Top 72 Beautiful Names That Mean Gentle

Persis Love
Dec 12, 2023 By Persis Love
Originally Published on Sep 02, 2020
Edited by Isobel Murphy
Newborn baby boy holding orange pastel tulip bouquet
Age: 0-99
Read time: 6.3 Min

We can't help but associate gentleness with newborns.

From soft to kind, peaceful and gracious, there are so many beautiful words out there meaning gentle. These words can be a great inspiration when choosing a name for your precious baby.

We've compiled our favourite names meaning gentle for babies of all genders. Choosing the right name can take some time, and it is such a personal choice for parents that it can be really useful to find inspiration from names from around the world. From the English name Clement to the Finnish Vieno and the Hebrew Adina, there's such a variety of baby names with a gentle meaning to choose from. There are even some more common names that parents will recognise, such as the Celtic name Kevin.

Girl Names That Mean Gentle

We have picked out the softest and kindest meaning names for your little girl.

Asian newborn baby holding mother hands in heart shape

1.Adina (Hebrew): A Biblical name meaning delicate or gentle.

2.Anana (African): This name can be found across many African countries and, while the meaning can vary slightly, it generally means soft, gentle.

3.Anisa (Indonesian): This name means good-natured or friendly.

4.Atubah (Arabic): This name comes from the Arabic language and its meaning is soft, gentle and delicate.

5.Aurear (English): This unique name means gentle music.

6.Caron (Welsh): A Welsh girls name meaning kindhearted or gentle.

7.Clementine (English): This traditional English name is of Latin origin and has some popularity in France. It means gentle, merciful and mild.

8.Dalia (Swahili): This African name can be found in Tanzania and means gentle or tender.

9.Damara (Greek): This Biblical name is of Ancient Greek origin and means gentle or gentle girl.

10.Ebele (Igbo): This name means mercy and kindness.

11.Eztia (Basque): This rare name comes from the Basque for honey and generally invokes sweet and gentleness.

12.Halima (Arabic): A name meaning gentle, humane, generous, patient and mild.

13.Hella (Finnish): This Nordic name means gentle or tender. Even the sound of it is soft!

14.Hiroko (Japanese): This name means tolerant.

15.Isaura (Greek): This Ancient Greek name can either mean gentle breeze or can refer to the Ancient land of Isauria.

16.Lateefa (Arabic): This name means gentle, kind, pleasant and friendly.

17.Malinda (Greek): Less common than the similar sounding Melinda, this name means gentle.

18.Mayu (Japanese): Here's a name that is rich in meaning. It signifies excellence, gentleness, genuine and evening.

19.Mehri (Persian): The meaning of this name is kind, lovable and sunny.

20.Melosa (Hispanic): This name can be found in Spanish speaking countries and means sweet or gentle.

21.Milburga (English): This is one of the most historical baby names we have on the list for a little girl. It comes from the Old English for gentle. Saint Milburga was the sister of Saint Mildred and legend has it that she had magical powers.

22.Mildred (English): This traditional Anglo-Saxon name meaning gentle strength.

23.Miliani (Hawaiian): This girls name means gentle caress.

24.Miyeon (Korean): This name means kindhearted.

25.Mridula (Hindu): This Indian name comes from Sanskrit and means soft, delicate and gentle.

26.Nariko (Japanese): This name can mean both gentle child and thunder - it makes a beautiful name for a little girl.

27.Nasima (Arabic): This female name means gentle breeze.

28.Nermin (Turkish): A beautiful name for a baby girl coming from the Persian for soft and gentle.

29.Sanjana (Hindu): This Indian name means soft or gentle.

30.Shu (Chinese): A name from the character 淑, which means gentle, fair, good.

31.Tirion (Welsh): The perfect name meaning gentle for a little girl.

32.Wan (Chinese): This Chinese name means graceful, gentle and elegant, or can even mean fine silk.

33.Yein (Korean): This name means benevolence, kindness and gentleness.

34.Yuko (Japanese): The meaning of this Japanese name is excellence and gentleness.

Boy Names That Mean Gentle

Names from around the world for your little gentle-man.

35.Abab (Arabic): This name comes from Urdu and means youthful gentleness.

36.Adiv (Hebrew): This name means gentle, pleasant and delicate.

