25 Timely Girl Baby Names Celebrate Times of Birth

Evocative baby names inspired by the time of day your baby is born offer an opportunity to celebrate the moment of her birth for the rest of her life. These baby names for girls capture a moment in time and crystalize it into a perfect keepsake. Perhaps your baby girl is born in the middle of the night or at sunrise, whenever she arrives, you can be sure there’s a name out there to commemorate the moment.

There are a variety of ways to capture a time of birth inside a baby’s name. Think of the season of her birth, a special day or holiday she is born near, the day of the week, or even the hour of birth for a number baby name. Whatever vehicle you choose to get there, baby names meaning a time of day or celebrating the season of her birth are aplenty! There are just so many beautiful and meaningful possibilities. Let’s take a look at a few, shall we? Here are 25 timely baby names for girls that celebrate the moment your little pride and joy meets you for the very first time!

25. Zora

After almost 100 years off of the US top 1000 most popular baby names for girls list, Zora is enjoying a renaissance today. Zora acts as a hero name to celebrate the iconic Zora Neale Hurston, an influential black writer and thought leader of the Harlem Renaissance. Zora is a name used in Slavic, Arabic, and African tradition meaning “dawn.” A perfect name for your sunshine babe!

24. Alba

Another baby name meaning “dawn” or “white,” Alba offers vintage charm. Alba was popular a century ago, but it has been a long time since new parents consider this appellation an appealing option. We think it’s time to bring her back! In Spain today, Alba is a top 10 choice for baby girls. They know what’s up.

23. Nox

For a baby girl born late at night, you might consider the Latin baby name Nox, coming from the Greek Nyx. Not to be confused with the Scottish surname Knox, Nox is a standalone baby name for girls meaning “night.” Nox is the Roman goddess of the night making her an excellent inspiration for your baby’s name.

22. Phoebe

Phoebe was considered another title for the mythical moon goddess Artemis by the ancient Greeks. Phoebe is the Latin form of the Greek appellation Phoibe, which derived from phoibos, meaning “bright.” Phoebe has appeared on the US top 1000 list since 1880, when record-keeping began, save for a few years in the sixties. She’s been back and on track to beat her most popular year of 1884 in 2021.

21. Nisha

Nisha is a popular baby name for girls in India. The Sanskrit baby name for girls means “night.” The name hit the popularity charts in England in the late 1990s, but it has yet to arrive on the US’s shores today. We hope this adorable, loving baby name is adopted by American parents soon as it is truly precious.

20. Amaya

Amaya is a baby name you will find in a number of traditions. To the Spanish this baby name means “mother city” from Basque tradition. In Japan, Amaya is a popular given name and surname that can mean “night rain” depending on the kanji used to construct it. If you have your baby girl on a rainy night, we can think of no brighter baby name to commemorate your child’s birth.

19. Akinyi

Akinyi sounds fabulous, even to English-speakers who might not have encountered this name before. Akinyi means “born in the morning” to the Luo peoples of East Africa. That makes this morning baby name for your daughter hyper-specific in the best, most meaningful way.

18. Eleven

The hour of birth also works as an especially timely baby name. Erykah Badu chose the name Seven, why not Eleven? Eleven has never appeared on the US top 1000 but the number as a name has captivated American audiences thanks to Netflix’s Stranger Things. Expect this number baby name to land in the top 1000 in coming years.

17. Wednesday

Rupert Grint, of Harry Potter fame, and his wife Georgia Groome chose the name Wednesday for their baby girl born in 2020. As with many celebrity baby names, Wednesday is expected to get a boost. The name, of course, belonged to Wednesday Addams from The Addams Family, but the day of the week comes from English tradition, meaning “Woden’s Day.” This super quirky weekday baby name is proof that you can name your baby for the day of the week she was born.

16. Holiday

Holiday, as a baby name, has evaded many a new parent’s imagination but we think it is one of the best names for a baby girl born around any celebratory day. Holiday is not only the name of Madonna’s super popular hit, but it also was borne by the main character of Breakfast at TIffany’s who went by “Holly.”

15. Noel

Noel is a popular French baby name given to girls born on the holiday as this name means “Christmas.” Noel has been doled out for babies born on Christmas day and in the season across Europe since the Middle Ages. It has proven mildly popular in the US, landing in top 1000 for the last time in 1998.

