Baby girl Shivan - Nov 2017

Baby girl is due in November and we're on the hunt for names that speak to her heritage. Her father is from southern Indian and mother is American of German descent.
  1. Adira
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "strong"
    • Description:

      Adira is one of those rare names that's both little-used and simple, and crosses languages easily. Pronounced ah-DEER-ah, Adira is given to only a handful of girls in the US each year and could make a worthy substitute for such overexposed favorites as Ava and Ariana.
  2. Alia
    • Origin:

      Arabic feminine form of Ali
    • Meaning:

      "supreme, exalted"
    • Description:

      Alia is the most classic and feminine form of Ali, one of the 99 attributes of Allah within Islam. Meaning "supreme, exalted, high, sublime", it is pretty, powerful and spirited.
  3. Aria
    • Origin:

      Italian and Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "air; song or melody; lion"
    • Description:

      Aria is a multi-cultural name with two extremely popular versions: this more word-like one along with Arya, the spelling used for the feisty young heroine of Game of Thrones. There were about 6400 baby girls named Aria in the US last year alog with 2400 named Arya, which counted together places the name in the Top 10.
  4. Eleanor
    • Origin:

      English variation of French Provencal Alienor, meaning unknown
    • Description:

      Eleanor's straightforward feminine image combined with its royal medieval history is striking just the right note for parents in search of a girls' name that combines substance and style.
  5. Eliana
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "my God has answered"
    • Description:

      Eliana is a lilting, rhythmic choice, which has caught on in the US and other English-speaking countries, along with many other El-starting names.
  6. Kalila
    • Origin:

      Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "beloved"
    • Description:

      The lilting name of a range of mythical mountains, with an extensive menu of spellings, and a more unusual way of fitting in with current favorites Lila and Lola.
  7. Kalindi
    • Origin:

      Hindi, variation of Kalinda
    • Meaning:

      "sun"
    • Description:

      Kalindi is a lovely, rhythmic name refers to one of the seven sacred rivers of India.
  8. Kiera
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "little dark one"
    • Description:

      Kiera entered the American popularity list in 1988, though it lags behind the alternate spelling Keira, largely due to the fame of actress Keira Knightley.
  9. Nyra
    • Origin:

      Sanskrit
    • Meaning:

      "beauty of Saraswati"
    • Description:

      Indian actress Sameera Reddy chose this name for her daughter in 2019, sending it sharply up the charts. It is connected to Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of wisdom, music, speech, art, and learning.
  10. Ryka
    • Samantha
      • Origin:

        Hebrew, feminization of Samuel
      • Meaning:

        "told by God"
      • Description:

        The origins of Samantha are not entirely clear, although it is commonly thought to be a feminization of Samuel with the suffix derived from the Greek anthos, meaning "flower." Samantha has been in English-speaking use since the eighteenth century, particularly in the American South, and drew attention via Grace Kelly's Tracy Samantha Lord character in High Society, featuring the song "I love you, Samantha."
    • Sania
      • Origin:

        Hindi
      • Meaning:

        "pearl"
      • Description:

        Indian tennis sensation Sania Mirza is popularizing this one.
    • Talia
      • Origin:

        Hebrew; Australian Aboriginal
      • Meaning:

        "gentle dew from heaven; by the water"
      • Description:

        Talia is derived from the Hebrew elements tal, meaning "dew," and yah, in reference to God. In the mythology of one ancient sect, Talia was one of ten angels who attended the sun on its daily course. The occasionally homophonous name Thalia has unrelated Greek origins.
    • Tania
      • Origin:

        Russian, diminutive of Tatiana
      • Meaning:

        "belonging to the house of Tatius"
      • Description:

        Tania is a Russian name that has been fully integrated into the American name pool, retaining just a touch of its Slavic flavor. It started as a pet form of Tatiana, which is beginning to be used in this country as well. Also spelled Tanya, as in country singer Tanya Tucker.
    • Vinita
      • Vita
        • Origin:

          Latin
        • Meaning:

          "life"
        • Description:

          Vital and vivacious, Vita is stirring back to life along with many of her V-themed sisters -- Vivian, Vivica -- and is becoming a new celebrity baby favorite.
      • Zahra
        • Origin:

          Arabic
        • Meaning:

          "flower"
        • Description:

          Abbreviated form of Zahara that was used by Chris Rock for his daughter and as a middle name by both Eddie Murphy and David Bowie. Compared with the even-more-abbreviated Zara, Zahra may create more spelling problems but clarify pronunciation.