The name comes directly from the Arabic word لبابة meaning, “pearl.” It is the name of a famous mosque in Cairo, Egypt, built during the Fatimid Caliphate in the 10th-century, CE.
Other transliterated forms include: Lulua, Lu’lu’ah, Louloua & Lolua.
Sources
Gender: Feminine
Origin: Lithuanian
Meaning: “the gods above; the gods mentioned; referred to the gods.”
(day-MIN-tay).
The name is composed of the old Lithuanian elements dei- (deivė) meaning “goddess” and mint-(minti, minėti) “above” or “to mention; to refer to.” In modern Lithuanian it is similar to the word deimantas which is the word for “diamond” or “adamant”. Its designated name-day is October 12. Other forms include the masculine Deimintas, and the feminine Deiminta.
Gender: Feminine
Origin: English
(OH-pul)
The name comes directly from the name of the gemstone. October is the birthstone for the Opal. The origins of the word itself are derived from the Sanskrit word upala meaning “jewel.” The name does not appear in the U.S top 1000, and the highest it ever ranked in American naming history was back in 1911, coming in at # 81.
The Opal was often seen as a source of bad luck in modern superstition, this was most likely due to a book published in 1820, entitled Anne of Geierstein by Walter Scott, the novel recounts the story of the Baroness of Arnheim who wears a magical opal talisman, when holy water is poured on the stone, the stone turns into its signature opaque white and the baroness dies. In the Middle Ages, the stone had far more auspicious connotations, it was believed that the stone brought great luck, since it sparkled several different colours, it was believed to hold the powers of every precious stone, making it a very powerful amulet.
The name is borne by Opal Whitely (1897-1992), a curious woman who wrote a diary in which she reveals her true origins as the scion of French royalty. The story is a famous part of American unsolved mysteries and she has had people debunking her as a fraud to admiring fans who support her claims known as Opalites.
With the rising popularity of the name Ruby, this might make an appealing alternative. There is the French form Opaline.
Gender: Feminine
Origin: French
Meaning: from the name of a type of gem “dark.”
(OHN-be-leen)
The name is derived from the name of a type of gem stone known as ombria in Latin. The word ombria itself means “dark” and shares an etymological relation with the place name, Umbria. Also known as toadstones, the ancients believed they could be found inside the bodies of toads and they were often used as an antidote against poison. In reality, ombria was formed from fossilized ray-finned type fish. I couldn’t find a picture of the stone. However, this is a sweet, dainty sounding name. It reminds me of Thumbelina, but not as ridiculous, and of Opal, but a bit more elaborate; with a touch of French class. The name is not unheard of in France, though not popular either. Its designated name-day is August 21st, and as of 2006, she stood as the 500th most popular female name in France.
Origin: Latvian
Meaning: “amber.”
(dZEEN-tahrs); (dZEEN-trah)
Dzintars and Dzintra are both indigenous Latvian names that were revived during the Latvian National Awakening of the 19th century. Dzintars comes directly from the Latvian word for amber and its feminine counterpart is Dzintra along with the more unusual feminine form of Dzintara. The Baltic sea and the surrounding countries are known for their very large natural amber resources. According to the Latvian Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs, there were approximately 4,000 men in Latvia who bore the name Dzintars, while about 5,000 women bore the name Dzintra. Meanwhile, only 20 women bore the name Dzintara. Dzintars and Dzintra’s designated name day is September 4th. Dzintars is borne by Latvian football players Dzintars Sprogis (b. 1971) and Dzintars Zirnis (b. 1977) and is borne by Latvian pop singer Dzintars Cica (b. 1993). Due to its deep rich brown, green and yellow colours, amber is often associated with the autumn months.
Gender: Feminine
Origin: Pashtun/Afghan
Meaning: “golden ruby.”
(lahl-ZAH-ree).
The name is composed of the Pashto elements lal meaning “ruby” and zar meaning “golden”.
Gender: Feminine
Origin: Dutch
Pronunciation: Dutch (yahs-peh-REE-neh); English (JAS-peh-REEN).