37.Arudra (Hindu): This Hindu name means Lord Shiva and gentle.

38.Benigno (Latin): This name means kind and friendly.

39.Blandon (Latin): This ancient boys name means gentle in Latin.

40.Bonner (English, Scottish): This name is an old English and Scottish name, but it comes from the French for courteous or gentle.

41.Caoimhghin (Irish): This Celtic name is the Gaelic form of Kevin and means gentle birth

42.Clement (English): This traditional male name means gentle, kind and calm. Other versions of the name include Cleme, Clemens, Clementius, Clemmie and Clemmons.

43.Cliamon (Scottish): A name meaning gentle.

44.Damario (Greek): This is the male version of the name Damaris and it means gentle.

45.Damone (Greek): This name comes from the verb 'to tame' but also means gentle.

46.Evander (Greek): An Ancient Greek name meaning good man.

47.Gareth (Welsh): A typical Welsh boys name meaning gentleness. The name was also given to one of the knights in the tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

48.Halim (Arabic): A name meaning gentle, humane, generous, patient and mild. This is the male version of Halima.

49.Kapono (Hawaiian): Kapono means the good, moral one.

50.Kelemen (Hungarian): This unusual name comes from Hungary and means gentle. It can also be spelt, Kellman.

51.Kevin (Celtic): This is perhaps one of the most commonly heard names that mean gentle. Kevin (or Kevyn, or Kevan) comes from Ireland.

52.Kliment (Russian): This Slavic name means mercy and gentleness and can be shortened to Klim.

53.Lateef (Egyptian): This name can be spelt Lateef or Latif. It comes from Arabic and means gentle or pleasant.

54.Lutfi (Arabic): This name means kind and gentle.

55.Mungo: The origin of this name is ambiguous but it is possible that it comes from the Welsh word mwyn which means gentle and kind.

56.Ninad (Hindu): This Indian name has its roots in the natural world and means the sound of water or the gentle humming of water.

57.Rafiq (Arabic): The origin of this name lies in both Arabic and Urdu and its meaning can be both gentle and friend.

58.Rahim (Arabic): This name means kind hearted.

59.Stillman (English): The origin of this name comes from the German 'still' meaning calm or quiet. It is a traditional English name but is more commonly heard as a surname than a first name.

60.Yasashiku (Japanese): This name comes from Japan and means polite.

Unisex Names Meaning Gentle

Cute and names meaning gentle that suit babies of any gender.

61.Ahe (Hawaiian): This name means gentle breeze and is a rare and interesting name for a child.

62.Ellis (Welsh): This cute unisex name means benevolent, good and kind.

63.Hien (Vietnamese): This name means mild, gentle and good-natured.

64.Jamyang (Tibetan): This musical name comes from both Tibetan and Bhutanese and it means gentle song.

65.Jeong (Korean): This name refers to quietness, gentleness and stillness but it can also mean chastity and virtue.

66.Ji-Min (Korean): This is a name with many meanings, among them are ambition, wisdom, intellect, gentle and clever.

67.Jing (Chinese): This name means still, quiet and gentle. It is also one of few names that mean gentle spirit.

68.Lanh (Vietnamese):  This is one of the unisex Vietnamese names meaning gentle. It also means favourable and good.

69.Madhur (Hindu): This Indian name means sweet, gentle and melodious in Sanskrit.

70.Sopheap (Khmer): The Khmer people come from Cambodia. This name in their language means gentle, proper or good.

71.Vieno (Finnish): This is a unisex baby name from Finland. Its meaning is gentle.

72.Yuki (Japanese): The character yu means gentleness in Japanese as well as permanence or abundance. The second half of this name, ki, means brightness or living.

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Written by Persis Love

Bachelor of Arts specializing in Spanish and Portuguese

Persis Love picture

Persis LoveBachelor of Arts specializing in Spanish and Portuguese

Growing up with three young siblings and cousins, Persis loves discovering new games to play and activities to keep them all entertained. She has a Bachelor's degree in Spanish and Portuguese from the University of Oxford. Having spent most of her life in London since the age of 11, she enjoys exploring the city on her bike, checking out different parks and cafes. When she's not busy with her adventures in the city, she loves to travel and indulge in her passion for lino cutting, often taking her kit with her on her travels.

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