Let's admit it: Besides the dirty diapers and the middle of the night wakeups, babies are pretty magical — even if we, as moms, are the ones who feel that magic the most. Knowing this, it makes sense if parents to be are searching for a magical baby name that will live up to their future little one's sparkle. A good place to start searching for that magical name? Fairy lore.
Naming a baby — boy or a girl — after a real-life fairy (well, as real as they can be) can guarantee ending up with a name that is unusual, whimsical, and has plenty of meaning behind it. Some of these fairy tales originated centuries ago, and some of the most popular names were even first used in Shakespeare's plays.
Here are 20 baby names that are perfect for any baby fairy who is on their way to Earth. Fans of all things fae, literature, and nature might end up falling in love with one of the names on this list.
ARIEL
Ariel comes from William Shakespeare's The Tempest — and in that play, this fairy was male. Though these days, we typically think of Ariel as a female name, parents going for a fairy-themed baby name could definitely consider this one gender neutral, as both men and women went on to play the part.
GLORIANA
In an English poem called The Faerie Queen by Edmund Spenser, Gloriana is the queen of the fairies, and this name ends up sticking around in fairy lore. On its own, this is a beautiful name for a baby girl, or could even be shortened to Gloria.
SARADINE
The fairy named Saradine comes from a fairy who played a pretty important role in a fairy tale called Prince Featherhead and the Princess Celandine. Saradine would make a beautiful (and uncommon) name for a baby girl, especially for those who love the story.
LAURIN
Laurin is a dwarf king in several different fairy tales that originated in Germany — and for those with a German ancestry, it might be fun to combine a love of fairies and heritage all at once in the same baby name. But if not, Laurin still makes a great name for a baby boy (and a baby girl, TBH).
WILLOW
Not only does the name Willow evoke feelings of nature, of which fairies are very much attuned to, but it's also inspired by a race of fairies called Will o' the Wisp. Shortening that name to Willow is a sweet way to pay tribute to that part of fairy lore.
AISLING
In the movie The Secret of Kells, Aisling is a fairy creature who lives in the forest and changes shape — pretty magical, right? This name also happens to be Irish, meaning "dream."
COLMAN
Colman is a baby fairy who is the star of a fairy tale called Colman Grey. As the story goes, Colman arrives at a farmer's house, needing someone to care for him, until he mysteriously disappears through a keyhole when his real father reappears a few days later.
ANA
In fairy lore that goes all the way back to the 1800s, Ana is known as the queen of forest nymphs, a race called the Keshalyi. This name is low key, but still manages to reference an important part of folklore.
KENNA
Not only is this a truly adorable name, but it's also the name of a fairy from the poem Kensington Garden by Thomas Tickell. In the story, Kenna was being forced to marry a fairy man when she actually fell in love with a human … and she helped create the gardens that were then named for her.
OBERON
Oberon is definitely an unusual name for a baby boy, but as far as fairy lore goes, it's a pretty impressive one, considering it happens to be the name of the king of the fairies. When it comes to a baby name, go big or go home!
CAELIA
Not only is this a gorgeous option for a baby name, but it's also a name that shows up time and time again in different fairy tales. She first appeared as a fairy queen in the story Tom a Lincoln by Richard Johnson from the 1500s, and her legacy continued from there.
ALVIN
The name Alvin has also shown up in fairy lore, and for good reason — it has a meaning that makes a lot of sense in these stories. The name comes from Old English and means "elf wine" or "noble friend."
LULU
While the name Lulu is often a nickname for Lucille, in fairy context, it's actually part of the name of a character in an Iraqi fairy tale. In full, the fairy's name is Lulu 'anaqidu, which means "clusters of pearls."
DAIN
The name Dain appears in different fairy tales, though his character is sometimes a demon. As a baby name, it's also tied into nature, Dain comes from Old English and means "brook," perfect for fairy fans who have a love of the outdoors.
MABEL
Mabel is the name of a fairy who shows up in several fairy tales, being the daughter of the fairy king, Oberon, and queen Mab. While this name is also a bit more traditional, its roots in lore also make it a bit magical, too.
FOSTER
Foster is a name that any magical little boy would love to have — especially for parents who feel like they're particularly attuned to the forest. After all, Foster does mean "forester," coming from Middle English.
MORGAN
Morgan is a fairy that has shown up in many different fairy tales, including those that are about King Arthur. Her full name is Morgan le Fay (which means Morgan the Fairy) and she has also been known as a healer.
KALLAN
The name Kallan (which is also sometimes spelled Kalan) is Gaelic and means "battle." This name has been used for both males and females in lore, making it a truly gender neutral pick.
SISSE
Sisse is a name that is tied to all things domestic and has been used in fairy tales as a name for a fairy who works in the kitchen (and can make magic or misfortune happen there, depending on the situation).
TITANIA
Titania is one of the most popular (and well known) fairy names. It all started when a fairy in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream was named Titania, and then, she was everywhere!
