Names That Mean God

With Liam at the top of the boys' popularity list, parents might discover the still-rare Niam. A name with various origins, Niam can be a Hindi name, deriving from the word niyam meaning "rule" or "law"; an Arabic name - often used on girls - meaning "blessings" or "given by God"; and an Irish name, an form of Niamh. 
 
The name leapt out of obscurity in 2014 when it doubled in use and was given to more than 100 boys for the first time. 
While the name hasn't surged up the charts in the last decade, it has remained consistently well-used, given to around 130 boys each year. 

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Niam

A minor prophet who has his own Book, Zephaniah is another Old Testament gem waiting to be rediscovered now that Noah and Abraham are becoming too trendy. 
 
The vowel-sound ending of Zephaniah is currently bang on trend, along with other Biblical boys' names with softer sounds – think Elijah, Asher and Isaiah. Zephaniah would make a perfect lesser-used alternative to Zachariah.

 A famous namesake is the British writer and dub poet Benjamin Zephaniah.

Zephaniah

Ishmael is most familiar through "Call me Ishmael," the opening line spoken by the youthful narrator of Moby-Dick. Few American parents have followed that advice, though the Spanish and Arabic spelling, Ismael, ranks at Number 362. With its warm and pleasant sound, though, we could see Ishmael tagging along behind Isaiah and Isaac.
 In the Bible, Ishmael was Abraham's first son by the Egyptian maidservant Hagar, who was told by God to name him Ishmael. In Islamic tradition, Ishmael (or Ismail) is believed to have been the ancestor of the Arabs.
 Ishmael Bush is one of the main characters in James Fenimore Cooper's novel The Prairie, and there is an Ismael in the Lemony Snicket book, The End. Some notable real-life bearers are novelist and poet Ishmael Reed and Indian-born film producer Ismail Merchant.

Ishmael

A Portuguese classic, typically spelled with a tilde over the A. Many members of the Portuguese royal family were named João, and today it’s associated with a number of Portuguese and Brazilian footballers.

Joao

In 2023, Jasiel and Yasiel made their debuts in the US Top 1000, and while Jassiel didn't quite make the cut, it was nevertheless given to more than double the amount of babies it was given to in 2022. 
 
Made visible by musician Jassiel Macias, Jassiel may become a more appealing choice to parents who enjoy those stylish double consonants found in trending names such as Cassian and Cillian.

Jassiel

This sleek Italian name was raised from the dead by Mexican Mozart in the Jungle star Gael Garcia Bernal, who chose it for his son (he also has a daughter named Libertad). For athletic inspiration, Lazaro Alvarez, boxing for Cuba, is the three-time world champion lightweight boxer. Lazarus and root name Eleazar are both also destined for comebacks.

Lazaro

An Israeli place-name as well as being the Hebrew form of Gabriel. 

Gavriel

Keon, a mashup of Kevin and Leon, has been in the Top 900 for a decade and a half, following in the wake of female cousin Kiana. Keon also has roots as a Gaelic variation of John.

Keon

A variation of popular Elijah, combined with the da prefix of Dashawn and similar. More than 100 boys were given the name in the US in a recent count.

Delijah

Mars is a name with interesting potential, ticking the boxes as a mythological name, a space name, and a single syllable choice ending in -s. For parents wanting something unexpected, Mars could work as an alternative to popular Brooks, Max, Atlas, or Miles - and given to around 124 boys - and 27 girls - in a recent year, it is unusual but recognisable. 
 
In Roman mythology, Mars was the god of war, whose name likely relates to the Latin maris meaning "male". He is often seen as the less cold and less ruthless counterpart of the Greek god Ares (Ares being a fast rising Top 500 choice). While the war aspect might put people off, Mars was also the god of agriculture, giving it a more down to earth meaning, and was considered the father of Rome.
 
Used as the name of "The Red Planet", one of the brightest objects in the sky, and for the month of March, Mars could work for anyone looking for something space-related, or for anyone hoping to honor the month in some way.
 
Soul singer Erykah Badu helped to make this name feel more grounded when she gave it to her daughter, while musicians Thomas Mars and Bruno Mars have leant it a modern and stylish edge. 
 
