Names That Mean Prayer

Arabella, lovely and elegant, has long been well used in Britain and finally made it onto the American list in 2005. A Top 50 choice in the UK, in the US in remains in the Top 300, given to around 1300 babies each year.

Declan is the Anglicized form of the Irish name Deaglán. St. Declan was one of the first missionaries to bring Christianity to Ireland, preceding St. Patrick. Originally from Wales, he founded the monastery of Ardmore in Ireland.

A beautiful Punjabi name combining the words Arj or Arz and Hoyi, the end result of which means "a prayer or request made to God". Arzoyi feels stylish with shared sounds with Zoe or Zoya.

The increasingly popular Irish boys' name Declan is crossing into the girls' column now as well, used for over 50 baby girls in the US last year.

A strong and meaningful Muslim name which is popular in the UK.

Dua is one of those names that has been popularized in English speaking countries by a single celebrity: British-Albanian model-singer Dua Lipa. It's simple, modern, appealing, and may find a wider audience thanks to its attractive namesake.

It may be a longshot – especially since it was given to less than 5 boys in the US in 2021 – but Piran could conceivably be a future Kieran, which is shaping up to being the next Kevin. Piran is the patron saint of miners and of Cornwall.

Short and slight, with great potential now that names like Ava, Ida and Orla are popular. Ora Beach is a tourist destination on Seram Island, Indonesia.

An archaic word name meaning "prayer", derived from Latin via French. As a given name, it has been used occasionally from the 19th century onwards, but remains a rare choice with on-trend sounds and spiritual appeal.

This pretty palindrome name is rarely heard in the US, but could make an interesting namesake for an aunt or grandma Ann. It's also a German diminutive form of Anna.

A famous seventh-century saint and church historian whose name has not survived as well as his works. Known as the Venerable Bede, this Benedictine monk is considered the first known writer of English prose, and highly influential via his The History of the English Church and People.

You may be tempted to scoff at Mint as another wacky celebrity baby name — it was used by Dutch model Romee Strijd for her daughter in 2020 — but it's a far more legitimate choice than many would guess. Minty baby names for girls are having a style moment in Nordic countries — Mynte is a Top 50 name in Denmark, and Minttu ranks in Finland's Top 50. It's ultimately not so surprising that a well-traveled international star would choose to use the English variation of these names for her daughter.

Orra and Ora are simple yet rare names with a lovely religious meaning.

An Arabic word meaning "service" or "servitude", in Islam Ibadat is typically translated as "worship"

A beautiful Indian name used particularly by Sikh families.