Choosing the right baby name is the biggest decision you’ll make as a new parent, and rather than spending hours trawling through that pile of baby name books on your bedside table, we've rounded up 40 pretty names for you to peruse at your leisure. We've also included the meanings of each of these pretty baby names so you can find one that fits the qualities you'd like your baby to have, or perhaps discover one that you wouldn't have chosen had you not known the meaning behind it.
From Arianna to Poppy, we have chosen our favourite pretty names to help you find the perfect cute girl name or pretty name for your boy. In this list, you'll find everything from popular baby girl names to cute unique boys names as well as gender-neutral name options too. Take a look at our list of top pretty baby names that you will definitely fall in love with...
Popular pretty baby names
There are lots of pretty baby names but these are ones that lots of parents choose for their babies they have lovely meanings and sound pretty too.
• Millie - This adorable variation on Millicent has been a classic German baby girl name for decades. It's extremely popular yet continues to remain stylish.
• Amelia - The pretty moniker means 'Industrious' and 'Striving' and is often associated with 'defender'.
• Grace - The popular name Grace means 'God's favour' and has English origin.
• Lola - Spanish, meaning ‘sorrows’. Also used as a shortened form of Delores.
• Charlotte - the name of the young Princess of Cambridge, is a very popular girls name. Of French origin, it means "free man" or "petite".
• Mia - Meaning “mine” in Italian, it's a gorgeous name bursting with love and pride for your little girl.
• Abigail - In Hebrew, this classic name means “my father is joy.”
• Emma - a girl's given name of German origin that originally denoted names beginning with "ermen." This elegant name means "whole" or "universe".
• Alice - Alice is a classic feminine name of German origin, meaning "noble" and "exalted."
• Eleanor - meaning “shining light,” is a Greek girl's name.
• Lucy - an English feminine given name derived from the Latin masculine given name Lucius with the meaning as of light.
Pretty boy names
Pretty names definitely aren't exclusive to girls names. There are many pretty boy names that are fitting for your son that have a pretty ring to them while still remaining masculine in sound.
• Louis - The French version of the Germanic personal name that means "famous warrior."
• Antoine - A pretty French boys' name meaning “highly praiseworthy.
• Luca - This popular Italian baby boy name technically translates to “citizen of Lucania,” a region of Italy known for its mountains and forests.
• Beau – French, meaning ‘handsome’.
• Oliver – Latin, meaning ‘olive tree’. The UK’s most popular boys’ name in several recent years.
• Jude – Hebrew, meaning ‘praise’ or ‘thanks’.
• Noah – Hebrew, meaning ‘peaceful’. In the Bible, Noah is said to have built an ark to save two of every animal from a flood that covered the earth.
• Drew – Greek, meaning ‘masculine’.
• Bodhi – Meaning "awakening" and "enlightenment." Rooted in Buddhist traditions.
• Arlo – Spanish, meaning ‘barberry tree’. Can also be linked back to the Old English for ‘army of troops’.
Unusual pretty baby names
You may prefer to go for a more unusual name for your baby, we think these sound lovely and may be ones you haven't heard before...
• Coco- Spanish, meaning ‘help’.
• Fifi- Hebrew, meaning ‘Jehovah increases’.
• Alba - This name is the female form of the name Albus, and in Spanish it means “dawn,”
• Lyra - The harp-looking constellation in the northern hemisphere is known as Lyra_, n_amed after lyre in the ancient Green mythology of Orpheus.
• Naira - Meaning shining, this is a gorgeous Indian name for a baby girl.
• Sloane - means "raider" or "warrior" and comes from Ireland and an ancient clan called Ó Sluaghadháin.
• Oriana - an Italian name that means gold.
• Xoey – spelling variation for Zoey and Zoe. It also means “life.”
• Ula - Celtic, meaning 'gem of the sea'. Also the name of a Manchu tribe from China.
• Katja – Katja is a twist on the traditional name Kate.
Pretty baby names inspired by nature
The beauty of the world around us has created many beautiful nature names that are perfect for little ones, from flowers to the moon. Here are some of our favourites...
• Daisy - Daisy is a pretty girl's name commonly thought to be derived from the name of the flower.
• Florence - French for 'blossoming'.
• Luna - The pretty name has Latin origin and means 'Moon'.
• Poppy - The moniker derives from the popular flower'.
• Savannah - With English origin, Savannah means 'From the open plain'.
• Blossom - English, meaning ‘flowerlike’.
• Fleur - French, meaning ‘flower’.
• Jasmine - Meaning ‘jasmine flower’.
• Fiorella - Italian, meaning ‘little flower’. Feminine form of the Italian boy’s name Fiorello.
• Iris - Greek, meaning ‘rainbow’. Also from the flower of the same name, a symbol of wisdom and courage.
