A name with a clever twist can add a bit of joy and humor to life. Palindrome names, which have mirrored spellings, are just that; they’re fun and cute, make a convenient about-me fact for icebreakers, and a sprinkling of them are actually very classic and common names.
We’ve assembled over 100 of our favorite palindrome names for boys and girls, with origins and meanings included. While unisex palindrome names are difficult to find, some of our picks do double as unisex options. If all else fails, it’s a great opportunity for parents to get creative — we’d love to hear what you’ve come up with!
What is a palindrome?
The word ‘palindrome’ describes a word, name, phrase, number, or numerical sequence which is identical whether read front to back or back to front.
Palindrome is of Greek etymology, derived from the words ‘palin’, meaning “back”, and ‘dromos’, meaning “direction”. In ancient Greece, this word was used to refer to the way crabs scuttle backward.
Palindrome fun facts
- The first recorded observation of a palindrome dates back to approximately 70 AD, and was found scrawled in Latin as buried graffiti at Herculaneum; the phrase, “sator arepo tenet opera rotas”, means, per one interpretation, ‘the sower Arepo leads his hand with the plough’.
- The longest English palindrome is an onomatopoeia found in James Joyce’s Ulysses; the word is “tattarrattat”, signifying knocking on a door.
- The longest palindrome in any language is found in Finnish, wherein the word “saippuakivikauppias” means ‘soapstone vendor’.
Male baby names
- Ata – in Arabic and Persian, “gift”; in Turkish, “forefather”; in Fante (one language of Ghana), “one of twins”
- Aza – originating in the Persian Empire, an ancient name which is a modernized form of the name Reza; means “delight”, “rejoicing”, “gratitude”, “triumph”, and “victory”
- Bab – in Arabic, “from the gateway”; in Greek, “foreign”, “strange”, or “from a foreign land”
- Bob – an abbreviated form of the name Robert with Germanic roots, meaning “bright fame”
- Davad – taken from the Hebrew name David, which was itself taken from the Hebrew word Dod meaning “uncle” or “beloved”
- Ebbe – an abbreviated form of the name Eberhard with Scandinavian roots, meaning “brave boar”
- Ede – a Germanic name meaning “guardian of wealth”
- Ege – in German, a variation of Eck, a Middle High German word meaning “corner”; in Norwegian, a variant of Eike, taken from the Old Norse word eiki meaning “oak grove”; in Danish, “one who lives near an oak tree”
- Exe – refers to a river in Devon, England, the River Exe; also an alternate/phonetic spelling of the letter X
- Iggi – an African name meaning “only son”
- Iwi – a Maori/Pacific Islander name meaning “nation”, “tribe”, or “a people”
- Jalaj – an Indian name meaning “lotus flower”
- Kanak – a Hindu name meaning “gold”
- Kerek – a Hungarian name meaning “wheel”
- Kilik – a Tagalog name meaning “carried on the hip” or “supported by the arm”
- Kuruk – a Pawnee Native American name meaning “bear”
- Lal – taken from the Sanskrit word “lala, meaning “cajoling”; in Iranian, “beloved”, “darling”, or “precious”; in Persian, “garnet” or “ruby”, in the eastern Iranian language of Pashto, “ruby”; and, in Bengali and Hindustani, “red”
- Lehel – a Hungarian name meaning “breathes”
- Lel – a Slavic name meaning “taker”
- Lemel – a Hebrew name meaning “belonging to God”
- Lul – an Arabic name meaning “pearl”
- Luul – a Somali name meaning “diamond”
- Mallam – a Nigerian name meaning “learned person”
- Naman – in both Hindi and Hebrew a name meaning “salutations” and “be kind”
- Natan – a Hebrew name meaning “giving”
- Navan – a Hebrew name meaning “champion” or “King of the Jews”
- Nayan – an Indian name which means “eye”; though this name is more often given to male children, it is technically gender neutral
- Nen – an Egyptian name meaning “ancient waters”
- Neven – a Latin name meaning “saintly”; also, an alternate spelling of Nevin
- Nirin – a Thai name meaning “eternal”
- Nitin – an Indian and Nepalese name meaning “one who knows morality” or “master of the righteous path” in Sanskrit
- Nolon – an alternate spelling of Nolan; more traditionally an Irish surname, but also a Gaelic given name meaning “descended from a chariot fighter”, “noble”, and “famous”
- Nosson – a Hebrew variation of the given name Nathan, which means “he has give in”
- Odo – an English name meaning “rich” or “wealthy”
- Otto – a Germanic name meaning “wealth”
- Ovidivo – a Spanish name meaning “shepherd”
- Pip – a shortened version of the Spanish and Greek name Phillip, which means “horse lover”
- Pylyp – a Ukranian form of the name Phillip, which means “horse lover”
- Ramar – an alternate form of the name of Rama, also called Ramachandra, Rama, or Ram, a major deity in Hinduism, the seventh avatar of Vishnu; also appears in Vedic literature as a description of a person who is “beautiful”, “charming”, or “lovely” and can additionally mean “darkness” or “night”
- Rayar – an Indian name meaning “way of heaven” or “path to paradise”
- Reinier – a Dutch name meaning “brave rule”
- Sabas – a Hebrew name meaning “drunkard”, “drunken”, or “old man”; also the name of a revered Cappadocian -Greek monk, Saint Sabbas the Sanctified
