Names Deemed "delicate"

This is a list of names in which the community's impression is delicate.
gender
usage
impression
​
Mabella f English (Rare)
Elaborated form of Mabel.
Mabelle f English
Variant of Mabel. It also coincides with the French phrase ma belle meaning "my beautiful".
Madelief f Dutch
Derived from Dutch madeliefje meaning "daisy".
Maisy f English (British)
Variant of Maisie.
Maksims m Latvian
Latvian form of Maximus.
Malai f Thai
Means "garland of flowers" in Thai.
Manami f Japanese
From Japanese 愛 (mana) meaning "love, affection" combined with 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" or 海 (mi) meaning "sea, ocean". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Maple f English
From the English word for the tree (comprising the genus Acer), derived from Old English mapul. This is the name of a girl in Robert Frost's poem Maple (1923) who wonders about the origin of her unusual name.
Marcellin m French
French form of Marcellinus.
Mari 2 f Japanese
From Japanese 真 (ma) meaning "real, genuine" combined with 理 (ri) meaning "reason, logic" or 里 (ri) meaning "village". Many other combinations of kanji characters can form this name.
Marianela f Spanish
Combination of María and Estela.
Marielle f French
French diminutive of Marie.
Mariette f French
French diminutive of Marie.
Marinette f French
French diminutive of Marine.
Mauricette f French
French feminine form of Maurice.
Maybelle f English
Variant of Mabel.
Maylis f French
From the name of a town in southern France, said to derive from Occitan mair "mother" and French lys "lily". It is also sometimes considered a combination of Marie and lys.
Mayumi 2 f Tagalog
Means "tender, soft, modest" in Tagalog.
Mei 1 f Chinese
From Chinese 美 (měi) meaning "beautiful" or 梅 (méi) meaning "Chinese plum" (species Prunus mume), as well as other characters that are pronounced similarly.
Melánia f Hungarian, Slovak
Hungarian and Slovak form of Melania (see Melanie).
Melania f Italian, Spanish, Polish, Romanian, Late Roman
Italian, Spanish, Polish and Romanian form of Melanie.
Melánie f Czech (Rare)
Czech form of Melanie.
Mélina f French
French form of Melina.
Méline f French
French form of Melina.
Melisa f Spanish, Bosnian, Albanian, Turkish, Azerbaijani
Spanish, Bosnian, Albanian, Turkish and Azerbaijani form of Melissa.
Mélodie f French
French cognate of Melody.
Mercè f Catalan
Catalan form of Mercedes.
Merete f Danish, Norwegian
Medieval Danish variant of Margrethe.
Michiko f Japanese
From Japanese 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful", 智 (chi) meaning "wisdom, intellect" and 子 (ko) meaning "child". This name can also be comprised of other combinations of kanji.
Mie f Danish, Norwegian
Danish and Norwegian diminutive of Marie.
Mignon f Literature
Means "cute, darling" in French. This is the name of a character in Ambroise Thomas's opera Mignon (1866), which was based on Goethe's novel Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship (1796).
Milani f English (Modern)
From the name of the Italian city of Milan, as in the name of the American cosmetics company founded in 2002. It could also a variant of Melanie.
Miléna f Hungarian
Hungarian form of Milena.
Mileva f Serbian, Macedonian
From the Slavic element milŭ meaning "gracious, dear".
Mille f & m Norwegian, Danish, Swedish
Danish and Norwegian short form of Emilie (feminine) and Swedish short form of Emil (masculine).
Millie f English
Diminutive of Mildred, Millicent and other names containing the same sound.
Mimi f English
Diminutive of Maria and other names beginning with M.
Minali f Hindi
Means "fish catcher" in Sanskrit.
Minnie f English
Diminutive of Wilhelmina. This name was used by Walt Disney for the cartoon character Minnie Mouse, introduced 1928.
Min-Su m Korean
From Sino-Korean 民 (min) meaning "people, citizens" or 旼 (min) meaning "gentle, affable" combined with 秀 (su) meaning "luxuriant, beautiful, elegant, outstanding" or 洙 (su), which refers to a river in China. Other hanja combinations are possible.