If you love Mars but find it a little too outer-space (or too associated with the chocolate bar), it would also make a cool middle option, or an unexpected nickname for Marcus or Marshall.

Mars

Possibly a form of the Welsh Sian, Sianni has a sharp yet earthy sound. It appeared in the title of a 2024 Welsh short film, It's My Shout about a village where children are going missing and recluse Sianni Bobman is blamed due to local, witchy folklore. 
 
Also spelled as Siani, the name is ultimately derived from classic Jane and John, meaning "God is gracious", though other sources suggest it comes from the Hebrew shay meaning "highlight, peak, record".
 
Love Island star Siânnise Fudge (SHAH-nees) might have helped to popularize this name, which more than tripled in poplarity between 2023 and 2024 in the US, when it was given to 113 babies.

Sianni

For the seriously audacious biblical baby namer who wants to move beyond Elijah and Josiah, this name has considerable old-fangled charm. Obadiah, who gave his name to one of the shortest books in the Bible, was a rich man who had the gift of prophecy. There are several other men named Obadiah in the Bible, as well as a Saint Obadiah. 
 More recently, star basketball player Obi Toppin's formal name is Obadiah, after his father. There have been two prominent U.S. senators named Obadiah.
 In literature, there is an Obadiah in Laurence Sterne's novel Tristan Shandy, one in Tobias Smollett's The Expedition of Humphry Clinker, and another in Anthony Trollope's Barchester Towers--as well as a villain in the Iron Man series.

Obadiah

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's middle name could make an interesting pick for music-loving parents, most easily in the middle place, ala Mozart. But today's more wide-ranging naming sensibility and love for ancient names makes Amadeus a real possibility. Amadeus is the title of a Peter Shaffer play which became an award-winning film in 1984.
 German-born tennis ace Boris Becker chose Amadeus for the name of his fourth son.

Amadeus

Those "Where's Gretel?" jokes will get old pretty fast.

Hansel

The Hebrew version of Joel has a pleasant, almost jolly sound. 

Yoel

Liza's heyday was the mid-1970s, following on the heels of super-popular sister Lisa. But thanks to the fact that it never became superpopular, Liza remains a name not especially tied to one generation or style. 

At one time, the name was closely associated with Liza Minnelli, who was named by her mother Judy Garland after a George Gershwin song. Today, it's the name of the lead character, played by Sutton Foster, in TV's Younger, based on a novel by Nameberry cofounder Pamela Redmond.

Liza

Classically, the De- prefix indicates "son of," so any variation of this name could work for the child of a dad named Shawn or Sean.
 DeShawn Stevenson is a former professional basketball player.

Deshawn

Denise was a French favorite of the fifties and sixties but is less chic now. In 2020 it broke back into the Top 1000 after a five-year hiatus, catapulted into style by reality TV star Denisse Novoa — but it dropped out again the following year.

Denise

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!

Abiel

Gianni, the Italian form of Johnny, has gotten popular in the US, and there's a good chance Giannis will be next, thanks to rising star basketball player Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is Greek. It makes an original spin on John or Jonas - though, it should be noted that the traditional Greek pronunciation would be YAH-nees. Other spelling variations are Iannis and Yanis - the latter perhaps being popular in France and on the rise in the UK. 

Giannis

Names that mean God are plentiful, as God and all things related to a supreme power are at the root of the creation of many names.

Isabella, a variation of Elizabeth, is the top girl name meaning God. Along with Isabella, 

girl names in the US Top 1000 meaning God

 include Elizabeth, Danielle, Gabrielle, Samantha, Michaela, and Jane.



Elizabeth and Jane have dozens of popular variations that also mean God, including Elsie, Eliza, Elise, Janet, Jean, and Joan.



Elijah is the most popular boy name that means God. Along with Elijah, other 

 include Daniel, Matthew, Jack, Jeremy, Nathaniel, Caleb, Samuel, Oscar, and Shane.



John and Michael, two of the most widely-used male names of the last several centuries in the Western World, have God in their meanings.



Here is our full roster of names that mean God, ordered by current popularity on Nameberry.

Baby names for girls and boys that mean god or names that have meanings related to God, with meanings, origins, and popularity. (Page 12)

873+ Names That Mean God