Names That Mean Hope
Across 2 pages
of 2
The names
Nadia
Russian, Arabic
"hope; tender, delicate"
Nadia, an accessible Slavic favorite, has a strong run of popularity in the US in the early 2000s, partially thanks to the character on Lost called Nadia but actually named Noor, but it's since…
Nadezhda
Slavic
"hope"
Nadezhda is more familiar in the English-speaking world by its short forms, Nadia or Nadya. Well-used through the Slavic countries and Russia, Nadezhda was the name of Lenin's wife. Viewers of The…
Nadine
French variation of Nadia, Russian
"hope"
Part of the vogue for French-sounding names in the 1920s and 30s, Nadine has been replaced by the Russian sound of Nadia and Natasha.
Raja
Arabic and Sanskrit
"hope; ruler"
Raja is a widely-used Arabic or Sanskrit name that works for girls as well as boys. Five baby girls were named Raja and seven given the Rajah spelling in the US last year, where for boys the…
Taraja
African, Kiswahili
"hope"
The raja sequence of sounds gives it a regal feel.
Tikvah
Hebrew
"hope"
Appreciated by religious Jews for its connection to "Hatikva," the Israeli national anthem.
Von
Norse
"hope"
One of those midcentury shortenings that are starting to sound cool again, though we prefer Van.
Toivo
Finnish, Estonian
"hope"
This name was on the U.S. Top 1000 in the early 20th century, when recent immigrants frequently chose native names that have since died out for American babies. But if you're of Finnish or Estonian…
Taraji
Swahili
"hope"
This name gained widespread attention via the actress Taraji P. Henson, who was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actress for her role in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button . A…
Kazuki
Japanese
"hope of peace"
Kazuki is related to names like Kazuko, Kazuo and Kazumi
Speranza
Judeo-Italian
"hope"
The 19th-century Irish poet Jane Wilde (mother of Oscar Wilde) adopted Speranza as her nom de plume. The name also appears in Spenser’s The Faerie Queene , as one of the three virtues: Fidelia…
Karou
Literary name
"hope"
Karou is the blue-haired, tattooed protagonist of Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy; her name means "hope" in the language of the chimaera who raised her. Reminiscent of sweet…
Arman
Italian surname derived from Herman or Arman, German or Persian
"soldier or wish, hope"
Although the international Arman is traditionally a male name, we have heard it used for girls.
Themba
Xhosa, Zulu, Ndebele
"trust, hope"
Themba is a common male name in southern African countries such as Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Eswatini.
Spero
Latin
"I hope"
Spero has a cool sound and a wonderful positive meaning.
Dovile
Lithuanian
"girl who gives hope"
A beautiful Lithuanian name with an ever-so-lovely and inspiring meaning.
Arman
Form of Herman or Armen, French, Armenian, Persian, Kazakh, Turkish
"soldier; land of Armenia; wish, hope, purpose"
One of those truly international names, with a similar feel to Roman, Arthur, and Artem, without the popularity, in the US at least. The name is in fact in the Top 50 in Armenia and Bosnia, while it…
Zaya
Arabic, Mongolian, American
"honest; fate, destiny"
Zaya, which rhymes with Maya, came to attention as the name of basketball great Dwyane Wade's older daughter, the stepdaughter of actress Gabrielle Union. It's one of those names that hits the sweet…
Nozomi
Japanese
"wish, hope"
Bright and energetic, Nozomi has the lovely meanings of "wish" or "hope" in Japanese. Easy to pronounce but a stand-out option, Nozomi is notably borne by actress and model Nozomi Sasaki and by the…
Omid
Persian
"hope"
An elegant Persian name with a positive meaning. Ümi̇d, Umit, Umid and Umed are variations of the name.