Modern Christian Baby Names

  1. Calvary
    • Origin:

      English from Latin, place name
    • Description:

      In the Bible, Calvary is the hill outside of Jerusalem where Jesus was crucified. This religious significance, along with a pleasant sound, have led some parents to begin using it as a name for their daughters.
  2. Jerusalem
    • Origin:

      Place name
    • Meaning:

      "city of the ancient god Shalem"
    • Description:

      Transferred from the geographical name, Jerusalem is a sacred city in many religious traditions, including Judaism, Christianity and Islam. It is given to around a dozen babies of each sex per year in the US.
  3. Credence
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      A modern word and virtue name which first appeared on the US baby name charts in 2013, when it was given to 6 boys. Usage peaked in 2019, with 18 boys and seven baby girls, no doubt thanks to the enigmatic Credence Barebone from the Fantastic Beasts film franchise.
  4. Blessed
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "made holy"
    • Description:

      Blessed and Blessing are two new entrants in the word name and virtue name categories, gaining popularity for both boys and girls.
  5. Blessed
    • Origin:

      Word name and virtue name
    • Description:

      Blessed and Blessing are two word and virtue names getting more attention, especially among religious parents.
  6. Divinity
    • Origin:

      Word name, English from Latin
    • Meaning:

      "divinity"
    • Description:

      Could be a sister to Trinity, Genesis, or Heaven.
  7. Heavenly
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      Heavenly, the word that's become a name, has been flirting with the bottom of the Top 1000 for a handful of years now. Heaven and cousins like Nevaeh have been well-used so adding the popular -ly suffix, ala Everly, seems like a natural progression.
  8. Palm
    • Origin:

      Word name, Latin
    • Meaning:

      "of the palm; pilgrim"
    • Description:

      Palmer is a Top 300 choice in the US for girls and has more recently been on the rise for boys, but what about the shorter form, Palm? A spiritual name, a word name, and a nature name, it comes from the Latin palma meaning "palm tree" or referring to the palm of the hand.
  9. Requiem
    • Origin:

      Word name, Latin
    • Meaning:

      "rest; act or token of remembrance; Mass or musical composition for the souls of the dead"
    • Description:

      A word name linked to music and spirituality, Requiem could have the more familiar nicknames Remi or Emmy. Associated with remembrance, Catholic Mass, and music for the dead, it more literally means "rest". It has never been used as a name (yet!)
  10. Gift
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Description:

      Surprisingly, one of the fastest-rising names for girls.
  11. Chosen
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "having been selected as the best or most appropriate"
    • Description:

      Chosen is officially a baby name thanks to Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, who chose (can't resist) the word as the name of his newborn son. While it may inspire bad puns, Chosen is actually a pretty good word name: It's got the two-syllable, n-ending sound that is so fashionable for names, plus a positive, affirming meaning. Chosen is rising on the girls' side too now, given to 74 baby girls in 2022.
  12. Omega
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "last"
    • Description:

      Omega is a perfect choice for a youngest child.
  13. Alpha
    • Origin:

      Greek, first letter of the alphabet
    • Description:

      The first letter of the Greek alphabet ande the brightest star in every constellation, this would make an interesting choice for a first daughter, though it does give off some spectral sci-fi reverberations--and references to the term "alpha male.".
  14. Vision
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "the state of being able to see"
    • Description:

      This newly-minted gender neutral word name has a spiritual and creative feel. It was given to 6 baby girls and 13 boys in 2021.
  15. Verse
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "verse"
    • Description:

      Writing-related names are starting to become more popular, with names like Poet, Story, and Lyric having been used by many a celebrity. Now it's Verse's turn, as it was recently used by Teen Mom's Kailyn Lowry for her son.
  16. Exodus
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "departure"
    • Description:

      Exodus is one of the contemporary Christian names on the rise for both boys and girls. Only five baby girls were named Exodus in the most recent year counted, versus 45 baby boys, perhaps because the -us ending is usually found in ancient masculine names, such as Atticus, Thaddeus, and Cassius. But as a word name with no traditional gender associations, it can go either way.

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