Minty f English (Rare)
Diminutive of Araminta.
Minu f Persian
Alternate transcription of Persian مینو (see Minoo).
Mirabelle f French (Rare), English (Rare)
Derived from Latin mirabilis meaning "wonderful". This name was coined during the Middle Ages, though it eventually died out. It was briefly revived in the 19th century.
Mireia f Catalan, Spanish
Catalan form of Mirèio (see Mireille).
Mireille f French, Dutch
From the Occitan name Mirèio, which was first used by the poet Frédéric Mistral for the main character in his poem Mirèio (1859). He probably derived it from the Occitan word mirar meaning "to admire". It is spelled Mirèlha in classical Occitan orthography. A notable bearer is the French singer Mireille Mathieu (1946-).
Miri f Hebrew
Hebrew diminutive of Miriam.
Missie f English
Diminutive of Melissa.
Miu f Japanese
From Japanese 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" and 羽 (u) meaning "feather". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Miyako f Japanese
From Japanese 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful", 夜 (ya) meaning "night" and 子 (ko) meaning "child". This name can be formed from other combinations of kanji as well.
Momoka f Japanese
From Japanese 百 (momo) meaning "hundred" or 桃 (momo) meaning "peach" combined with 花 (ka) meaning "flower" or 香 (ka) meaning "fragrance". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Mylène f French
Combination of Marie and Hélène. It can also be used as a French form of Milena.
Mysie f English (Rare)
Variant of Maisie.
Nana 2 f Japanese
From Japanese 菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens" and/or 奈 (na), a phonetic character. The characters can be in either order or the same character can be duplicated, as indicated by the symbol 々. Other kanji with the same pronunciations can also be used to form this name.
Nannie f English
Diminutive of Anne 1.
Nanny f English
Diminutive of Anne 1.
Nari f Korean
Means "lily" in Korean.
Natalina f Italian, Portuguese
Diminutive of Natalia (Italian) or Natália (Portuguese).
Nea f Swedish, Finnish
Short form of Linnéa.
Neea f Finnish
Short form of Linnea.
Nieve f Spanish (Rare)
Variant of Nieves.
Ninel f Russian
Reversal of the surname Lenin. Lenin was the founder of the former Soviet state. This name was created by communist parents who were eager to reject traditional names.
Ninette f French
Diminutive of Nina 1.
Noemí f Spanish
Spanish form of Naomi 1.
Novella f Italian
Derived from Latin novellus meaning "new, young, novel", a diminutive of novus "new". This name was borne by the 14th-century Italian scholar Novella d'Andrea, who taught law at the University of Bologna.
Oana f Romanian
Romanian short form of Ioana.
Ophélie f French
French form of Ophelia.
Oralie f English (Rare)
Possibly a variant of Aurélie.
Ottilie f German
German form of Odilia.
Pamelia f English
Elaborated form of Pamela.
Pansy f English
From the English word for a type of flower, ultimately deriving from Old French pensee "thought".
Parris m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that originally denoted a person who came from the French city of Paris (see Paris 2).
Pascaline f French
Feminine form of Pascal.
Patricie f Czech
Czech feminine form of Patricius (see Patrick).
Pearlie f English
Diminutive of Pearl.
Pembe f Turkish
Means "pink" in Turkish.
Peony f English (Rare)
From the English word for the type of flower. It was originally believed to have healing qualities, so it was named after the Greek medical god Pæon.
Perlie f English (Rare)
Diminutive of Pearl.
Perlita f Spanish
Diminutive of Perla.
Permelia f English (Archaic)
Meaning unknown, possibly an early American alteration of Pamela.
Petal f English (Rare)
From the English word for the flower part, derived from Greek πέταλον (petalon) meaning "leaf".
Petunia f English (Rare)
From the name of the flower, derived ultimately from a Tupi (South American) word.
Philomel f Literature
From an English word meaning "nightingale" (ultimately from Philomela). It has been used frequently in poetry to denote the bird.
Philomène f French
French form of Philomena.