• Lily - Latin, from the flower of the same name.
• Posy - English, meaning ‘small flower’.
• Rosabel - Contraction of Rose and Belle, meaning ‘beautiful rose’. Most commonly used in the USA.
• Violet - Latin, meaning ‘purple’. Also a small purple flower of the same name.
• Lavender- Latin, from the flowering plant of the same name.
• Isla - This Scottish girl's's name is derived from "Islay", which is the name of an island off the west coast of Scotland
French pretty baby names
Take inspiration from the beautiful country of amour! We've chosen 13 pretty names perfect for your little madame...
• Belle - Short for Isabella, the name Belle means 'beautiful' in French.
• Elodie - Elodie means 'Foreign riches'.
• Lottie - Lottie means 'Tiny' and 'Feminine' in French.
• Adeline - A variant of Adelaide, meaning ‘noble’.
• Clara - Meaning ‘bright’ and ‘clear’ this French name is growing in popularity.
• Clemence - This adorable name means ‘mild and merciful’.
• Amelie - A traditional French name meaning ‘hard-working’.
• Isabelle - Meaning ‘pledged to God’.
• Juliette - The French version of the English ‘Juliet’, the extra syllable makes the entire name sound far more romantic.
• Céline - This beautiful French girl's name comes from the roman name Caelius, which means “heaven” in Latin.
• Chloé - Means flourishing and blooming. Girls named Chloe are said to have a bubbly personality.
• Odette - This is the French version of the name Oda or Odilia, likely originating in the male name Otto.
• Colette - Meaning people of victory.
Italian pretty baby names
Lots of Latin-derived names sound very pretty, with lovely meanings too such as beautiful and dawn. We think these cute baby names are lovely...
• Milana - The meaning of Milana is "favoured"
• Serena - This old classic Italian baby girl name has been popular since Roman times.
• Sienna - Derived from Latin, the baby name Sienna is believed to originate from a Tuscan town which is spelt Siena.
• Bella - Latin, meaning ‘beautiful’.
• Bianca - The name refers to the Italian word bianco, which means white and shiny.
• Aurora - from the Latin word for 'dawn'
• Azzurra - this unique Italian baby name means 'blue' or 'sky'
• Francesca - of Italian origin, meaning 'from France' or 'free man'. It's considered a more feminine choice than the name Frances.
• Caterina - an Italian form of Katherine.
Irish pretty baby names
Whether you have Irish roots or not, we think these baby names are lovely - full of Gaelic magic and a sense of adventure.
• Niamh - Gaelic, meaning ‘brightness’. In Irish mythology, Niamh was a goddess, the daughter of the god of the sea and a queen of the land of eternal youth.
• Orla - Irish Gaelic, meaning ‘golden lady’.
• Nora - Nora means 'Honour' and 'Reputation'. Nora is a feminine name of primarily Latin origin, though it holds compelling roots in Irish culture.
• Maeve - a Gaelic name meaning “entrancing or intoxicating.”
• Aoife - Pronounced EE-fa, this name comes with a lovely meaning for your little lady: “beauty.”
• Róisín - pronounced ROH-sheen, is an Irish name that means "little rose."
• Cara – This is a short and sweet Irish name meaning 'friendship'.
• Erin - derives from the Old Irish name Eiru, the Matron Goddess of Ireland in Celtic mythology.
• Aisling - pronounced ASH-ling or ASH-lin, derived from the Gaelic word for dream or vision.
• Eithne - Pronounced EH-nye, Eithne is a Celtic girl's name meaning “little seed.”
Greek pretty baby names
There are so many pretty Greek baby names, inspired by Goddesses and mythology. These are a few that we love...
• Sofia - Sofia means "wisdom" in Greek and has become popular as a German name.
• Arianna - Arianna is a Greek name which means 'chaste, very holy.'
• Persephone - the name of the Greek mythological daughter of Zeus by Demeter, the queen of the harvest.
• Ophelia - The name Ophelia means “Helpful and wise” and is of Greek origin.
• Selene - The Ancient Greek name Selene means “Moon.” In Greek mythology, Selene was the personification of the moon.
• Thalia - Yet another captivating ancient Greek name, it means “to flourish.”
Don’t worry if your due date is fast approaching and you still haven’t found a name that feels like the one. Head to our baby name generator where you’ll find thousands of names to fall in love with, from more traditional sounding names, to unique baby names from all around the world.
Lorna White is the Senior Digital Writer for Mother&Baby. After running the Yours magazine website, specialising in content about caring for kids and grandchildren, Lorna brought her expertise to Mother&Baby in 2020. She has a keen interest in a range of topics from potty training and nutrition to baby names and early development and has a wide range of experienced medical experts and professionals at her fingertips. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her two young sisters, dog walking and enjoying the outdoors with her family.