinpurple, violet color
Englishdawn
Englishdaughter of the sun
Jewishwisdom, inspiration
Englishmy God is gracious
Englishpurity, innocence
Englishair, song, melody
Italianfaithful wife
Greekisland
Scottishivy plant
Englishtorch, bright
Englishnew
EnglishFrom Old English 'welig', the willow tree; a na...
Englishdelicate, weakened
Englishprincess, noblewoman
Englisheternal life, divine vitality
Greekplace name: town in Scotland
Scottishnoble, of noble kind
Englishfamous warrior
Frenchroyal child of heaven
Hawaiianoak tree
Turkishrainbow
Greekdelight, pleasure
Hebrewday's eye
Englishthe fall season
Englishfrom the boar meadow
Englishking's meadow
Englishstrength, work
EnglishGod will increase
Englishpleasant sound, sweet song
Englishflowering one
Caribbeantreeless plain, open grassland
Englishyouth-producing, ever-young
Englishjoyful, happy
Arabicstate of peaceful calm
Americansupernatural power
Englishheaven (spelled backwards)
Americanlive coal, smoldering fire
Englishgreat, noble (from botanist's surname)
Englishborn in summer
Englishwoodland clearing of the wren
Englishmy God is abundance
Scottishflute player, pipe player
Englishnoble, nobility
Americanwoodland clearing
Americanolive tree
Englishgood angel
Frenchbeautiful, lovely
Americanlittle rose
Frenchdark beauty
Hebrewbright, radiant, shining
Greeklaurel tree
Englishmerciful, gracious
Englishnoble kind
Englishdivine, celestial
Frenchshelter, sanctuary
Americannight
Englishsmall bird (the wren)
Englishflowing body of water
Americandaily path, life's adventure
Americanworthy of love
Englishlight, dawn (by association with Aurora)
Americanburnt meadow, charred clearing
AmericanCattleya orchid flower
Americandivine grace, blessing
Englishpearl
Scottishhe to whom it belongs (messianic)
Hebrewadvantage, profit
Greekmusical concord, agreement
Englishaspen tree
Englishrowan tree (mountain ash)
Irishto praise; to exalt
Americanpearl
Englishlion of God
Hebrewa day's travel, voyage
Americangrassy field, open pasture
Englishbeautiful, attractive
Irishfrom Latin papaver (poppy plant)
Englishpurity, grace
Englishemerald (gemstone)
Spanishmeadow, clearing
Americanfrom the River Severn (Sabrina Fluvius)
Englishdry (referring to the plant's preferred soil)
Americanof the forest
Frenchqueen
Hebrewforeign riches, bright one
Englishsleeping vision, aspiration
Americanforeign riches
Frenchcheerful, bright like the sun
Englishhome ruler, estate ruler
Englishsmiley, cheerful (derived from nickname)
Americanthe raven, large black crow
Americanfair bow, white arc
Welshman, full-grown person
Americanmurmuring rock on the Rhine
Germanbright, luminous
Scottishelf ruler
Englishborn in winter
Americandark red, crimson
Americanbeautiful ray of light
Americanresolute protector
Englishdivine grace, lake
Americanfree person
Italiangift of God
Greekflowering, blooming
Englishgood, fine
Scottishhazel wood clearing (interpretive)
Americanof the elm grove
Cornishprecious gemstone
Englishentire, all-encompassing
Englishmurmuring rock, ambush rock
Germanimmovable, steadfast
Latin Americandivine grace
Americanmarvel, object of wonder
African-Americanwoodland clearing
Americanvirgins, maidens
Arabicthe sky, paradise, divine realm
Americanbelonging to Clement
Frenchwinged island
Scottishlyre, musical instrument
EnglishJerusalem (poetic)
Frenchbeautiful voice
Greekof Mars, warlike
Frenchring of light
Americanpowerful home-ruler
Americanoak tree clearing
Americanbright one
Englishwild rose
Americanwhite or bright settlement
Austrianfairy, enchantment
Englishpearl
Frenchnight, twilight
Arabiclove, beloved
Frenchholy peace, blessed reconciliation
Welshbird + grace
Americannoble kind (from Alice)
Englishheavenly, from the sky
Hawaiianhill meadow
Englishhalo of light around the moon
Turkishsong thrush, songbird
Englishisland of goats
Italianhoneycomb, forest
Arabicfrom France, Frankish
Englishhigh place, elevated ground
Basquejoy, music (original Old English)
Americanof ancient lineage (from Prisca)
Englishgood luck, prosperity (symbolic)
Americanjoyful, of Jupiter
Englishclearing with oak trees
Englishamber spark, fire glow clearing
Englishchurch, from the town of Paisley
Americanmade of gold, golden
Englishflower
Englishindependent spirit
Englishfestivity, abundance
Greekruler of the elves
Englishqueen, wife of the khal (warlord)
Americanmy God has answered
Americanbrightness, radiance
Greeklake, pool, waterside
Americanpetite woman
Englishpure, innocent
Englisha narrow path or road
Americanbird-like, relating to birds
Americanof the sun
SpanishMary's gold, golden flower of Mary
Englishgreen gem, the green one
Americanrival, eager
Frenchcoral, sea jewel
Englishentire, all-encompassing
Englishnew star meadow
Americanblessed, happy
Germanicshort form of Penelope
Englishglorious sky, exalted heaven
Hawaiianlittle bird
Americanlake, body of water
Americanbeautiful rose
Spanishfrom the Danish valley passage
Americanthe burning ones, highest angels
Englishlittle red one
Irishshort for Indiana or India
Americanfidelity, eternity (symbolic)
Englishweapon, mace
Americanelevated one, tower
Americanmoonlight, halo of light
Finnishinvented name; possibly related to 'life'
Americanlittle Robert
Englishchild of light
Englishclearing on the hill
Americannoble clearing
Americanparadise, the divine dwelling place
Spanishhillside by the pool
Americannoble and gracious
Americanfree, independent
Filipinobeautiful sky
Hawaiianabundance
Americanhope and assurance
African AmericanThe best ones are. Pippa is the Queen's granddaughter's name. Caspian is C.S. Lewis. Lark is short, easy to say, and impossible to shorten into something worse. The names to avoid are ones that only work on a child — too cute, not a fit on a 40-year-old. Check if you can picture the name on a resumé.
Occasionally. The bigger risk is a name that's easy to mock. Whimsical names should be unusual but not precarious — meaning they don't have obvious rhyme targets or sound like something embarrassing. Lark, Pippa, and Seren are safe. Use your judgment with more unusual options.
Whimsy is about tone. Whimsical names have a softness or playfulness in their sound — light consonants, ending vowels, an almost musical quality. An unusual name can be heavy and serious (Siegfried, Aldric). A whimsical name tends to make people smile when they hear it.
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