Pili 1 f Spanish
Diminutive of Pilar.
Poppy f English
From the word for the red flower, derived from Old English popæg.
Posie f English
Variant of Posy.
Posy f English
Diminutive of Josephine. It can also be inspired by the English word posy for a bunch of flowers.
Pratima f Hindi, Marathi
From Sanskrit प्रतिमा (pratimā) meaning "image, likeness, reflection".
Preeti f Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati
Alternate transcription of Hindi प्रीति or प्रीती, Marathi प्रीती or Gujarati પ્રીતિ (see Priti).
Primrose f English (Rare)
From the English word for the flower, ultimately deriving from Latin prima rosa "first rose".
Prissy f English
Diminutive of Priscilla.
Priti f Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati
From Sanskrit प्रीति (prīti) meaning "pleasure, joy, love".
Proserpine f Roman Mythology (Anglicized, Gallicized)
English and French form of Proserpina.
Prudencia f Spanish
Spanish feminine form of Prudentius.
Rabia f & m Arabic, Turkish, Urdu
Alternate transcription of Arabic رابعة (see Raabi'a), as well as the usual Turkish and Urdu form.... [more]
Rosabel f English (Rare)
Combination of Rosa 1 and the common name suffix bel, inspired by Latin bella "beautiful". This name was created in the 18th century.
Rosabella f English (Rare)
Variant of Rosabel.
Rosalía f Spanish, Galician
Spanish and Galician form of Rosalia.
Rosalie f French, German, Dutch, English
French, German and Dutch form of Rosalia. In the English-speaking this name received a boost after the release of the movie Rosalie (1938), which was based on an earlier musical.
Rosaline f English
Medieval variant of Rosalind. This is the name of characters in Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Lost (1594) and Romeo and Juliet (1596).
Rosalynne f English (Rare)
Variant of Rosalyn.
Rosa María f Spanish
Combination of Rosa 1 and María.
Roseline f French
French form of Rosalind. Saint Roseline of Villeneuve was a 13th-century nun from Provence.
Rosemarie f English, German, Dutch
Variant of Rosemary.
Rosica f Bulgarian
Alternate transcription of Bulgarian Росица (see Rositsa).
Rosina f Italian
Italian diminutive of Rosa 1. This is the name of a character in Rossini's opera The Barber of Seville (1816).
Rosine f French
French diminutive of Rose.
Rosy f English
Diminutive of Rose.
Ruthie f English
Diminutive of Ruth 1.
Sakura f Japanese
From Japanese 桜 (sakura) meaning "cherry blossom", though it is often written using the hiragana writing system. It can also come from 咲 (saku) meaning "blossom" and 良 (ra) meaning "good, virtuous, respectable" as well as other kanji combinations.
Sari 1 f Finnish
Finnish variant of Saara.
Sari 2 f Indonesian
Means "essence" in Indonesian.
Sarina f German, Dutch, English (Modern)
Diminutive of Sara, or sometimes a variant of Serena.
Sashi m & f Kannada
Alternate transcription of Kannada ಶಶಿ (see Shashi).
Savina f Italian
Italian variant of Sabina.
Sayuri f Japanese
From Japanese 小 (sa) meaning "small" and 百合 (yuri) meaning "lily". This name can also be composed of other kanji combinations.
Scilla f Italian
Short form of Priscilla. This is also the Italian word for the squill flower (genus Scilla).
Sherrie f English
Variant of Sherry.
Shiori f & m Japanese
As a feminine name it can be from Japanese 詩 (shi) meaning "poem" combined with 織 (ori) meaning "weave". It can also be from 栞 (shiori) meaning "bookmark" (usually feminine) or 撓 (shiori) meaning "lithe, bending" (usually masculine), as well as other kanji or kanji combinations.
Sibéal f Irish
Irish form of Isabel.
Silvie f Czech
Czech form of Silvia.
Sima 2 f Hindi, Marathi, Bengali
From Sanskrit सीम (sīma) meaning "boundary, limit".
Sissie f English
Variant of Sissy.
