Blue Names for Babies
by Ruth Fitzpatrick
Blue is the color of serenity and calmness; crystalline seas and clear skies. It’s also a color that can provide plenty of baby name inspiration! Still haven’t picked out a name yet for your soon-to-be-here bundle? Don’t be getting blue! Pick from any one of these blue names instead:
Neel So much cooler, more stream-lined and exotic than the identical sounding Neil, Neel is a Hindi name meaning ‘sapphire blue’. It is a girl’s name, however, given that similarity to Neil (traditional a boy’s name) we think it could easily be used as a unisex name here in the States. We’re also a huge fan of the variant Nila. This is traditionally a boy’s name, but we think it would probably work best if used as a girl’s in the USA.
Azure We’re in love with this rich, luxurious color name. This luxuriousness is only amplified by its association with the playground of the rich and famous: the French Riviera, or Cote d’Azur. Azur would be a more masculine form of the name, while you can also use the variant, Azura, for your daughter. This name will definitely have huge cross-cultural appeal.
Livia Livia means ‘blue’, but also ‘envious’ in Latin. Though we’re sure that’s in reference to how envious everyone will be of this gorgeous name! It sounds much more modern and chic to Lydia, while the variant, Livie, could be used as an updated alternative to Libby. It was ranked #709 last year in the US, but is popular in many countries in the south of Europe, and has a number of literary namesakes.
Sky Although never quite mainstream, Sky has had a presence in the US for a number of decades. It sounds a lot more forceful, robust and serious in comparison to other flowerchild, hippy-esque names, but it still definitely maintains an attractive air of freeness and wildness. Skye has been lingering in the girls’ top 500 in most years since 1997, and has the added meaning of being a Scottish island. We wonder will this persist, though, as more and more parents are forced to watch more and more hours of Paw Patrol, with its flying pooch: Skye the cockapoo.
Topaz This precious stone and gemstone for the month of November was yet to reach the dizzying heights of Emerald or Ruby, but we think it really should! It comes in a variety of colors, from gold to blue, and blue topaz is the state gemstone of Utah. It is also consider the gem of friendship, giving added significance to the name. It has been considered a girl’s name, but we don’t think that that’s set in stone (pardon the pun!), and this could definitely make a really cool and unique boy’s name too.
Cyan Cyan simply sounds cool. It is the color name for a shade of bluish-green, and sounds a little more down-to-earth than the equally blue, Cerulean. For your little girl, you also have the choice of Cyane, which as well as being a variant of Cyan, was a beautiful and alluring mythological nymph, who lived in the deep blue pools of ancient Sicily.
Indigo This is a very unique sounding name as well as being a very attractive deep, regal blue color. It has had huge cultural and religious significance in many societies and civilizations for centuries. It comes from the Greek for ‘Indian dye’, reflecting the trade links of the past.
Sapphire Another gemstone, though probably one best reserved for the girls. Its final syllable gives it a super sassy and fiery feel but it is also very elegant and noble. It has a Hebrew origin, and some linguists propose it means ‘dear to Saturn’. This dazzling blue precious stone is the birthstone of September.
Blue Finally, if you really want to go with a blue name, why not go ALL the way Blue. A decade ago this name would have seemed borderline ridiculous, and when megastars Jay-Z and Beyoncé bestowed it on their first little girl, it seemed like something only a celebrity could get away with. But! We’ve now had some time to let it grow on us, and we’re now fully on the Blue-train! Blu and Bleu are both available as alternatives, and if you love it but worried you don’t quite have the star power to carry it off: use it as a middle name.