14. Valentine

If you do as the French do, Valentine, as a baby name for girls, is pronounced Val-en-teen. Expect to correct others who insist on pronouncing it Val-in-tyne. Surprisingly, this romantic baby name has not been on the US top 1000 list for girls for a hundred years! Give your love-day baby this name and help bring back this forgotten classic.

13. Danica

Danica is a delightful Slavic baby name that’s been enjoying some attention by American parents since the 1970s. This fabulous appellation means “morning star.” The name hit its peak of popularity in 2007 but we think there is still plenty of time for parents to propel this name to new heights.

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12. Stella

Sir Philip Sidney coined the name Stella in 1590 for a character in his poem, Astrophel and Stella. Stella comes from the Latin word for “star.” This name took some time off in the late eighties and early nineties before staging one of the biggest comebacks of any baby name. Today, Stella ranks as the 29th most popular choice for baby girls.

11. Eos

Another nighttime baby name for girls, Eos has Greek origins and means “dawn.” The name belonged to the Greek titan of the dawn. Eos is also a treasured Welsh baby name meaning “nightingale.” Therefore, this name can go either way, making it one of the most versatile on the list. Eos is pronounced eh-OS like eros without the “R.”

10. Celeste

Celeste is a perennial favorite baby girl name with Latin origins meaning “heavenly.” This makes Celeste a perfect baby name for girls born at a time of a certain celestial event. For instance, an eclipse or periodic comet like Halley’s comet’s return, could be the perfect motivation for you to choose this name.

9. Dawn

If Alba, Eos, and Zora feel too obscure to you, you can always go with the old standard Dawn. Dawn had a solid 85-year run on the US top 1000 from 1915 until 2000. While this name has fallen from favor, it’s still got plenty of merits including being very approachable and sunny.

8. Luna

The name of the Roman goddess of the moon, Luna is descended directly from the Latin word for “moon,” luna. After Chrissy Teigen and John Legend chose this name for their daughter in 2016, the name went from just outside the top 100 to the top 20 in just three years. Luna is the most popular name on this list which may or may not appeal to you. One thing is undeniable however, Luna is one beautiful name.

7. Meridian

The last time you probably thought of the word meridian was geography class. However, we think it works excellently as a baby name for girls. Meridian comes from a Latin word meaning “midday.” If you deliver a baby in the afternoon, this would make for a unique and evocative choice.

6. Arla

Arla comes from a Swedish word that literally means “early.” Thanks to names like Arlene, Orla, and Isla, we think this charmer would fit in well today. In the UK today, Arla is a top 1000 choice, while in the US, it has not appeared in the US top 1000 since 1941. Bring back good old Arla!

5. Aurora

Aurora has been on the US top 1000 baby name list since 1880 but it is currently more popular than ever before. In 2018, the name entered the top 50. We’re not the least bit mad about it! Aurora has Latin origins that mean “dawn.” Aurora was the Roman goddess of dawn who announced the coming of daylight.

4. Miyu

Miyu is a beautiful and unique baby name option with Japanese origins. Miyu means “beautiful evening” and makes for a striking and charismatic option in the US that’s completely approachable. If you love names like Mia, Maya, and Mila, consider Miyu as a fashionable alternative.

3. Layla

You will find the name Layla in Arabic, Persian, and Hebrew tradition. Historically, Layla was a mildly popular choice in the US since the seventies. That all changed in the late nineties and early aughts when this name skyrocketed to the top, landing in the top 50 for the first time in 2009. Layla means “night” making it perfect for a baby born under the stars.

2. Shirina

If Layla has become too popular for your tastes, we urge you to consider the Hindi name Shirina which also means “night.” Shirina remains mostly undiscovered by American parents but she is a stunner. Shirina is also a Persian nickname for Sharin which means “sweet” in that tradition.

RELATED: 25 Timely Boy Baby Names That Commemorate Times of Birth

1. Ilta

We really did save two of the most obscure baby names on this list for last! Ilta, pronounced EEL-tah, has Finnish origins and means “evening.” If you deliver your baby girl at night, Ilta could prove the most rewarding choice. If you also have Finnish heritage, we mean, come on!

There you go! We hope you enjoyed these timely baby names for girls that celebrate the time of day your baby was born, holidays, and seasons. Choosing a baby name for your daughter can be tough. By choosing a baby name commemorating the time of day your child was born, you will get to relive the first time you held her forever! We hope you feel inspired to do so! Happy baby name hunting!