Sissy f English
Diminutive of Cecilia, Frances or Priscilla. It can also be taken from the nickname, which originated as a nursery form of the word sister.
Snow f English (Rare)
From the English word, derived from Old English snāw.
Sofía f Spanish, Galician
Spanish and Galician form of Sophia.
Sofiya f Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian
Russian, Ukrainian and Bulgarian form of Sophia.
Soline f French
Variant of Solange.
Sophy f English (Rare)
Variant of Sophie or a diminutive of Sophia.
Spring f English
From the name of the season, ultimately from Old English springan "to leap, to burst forth".
Staci f English
Feminine variant of Stacy.
Sumire f Japanese
From Japanese 菫 (sumire) meaning "violet (flower)". Other kanji combinations can form this name as well. It is often written using the hiragana writing system.
Sunshine f English
From the English word, ultimately from Old English sunne "sun" and scinan "shine".
Suri f Yiddish
Yiddish form of Sarah.
Susi f German
German diminutive of Susanne.
Sybella f English (Rare)
Variant of Sibylla.
Sylvi f Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish
Norwegian and Swedish variant of Solveig. It is also used as a short form of Sylvia.
Symphony f English (Rare)
Simply from the English word, ultimately deriving from Greek σύμφωνος (symphonos) meaning "concordant in sound".
Taline f Armenian
Alternate transcription of Armenian Թալին (see Talin).
Tansy f English (Rare)
From the name of the flower, which is derived via Old French from Late Latin tanacita.
Thi f Vietnamese
From Sino-Vietnamese 詩 (thi) meaning "poetry, poem, verse".
Tiffiny f English (Rare)
Variant of Tiffany.
Timmy m English
Diminutive of Timothy.
Tiphanie f French
French variant of Tiffany.
Toinette f French
Short form of Antoinette.
Tonje f Norwegian
Variant of Torny.
Tullia f Italian, Ancient Roman
Feminine form of Tullius (see Tullio).
Ume f Japanese
From Japanese 梅 (ume) meaning "Japanese apricot, plum" (refers specifically to the species Prunus mume). In Japan the ume blossom is regarded as a symbol of spring and a ward against evil. Different kanji or kanji combinations can also form this name.
Vasia f Greek
Diminutive of Vasiliki.
Vilde 1 f Norwegian
Short form of Alvilde.
Violeta f Romanian, Spanish, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Serbian, Albanian, Lithuanian
Form of Violet in several languages.
Violetta f Italian, Russian, Hungarian
Italian, Russian and Hungarian form of Violet.
Violette f French
French form of Violet.
Virginie f French
French form of Virginia.
Viviane f French, Portuguese
French form of Viviana, as well as a Portuguese variant. It is also the French form of Vivien 2.
Viviette f English (Rare)
Diminutive of Vivienne. William John Locke used this name for the title character in his novel Viviette (1910).
Waimarie f Maori
Means "good luck" in Maori.
Wioletta f Polish
Polish form of Violet.
Wisteria f English (Rare)
From the name of the flowering plant, which was named for the American anatomist Caspar Wistar.
Yasamin f Persian
Persian form of Yasmin.
Yasmeen f Arabic, Urdu
Alternate transcription of Arabic ياسمين or Urdu یاسمین (see Yasmin).
Yên f Vietnamese
From Sino-Vietnamese 安 (yên) meaning "calm, peaceful".
Yua f Japanese
From Japanese 結 (yu) meaning "tie, bind" and 愛 (a) meaning "love, affection". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Yui f Japanese
From Japanese 結 (yu) meaning "tie, bind" or 優 (yu) meaning "excellence, superiority, gentleness" combined with 衣 (i) meaning "clothing, garment". It can also come from stand-alone 結 (yui) using a different nanori reading. This name can be formed of other kanji or kanji combinations as well.
Yume f Japanese
From Japanese 夢 (yume) meaning "dream, vision". It can also come from 裕 (yu) meaning "abundant, rich, plentiful" and 芽 (me) meaning "bud, sprout", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations.
Yuu m & f Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 優 or 悠 or 勇 (see Yū).