- Sahas – a Sanskrit name meaning bravery
- Salas – a Spanish name meaning “rooms” or “halls”, this was likely to have been a surname given to domestic workers; as a first name, though it is more often given to male children, it is technically gender neutral
- Saras – a Hindi name meaning “swan” or “the moon”
- Savas – a Turkish name meaning “battle”
- Sebes – a Hungarian name meaning “one who is swift”
- Shahs – a pluralization of the title given to Iranian royalty, including lords, kings, princes, and emperors; the title Shah is taken from the Old Persian word for king, xšāyaθiya, which more technically means “pertaining to reigning or ruling”
- Silis – alternate spelling of the English and Latin name Silas, meaning “forest” or “wood”
- Siris – a species of East Indian walnut tree
- Sos – a Hungarian name meaning “salt” or “salty”; typically a surname but sometimes used as a given name for males
- Sylys – alternate spelling of the English and Latin name Silas, meaning “forest” or “wood”
- Talat – a Turkish name meaning “face” or “sight”
- Tenet – a term derived from Latin which refers to “a principle, belief, or doctrine generally held to be true”
- Utu – a Sumerian name meaning “sun”
Female baby names
- Abba – a Hebrew name meaning “father of exultation”’; also an alternate spelling of the name Abby or Abigail
- Abiba – a North African name meaning “the beloved one”
- Abiriba -the name of an ancient Nigerian kingdom with residents descending from the Igbo and Efik peoples
- Acaiaca – an alternate spelling of the Greek name Acacia, meaning “thorny tree”
- Ada – a German name meaning “noble” or “happy”, commonly a shortened version of longer names beginning with Ada- or Ade-
- Adda – in Welsh, “red-skinned”; in German, “noble” and an alternate version of Ada
- Aeaea – in Ancient Greek, the mythological island thought to be the home of the powerful goddess and sorceress Circe
- Ahsha – an alternate spelling of the Arabic name Asha, meaning “alive and well”
- Aidia – a Spanish baby name meaning “help”
- Ailia – an Irish baby name meaning “light”
- Ala – in Arabic, “excellence” or “praise; in Nigerian and Guinea Igbo dialect, “nobility”, referring to their earth goddess
- Aleela – a Swahili name meaning “she cries”
- Alla – a Russian name meaning “other”
- Alula -an Arabic name meaning “first leap”
- Alyla – a Sanskrit name meaning “interest”
- Ama – a name from the Akan people of Ghana which means “born on Saturday” in accordance with the culture’s day naming tradition
- Amma – an Indian name meaning “mother”
- Anna/Ana – while both of these names mean “gracious” and “merciful”, the former is of Hebrew origin while the latter is of Spanish origin
- Anina – an Aramaic name meaning “answer my prayer”
- Aoloa – a Hawaiian name meaning “costume”, “distinguished”, or “long cloud”
- Arara – an alternate form of the Arabic name Araarah, which means “greatness”, “might”, or “strength”
- Ardra – a Celtic name meaning “blooming meadow”
- Arora – a Latin name meaning “dawn”; also, an alternate spelling for Aurora
- Asa – a Hebrew name meaning “physician”; many consider this name to be gender neutral
- Assa – an Old Norse name meaning “fair, beautiful goddess”; also, a variation of the name Astrid
- Ava – a Latin name meaning “like a bird”; originally, a shortened form of the name Avis
- Aviva – a Hebrew name meaning “spring” and “renewal”
- Aya – in Hebrew, “bird”; in Japanese, “color” or “design”
- Aziza – an Arabic name meaning “highly esteemed”
- Eillie – an abbreviated form or nickname for the Scottish name Eileen, which means “bright and shining”
- Elle – a French name meaning “girl” or “female”
- Elole – a community in rural Senegal
- Elsle – an alternate spelling of the name Elsie, meaning “pledged to God”
- Emme – an English name meaning “universal”
- Eve – a Hebrew name meaning “to breathe” or “to live”
- Habibah – an Arabic name meaning “beloved”
- Halah – an Arabic name meaning “halo”
- Hannah – a Hebrew name meaning “grace”
- Havah – a Hebrew name meaning “life”
- Hayah – a Sindhi name meaning “life”
- Heneh – an alternate form of the Hebrew name Channah, meaning “favor” or “grace”
- Ireri – a Mexican name meaning “princess”
- Itati – a Paraguayan Guarani word for “white rock”
- Ivi – an English name meaning “ivy plant”; also, an alternate spelling for Ivy
- Layal – an Arabic name meaning “nights”
- Lil – a Latin name meaning “lily”, “flower”, or “pure”
- Maham – a Muslim name meaning “full moon”
- Mairiam – an alternate spelling of the Hebrew name Miriam, meaning “drop of the sea”, “beloved”, or “bitter”
- Mem – A shortened version of the Spanish and Portugese name Mendo, which means “gives sacrifices to god”
- Nan – an English name meaning “grace”; also, a nickname or shortened form of Anne or Nancy
- Nin – a Hebrew name meaning “grace”
- Nun – a biblical name meaning “posterity”, “eternal”, or “a fish”
- Non – a Welsh name meaning “unknown”; taken from the name of Saint Non, a Welsh Saint whose name was an abbreviated form of Nonita
- Rumur – An alternate version of the name Rumor, taken from the Middle English word rumour and the Old French word rumeur, quite literally referring to unsubstantiated information spread by word-of-mouth
- Viv – a Latin name meaning “lively”
