Happiness can be elusive in life, but parents want their children to find joy and love in everything that they do. One way to inspire happiness is through baby names that mean joy. You can also pick one of these names to show your child how you felt when you first held them in your arms. To get started on your baby naming journey, we have 80 different joyful names for boys and girls.
50 Baby Names That Mean Joy for Girls
1. Aliza
Aliza is a beautiful name that is Jewish in origin. It was a variation on the Yiddish name, Freyde. This beautiful baby name means joyful.
2. Caia
This was once the name of the Roman goddess of fire and women. The name means to rejoice.
3. Felicia
Felicia is a name that comes from the word felicity. Thus, it is said to mean happy and lucky.
4. Ilaria
This unusual sounding name means happy. If you want a more modern, unique version of the name Hillary, this is it.
5. Letitia
This lovely baby name means joy.
6. Trixie
Trixie is a shorter form of Beatrix. It is said to mean she who brings happiness.
7. Rafa
Rafa is an Arabic name that is said to mean prosperity and happiness.
8. Merry
Merry is actually an English word that means happiness. Because of its connection to the phrase, “Merry Christmas,” we think it would be a great choice if your daughter is born in wintertime.
9. Jubilee
Jubilee is an actual vocabulary word that means joyous.
10. Hana
Hana broke the top 1,000 list of names in 1993, but it has never been particularly popular. In Japanese, it is the name of a flower. In English, it means happiness. Meanwhile, it is a variation on the name Johann in Polish.
11. Eda
This adorable baby name means wealthy and happy.
12. Beatrice
This name means she who brings happiness. It was a name chosen by literary greats like Shakespeare and Dante.
13. Ada
Ada is a variation on Old German names like Etta. It means happy and was more popular during the 1700s. It was the name that Lord Byron gave his daughter, Ada Lovelace
14. Beatrix
In Italian, this name means she who brings happiness or joy. It was the name of the writer of Peter Rabbit, Beatrix Potter. You can shorten this formal sounding name to nicknames like Bea, Trixie or Bee.
15. Farrah
This name comes from Arabic. In its original language, the name means joy or happiness.
16. Hillary
Hillary has remained a popular name for years, although it originally dates back to the Middle Ages. Centuries ago, it was primarily a boys name. Now, it is generally a girls name instead. The name means cheerful or happy.
17. Rena
This is a Hebrew name that means joyous melody.
18. Marnie
Marnie is a name that has been used by famous celebrities like the actress Marnie McPhail and the guitarist Marnie Stern.
19. Keiko
We love this name because it is unusual, but still has a beautiful sound to it. This Japanese name is said to mean happy child.
20. Gwyneth
This is such an adorable name. It is actually an Anglicized form of the Welsh name, Gwynedd. This name is said to mean happy.
21. Chara
Chara is such a pretty, unusual name. In Greek mythology, it was the name chosen for the star that symbolizes hunting dogs. The name means joy, and it would be a unique alternative to more traditional names like Sarah or Charlotte.
22. Alisa
This is one of our favorite baby names that mean joy. In Hebrew, this pretty name means great happiness.
23. Aida
This name comes to us from Arabic. It means happy. Some people will also recognize it as the name of the lead role in Verdi Opera. It was the story of an Ethiopian princess who gave her life to save her people.
24. Blythe
This is one of the more modern sounding names on this list. It is actually a variation on the English word, blithe. As such, this name has the meaning of happy, cheerful and carefree.
25. Naomi
This name first appeared in the Bible. It is said to mean pleasantness or cheerful.
26. Leta
Leta is a name that comes from Greek mythology. It was also the name of the second wife of Gratian, the Roman emperor. The name means joyful and glad.
27. Hani
This baby name comes from Hawaii and means joyful.
28. Edith
Edith is a lovely, old-fashioned sounding name. This Anglo-Saxon name is said to mean happy warfare. While the meaning may include the word happy, warfare does not sound particularly joyful to us.
29. Alair
Alair is an adorable variation on the name Hilary. As such, this name also means cheerful and happy.
30. Rowena
Rowena is a Latin name. It originally became popular after being the name of the main female character in Sir Walter Scott’s novel, Ivanhoe.
31. Luana
This Hawaiian name means happy in Polynesian.
32. Felicity
Felicity or Felicia both mean fortunate and happy.
33. Annabella
Annabella is a pretty name that can be turned into nicknames like Anna, Ann, Bella and Belle. The name means joy.
34. Aine
This is a traditional Irish name that comes from the goddess of prosperity and summer. The name means success and happiness.
35. Carol
This old-fashioned name means the song of happiness. It began to rise in popularity toward the end of the 1800s. It reached its peak popularity in the early 1940s.
36. Joyce
Joyce, means joyous, which makes this one of the top baby names that mean joy on this list.
37. Ronia
Ronia is a name that comes from Hebrew. While it is less common in the United States, we think that it deserves more attention. This name means joyful child.
38. Maeve
Maeve is an Irish name that means cause of great joy. It was also the name of a warrior queen in Ireland.
39. Joy
If you want a baby name that clearly means joy, this is it. It was quite popular among the Puritans during the 17th century.
40. Halona
This unusual name is Native American in origin. It is said to mean happy fortune.
41. Falisha
This adorable baby name means happy and fortunate. It is a variation on the name Felicia.
