Names That Mean God

The boyish spelling, which is still pronounced with two syllables and a long e at the end, is sometimes used for girls, though the Jessie form -- whether short for Jessica or standing on its own -- is usually considered the feminine one.

Jesse

Prince of the tribe of Zebulon in the Exodus, everyone will misunderstand this as Elias, with a stuffed nose.

Eliab

An Old World name that might have a chance to rise again with other ancient and worldly forms. Be sure to say yo-HAHN-es.

Johannes

The biblical Seraiah may have been male, but all the modern babies named Serayah or Seraiah are female, some inspired by actress Serayah McNeill of Empire.

Serayah

Sometimes considered a rare feminine form of Simon or Simeon, in turn giving it the meaning "to hear, to listen", Simea also appears in the 2024 Disney movie, Moana 2. In this case, the name is a twist on Samea (the director David Derrick Jr's daughter's name) which could come from the Arabic Samiya ("high") or from the Hebrew Samuel ("name of God").
 
Simea made its entrance to the US stats in 2025 when it was one of the fastest rising debuts of the year.

Simea

For a minute or two this sounded more modern than Janet, now equally outmoded. 

Janice

DeShawn or Deshawn is the more popular variation, but Dashawn charted from the late 1980s until 2010, which means it's on its way to becoming a Dad Name. Traditionally, the De or Da prefix means "son of", so this name means "son of Shawn", with Shawn a variation of John.

Dashawn

Marius, frequently heard in Germany and France, is a slightly fusty yet accessible name that has (Les Mis) to Anne Rice. With the rise in interest in such Latin names as Maximus and Atticus, Marius might start attracting more attention.
Mario, the Italian, Spanish and Portuguese version of Marius, is much more widely used.

Marius

One of the relatives on the widely-branching family of John names, Yanis is in the French Top 50 and was a fast rising choice in the UK in 2022, when it went from being outside the Top 1000 to within the Top 700.

Yanis

Manuela is one feminine form that's more energetic than the male original, and is worth considering if you're seeking an easily assimilated Spanish name.
 In the 1948 film The Pirate, set in the Caribbean village of Calvados, Judy Garland plays a spirited senorita named Manuela. Manuela Santos is a fictional character in Degrassi: The Next Generation and there is a Manuela in the James Bond film Moonraker.

Manuela

With knightly charm, spiritual sentiment, and an ancient yet contemporary feel about it, Elyan is a name with various origins and plenty of appeal. Given to around 40 boys in the States in 2024, use of the name had more than doubled since 2022.
 
On one hand, Elyan may have its roots in Hebrew, where it's linked to Elian, lending it the meaning "God is Yahweh", however, it could also link to Elyon, meaning "supreme, highest", or even to Elio, meaning "sun".
 
Alternatively, it is also an Arthurian name, borne by Sir Elyan the White, a Knight of the Round Table in some versions of legend. As such, it could come from the Welsh name Eilian, which can relate back it Aelius, meaning "sun" or to elain, the Welsh word for "fawn".

Elyan

A pleasant-sounding name that might be more popular were it not a brand of bottled water - something that is noted in the 1999 movie Superstar, which features a female Evian. The brand is named after the French spa town of Évian-les-Bains, which ultimately derives from aqua, the Latin word for water.

Evian

Joana

Mahelet, Mahlet or Mahilet is a chant performed to praise god in the Ethiopian Orthodox church, also used as a female name. It was chosen for 80 babies in the US in 2024, though it is far better known in its native Ethiopia.

Mahelet

Zari has a cool, nickname-y charm and contemporary appeal, owing to its multicultural origins and Z initial. It was given to more than 100 girls in the US in a recent year and has featured as a character on the popular app, Duolingo.
 
The name can be considered a short form of the Persian Zarin, along with its offshoots, Zarya, Zarina, and Zareen. In this case, it would mean "gold" from the Persian zar. It might also be a variant of the Arabic Zahra (or its English form, Zara), giving it the meanings "blooming flower" or "shining, brilliant". 
 
Another possibility is that it's inspired by the Hebrew and Biblical name, Azariah, a fast rising choice in recent years. It would then have the meaning "God has helped". This origin may well be the reason for its increased use in the US, with the similar Zariah, Azaria, Zariyah, and Azari making the Top 1000 in a recent year.

Zari

Relatively well-used in Puerto Rico, where it resembles common Basque names like Alaia and Anaia. With the sharp rise of Alaia in the US in recent years as well as the love for "Ad-" names on girls, it makes sense that the still rare Adaia is increasing in use as well. Adaia was given to just under 100 baby girls in 2022.

Adaia

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

Itzae

The Greek form of the Hebrew Jair, Jairus appears in the Bible as the father of a girl resurrected by Jesus. Though it is the original, its Spanish variation Jairo is more popular.

Jairus

A Top 100 name from the 1930s all the way through the 1950s, it's now firmly in Mom -- or Grandma -- land and supplanted for babies by Joanna.....or even great-grandmother Josephine.  In its heyday, it had a host of variations, including JoAnn and Jo-Anne. 

Joanne

An Old school short form with a certain vintage charm, Mikey might fit in with choices such as Ronnie, Reggie, Monty, and Scottie. Currently in the latter end of the Top 1000 in England and Wales, where it has ranked since the 90s, it is less popular in the US, given to around 40 boys in a recent count. 

Mikey

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 17)

873+ Names That Mean God