The literal meaning is “fine mist” or “gentle rain.” It comes from the Hawaiian words, lili (“to be gentle, soft, trembling”) + noe (“mist, haze”).
Lilinoe is a goddess associated with Mauna Kea, and is the goddess of fine mist.
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The name comes from the Ancient Egyptian elements, nfrt-jrj. The first element nfrt means “beautiful,” the second element jry means, “the one who is near.”
Nefertari was most famously borne by Queen Nefertari Meritmut, the beloved Great Royal Wife of Pharaoh Ramses II (19th Dynasty, 13th century BCE). Her elaborate tomb in the Valley of the Queens is among the best-preserved monuments of the New Kingdom.
After the Ptolemaic and Roman periods, Egyptian high culture became heavily Hellenized. Names like Cleopatra, Arsinoe, and Berenike (Greek) dominated the elite. With the rise of Christianity and later Islam, names shifted almost entirely to Biblical (Greek, Hebrew, Latin) Arabic. As a result, “Nefertari” remained locked in the Pharaonic past, only rediscovered in the 19th century by archaeologists.
In the 1980s, the name started to be used sporadically by African Americans. In 2024, at least 3 baby girls in the U.K were bestowed this ancient gem as a given-name.
In Coptic, this name would be rendered as ⲛⲉⲫⲣⲧⲁⲣⲓ (Nephrtari). In modern Egyptian Arabic, it is نفرتاري (Nifirtārī).
This may be due for a comeback, especially if you are of Egyptian descent.
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Ziri is an ancient masculine Berber name derived from the Tamazigt tziri, taziri, meaning, “moonlight.” Taziri or Thiziri (ⵜⵉⵣⵉⵔⵉ) is used as its female counterpart.
In history, Ziri was borne by Ziri ibn Manad, a 10th-century Berber king who founded the Zirid dynasty.
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From the Welsh vocabulary word, swyn (magic, spell, enchantment). In the 20th-century, it has been adopted by Welsh parents as a female given name, usually 5 girls per year have been given this name in Wales. since 2001.
The perfect name for a Halloween baby.
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The early 20th century brought Janet back from the dead, and the 1980s revived Tiffany and Allison—two names that had once flourished in medieval England before fading into obscurity. Many other forgotten names share a similar story. Countless early English forms were gradually displaced by their Latinized versions, leaving behind a treasure trove of names that feel surprisingly fresh today. With their short, crisp sounds and understated elegance, many of these medieval forms fit seamlessly into modern naming trends.
The name appears in Greek mythology. It is connected to a woman who killed herself when her love for Demophon was not returned. She was transformed into an almond or hazelnut tree, depending on the legend. It comes directly from the Greek word, Φυλλίς, meaning, “leaves, foliage,” which shares a root with the words chlorophyll and phyllotaxis. Its Turkish form of Filiz comes from the same root but the meaning slightly changes to “sprout; root.”
It also appears as the name of a minor river god of Bithynia.
It came into widespread use in England in the 16th-century and later spread to the rest of the Anglosphere.
Early Puritan records occasionally include Phyllis/Phillis, reflecting classical learning even among settlers. Phillis Wheatley (1753-1784), the first published African-American female poet, is a striking historical bearer.
An 18th-century English short form was Lissie or Lissy.
It frequently appears in Elizabethan and Restoration poetry and drama. Poets such as Ben Jonson and Andrew Marvell used “Phyllis” as a stock name for a beloved in pastoral verse. Later modernists like Ezra Pound continued this tradition. This usage helped keep it familiar to English speakers for centuries.
It marked its presence in baroque operas (e.g., Handel’s Acis and Galatea includes a character named Phyllis) and in folk songs of the British Isles.
Victorian painters of the Pre-Raphaelite school sometimes chose the Phyllis and Demophon story for mythological canvases.
In the United States, it appeared in the Top 100 Female Names between 1915-1958, peaking at #24 in 1929. In the U.K., it came in at #14 in 1914, #4 in New Zealand in 1911, and #29 in 1922 in Canada.
Its Turkish offshoot of Filiz appeared in the Turkish Top 100 between 1980-1996, peaking at #11 between 1980-1982.
Today, the name is considered dated in the English-speaking world.
Phillyda, pronounced /ˈfɪl.ɪ.də/ in English is an alternate form.
Other forms include:
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The name comes directly from the Arabic word راوية (rawiya), meaning “storyteller; narrator.” Another transliteration is Rawia, Rawiyah and Rawya.
It was borne by Rawya Ateya (1926-1997), the first female parliamentarian in the Arab world in 1957.
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The name comes directly from the Arabic word رباب for a type of stringed instrument.
It was also the name of Rubāb bint Imraʾ al-Qays (b. 7th-century C.E). The wife of Husayn ibn Ali.
It is borne by Pakistani Olympic Swimmer, Rubab Raza (b. 1991).
Another transciption is Rabab.
Other forms include:
The name is used throughout the Islamic World.
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Rudraksha रुद्राक्ष is a male Sanskrit name. It is the name of a genus of Eleocarpus plant. The seeds are considered sacred to Lord Shiva. They are harvested and dried to be used to create prayer beads in both Hinduism and Buddhism. The etymology is composed of the Sanskrit Rudra and अक्ष (akṣa), meaning “eyes.”
Another masculine for is Rudraksh.
Rudrakshi रुद्राक्षी is the feminine form.
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Sabih صبيح is a masculine Arabic name which comes directly from the Arabic word, صَبيح (ṣabīḥ), meaning, “comely; beautiful; handsome; graceful.” It is ultimately derived from the Arabic root word, صبح (ṣabuḥa) “to be beautiful; to be radiant; to beam.”
Sabiha صبيحة is its feminine form. It’s feminine form was borne by Sabiha Sultan (1894-1971) an Ottoman princess, the third and last daughter of Sultan Mehmed VI; the first Turkish female sculptor, Sabiha Bengütaş (1904-1992); and Turkish combat pilot, Sabiha Gökçen (1913-2001).
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