873+ Names That Mean God

This name, which is the Spanish version of the Hebrew name of one of the archangels, appeared on the US Top 1000 for the first time in 2008.

The ultimate midcentury nickname, retaining a good measure of retro charm, was chosen for her son by Mira Sorvino.

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

Unusual and simple: a winning combination. But it was the name of a fifteen-thousand-ton monster in a midcentury "Godzilla" movie.

Evan is a boys' favorite that has been given the feminine touch by talented actress Evan Rachel Wood. If you want to move beyond Eva and Evelyn and like unisex names, this may be a good bet for you (though like Evan Rachel Wood, you may want a feminine name in the middle name position to clarify matters). Evanna is also another alternative.

Percy Bysshe Shelley got the name for one of his most famous poems -- a sonnet about the insignificance of man's labors in the vastness of time -- from the Greek name for Ancient Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses II.

As a Welsh name, Elidor is a modern form of Elidur, an ancient British king name. It was used by British author Alan Garner for the eponymous hero of his children's fantasy novel Elidor (1965).

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.

If you're seeking a biblical name somewhat similar to the popular Samuel but way more distinctive, this could be the one.

Kaleb is one of several boys' names starting with k that started life as a classic C name, Caleb. Kevin Federline named his boy Kaleb Michael Jackson.

Although Joan was the more popular name in the 20th century, it's the nickname Joanie that is likely to be revived first. Joan ranked as a Top 100 name from the mid '20s to the mid '60s, and the US is still Joan-ed out from that era. But sweet Joanie feels fresh — a sister to names like Sadie, Elsie, and Sylvie. It could have a future on the Top 1000 but for now, scoop up Joanie while it's undiscovered.

Variation of Michaela often used in Scandinavian countries. Mikaela is a Top 20 name in Puerto Rico.

Oh, the many spellings of Rafaella. Those with Fs and double-Ls denote Italian origins, while an F and a single L is Spanish and Portuguese. The original Hebrew form is Raphaela.

Itzae is an ancient Mayan name showing signs of revival in our modern world.

The graceful Indian Suria or Surya may remind Americans more of little Miss Suri Cruise than of the pantheon of Hindi gods and goddesses.

Iain, this authentic Gaelic form of John, has been well used in Scotland since the early twentieth century, used concurrently with the shortened Ian spelling, but is rarely seen in the US.

Variation of Aviela/Abiela, feminine forms of the Biblical Aviel/Abiel "God is my father". The modernized/anglicized double-l spellings are popular now in English-speaking countries.

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!

In Islam, Iblīs is the personal name of the devil, possibly derived from the Greek diablos.

This is another form of the name the angel Raphael assumes for himself when he becomes human. One of the few attractive Biblical names that has not yet been discovered by modern parents, Azarias is certainly ripe for the taking.