42. Bliss
This is actually an English vocabulary word. In the dictionary, it means joy, extreme happiness or cheer.
43. Allegra
Allegra is a female variation on the Italian word, allegro. As such, it also means jaunty or happy.
44. Abigail
Abigail is such a pretty name. It originally appeared in the Old Testament where it was the name of the wife of David. She was known for her prophetic abilities and wisdom. The name means my father is joyful.
45. Alaia
This is a name that means happy and joyful.
46. Aoife
This unusual English name is said to mean radiant or joyful. It was the name of one of the most famous female warriors ever.
47. Duscha
Duscha is an exotic European name that means happy.
48. Geila
This Hebrew name means the joy of the lord. It is originally a variation on the name Gila. Since the Gila Monster is a deadly Mexican lizard, spelling the name as Geila may be a better choice.
49. Leda
Leda is a Greek name that means happy. It was the name of Helen of Troy’s mother. She was renown for her wisdom and beauty.
50. Nara
Nara is a sweet, simple name. While it originally started as a Japanese surname, we think it would be a good first name as well. This name means happy.
30 Baby Names That Mean Joy for Boys
1. Cayo
If you want a more historic name, this would be a good option to choose. This name is Spanish in origin and means rejoice. Originally, it was a variation on the Roman surname, Caius, which was the name of many people in ancient Roman history.
2. Gae
This would be a very simple, easy to spell name choice for a baby boy. It comes from the English word gay. Despite its modern connotation, this word actually means blithe or cheerful. It was a given name during the 20th century, but it started to decline in popularity by the time the 21st century rolled around.
3. Marnin
This is an exotic sounding name that comes from Israel. In Hebrew, this lovely name is said to mean one who creates joy. You can also turn this baby boy name into shorter nicknames like Marn.
4. Zelig
Zelig is a more modern take on the name Selig. The name means happy or blessed. You may recognize this name from a Woody Allen movie.
5. Tate
Tate is a simple, strong name choice for a baby boy. It is said to mean cheerful and happy. For the last five years, this name has managed to break the top 400 list of baby names in the United States.
6. Oron
Oron is such a simple baby name, but we think it would be a strong choice for your son. This baby name means happy.
7. Isaac
Isaac is a name that is famous from the Bible. It has risen to the top 50 baby names in recent years. This name means joy and laughter. It can be turned into nicknames like Izzy or Ike.
8. Feliciano
This name is the Italian version of the name Felix. This beautiful sounding name means fortunate or happy.
9. Asher
This was the name of one of the sons of Jacob in the Bible. This Jewish name is said to mean fortunate or happy.
10. Selig
This is a Jewish name that means happy or fortunate. It comes from a Yiddish word originally.
11. Gaius
If you like historical names, this is a good one to choose. There have been many historical figures and literary characters who have had this ancient Latin name. In more modern times, it was the name of the American actor, Gaius Charles. The name means to rejoice in Latin.
12. Keyes
We think that this is a strong choice for a baby boy. It is a Hebrew variation on the name Caius. This name means to rejoice and can be shortened into adorable nicknames like Key.
13. Fane
This name was far more popular in the Middle Ages than it is today. This was once the nickname given to someone who had a cheerful demeanor in the Middle Ages. The name actually means joyous or happy.
14. Vidor
As we mentioned before, Hilary was originally a boys name. It is unsurprising that this Hungarian variation on Hilary would end up on this list. The name means happy and has been used off and on for centuries. It is far more common in European countries like Hungary than it is in English-speaking nations.
15. Noam
We love this Hebrew name. In Hebrew, the name means delight and joy. You may recognize it as the name of the intellectual, Noam Chomsky.
16. Festus
This is a nae that you are unlikely to hear at your child’s school anytime soon. This name comes to us from ancient Rome. In Latin, the name means joyous. It is the root word for our English word, festival.
17. Bahjat
For an exotic option, check out this Arabic name. It means happiness in Arabic.
18. Gil
This sweet, simple baby name means happiness. It comes to us from Hebrew. It has been the name of celebrities like the actor Gilbert Gerard.
19. Tarub
Tarub is certainly not a name that you hear every day in the United States. At the moment, this name tends to be more popular in the Middle East. This Arabic name means happy.
20. Zorion
This Basque name means happiness.
21. Yuki
This name is one of the few names on this list that comes from Japan. In Japanese, this adorable baby name means snow or happiness. You could use it for a baby girl or a baby boy.
22. Simcha
This exotic sounding name means joy. While this Hebrew name was originally a girls name, the Ashkenazic Jewish community tends to use it for baby boys instead.
23. Nario
This is an Italian name that means happy or cheerful. It is an unusual sounding alternative to more traditional names like Mario.
24. Gili
Gili is such an adorable sounding baby name. In Hebrew, this cute name means my joy.
25. Felix
This name comes to us from ancient Rome. In Latin, the name means lucky or happy. Early Christians often used this name, which is why there are several saints who have been named Felix.
26. Anschel
This Hebrew name means happy.
27. Caius
This strong name means joyful. It was the name of a pope in the third century and an early Christian writer.
28. Gale
This Irish name means happy and cheerful. It is a masculine variation on the name Abigail.
29. Macario
Macario is a Spanish name that means blessed and happy.
30. Winston
This English name means joy stone. It was famously the first name of the British leader during World War II, Winston Churchill.
