Names That Mean My

This obscure Native-American name owes its very life to country singer Shania Twain, who dropped her original name, Eileen, for it.

Derived from the Hebrew words shai, meaning "gift," and li, "mine." The Shaily variation is more common in Israel and the US.

What the Old Testament Rachel originally named Benjamin, before his father changed it; rarely heard today.

Abiah is a gentle, rarely used Old Testament name belonging to Samuel's second son. This makes a good choice for the parent who wants a traditional biblical name that is not overly familiar.

Abbie is a gently old-fashioned nickname name that owes its rising popularity to Top 10 Abigail. Abby may be the more usual spelling today.

Cute nickname but the "gabby" synonym might prove problematic, especially is your daughter is chatty....or not.

Angad is a name of Sanskrit and Hindi origin, that can be used to refer to an ornament or a bracelet, but when given as a name, is more likely chosen to reflect the idea that a child is part of their parents. The name is significant to both Sikhs and Hindus with Guru Angad Dev Ji being the second of the ten Sikh Gurus responsible for leading Sikh tradition after the death of its founder, and also appearing as a figure in the Hindu Epic Ramayana to fight the Demon King Ravana.

Not to be confused as a variation of Hershel, Heshel is a Yiddish diminutive of Yehoshua, itself a Hebrew form of Joshua.

This Old Testament name borne by a grandson of Jacob would not rate high in the classroom.

Nokomis is the name of Nanabozho's grandmother in the Ojibwe Native American traditional stories, and is used as a given name for girls. It is also the name of a coastal town in Florida.

An extra zesty variation of Uzi, but not one that comes recommended — it’s strongly associated with the submachine gun.

Abiel is a biblical name (he was the grandfather of Saul) that was used by Puritans, particularly in Massachusetts, so it has a long pedigree. Parents are increasingly looking for underused traditional names, and this name, with the great nickname option of Abe, is ripe for more use!

This rarely heard name belonged to a son of Reuben in the Bible. Might be too close to karma.

Has never left its native milieu.

Probably most familiar to English-speakers as Zsa Zsa Gabor's last name, the rise of other Eastern European boys' names like Casimir, Milo and Laszlo make Gabor an increasingly wearable option.

Zuri is one of the trendiest names in recent years, so it is no wonder that this elaborated form is seeing more use as well. Zurielle may be a feminization of the male Biblical name Zuriel, or an elaboration of the African name Zuri.

Popular in Israel but rare elsewhere, Amitai is a Hebrew name with a virtue-adjacent meaning. The name of the father of Jonah in the Old Testament, it has a a cool, energetic sound that feels in tune with Azariah, Amias, Levi, and Mattias. Nickname Tai is an added bonus. Sociologist Amitai Etzioni and actor Amitai Marmorstein are notable bearers.