Names That Mean God

Diminutive of the Italian Giovanna, or sometimes Vanessa or Ivanna.
 
Wheel of Fortune's Vanna White — who pronounces her name like the end of Savannah — got her name from her grandmother's next-door neighbor, who spelled her name Vana.

Vanna

In Germany and Finland, a common short form of names beginning with El-, including Elizabeth, Elina, and Elisa. About 70 baby girls were named Elli in the US last year versus 6000 named Ellie -- and countless others named Eleanor or Elizabeth et all and called Ellie -- that Elli may feel less special than you want it to.

Elli

This Welsh form of John is pronounced Shaun. But most Americans certainly wouldn't know that.
Siôn Corn (showing the extra-authentic spelling) is the Welsh name for Santa Claus.

Sion

An unconventional Spanish and Portuguese smoosh name made up of feminine Maria and masculine Jose.

 
Maria ultimately derives from the Hebrew name Maryam/Mariam. The original meaning of Maryam is uncertain, but theories include "drop of the sea" (from Hebrew roots mar "drop" and yam "sea"); "bitter" (from Hebrew marah "bitterness"); and "beloved" (from the Egyptian root mr).

Mariajose

Cute boyish short forms like Stevie, Scottie, Frankie and Billie are in some ways a relic of the past, when girls were given feminized versions of their father's names, but now, they're back in as stylish, stand-alone options. Teddy has some catching up to do, given as it was to around 60 American girls in a recent year, but it nevertheless makes lively and unexpected choice.
 
Traditionally used as a short for of Theodora, it could also work as a nickname for Dorothea, Dorothy, Theodosia, Odette, or Bernadette. 
 
Teddy entered the Top 500 for girls in The Netherlands back in 2019, with notable feminine bearers including singer Teddy Scholten and model Teddy Quinlivan.

Teddy

The name of the mother of Miriam, Aaron and Moses in the Old Testament. Yocheved was also the
name of one of the three daughters of the medieval Talmudic scholar, Rashi. 
Famous modern-day bearers include Israeli poet Yocheved Bat-Miriam, and artist Yocheved "Juki"
Weinfeld.

Yocheved

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.


Azarias

A multicultural appellation, found in Hebrew, Italian, and Zuni, this likable name made famous by director Elia Kazan's only problem is the feminine a ending. But then again, that never hurt Joshua.

Elia

Long and lilting but with the familiar sounds of Emma and Ella, Emmanuella is an alternative spelling to the Italian, Portuguese, and Romanian Emanuela. Familiar in the UK and is also popular in Ghana, Haiti, Nigeria, Gabon, France, and Cameroon. 
 
Olympic Taekwondo competitor Emmanuella Atora is one notable bearer, while child comedian and actress Emmanuella Samuel is another. 
 
Nicknames Manu, Nella, Emmie, and Emma could make it feel more versatile.

Emmanuella

You’re most likely to find this Theodore cognate in Eastern Europe, where it ranks among the top names for boys in the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Poland, and Romania. The nickname Teo is a real winner.

Teodor

Tyr is a very early embodiment of a Norse god, typically thought to guide the law, justice, war and victory.

A modern name with a cool Z initial, Ziraili may have drawn inspiration from Zuriel and Zuriela ("God is my rock") or perhaps Azrael, Izrail, and Israel ("God has helped"; "God contends"). Appearing in the US stats briefly and quietly in the mid-2000s, Ziraili shot up the charts in 2025 when it was given to 53 girls: ten times more than the year prior. 

Ziraili

A rare example of an a-ending boy's name that sounds masculine, Ilya has a large measure of creative Slavic charm. 
>p>Ilya Ilyich Oblomov is the central character in Goncharov's novel "Oblomov."  Unfortunately, he spends most of his life in his bathrobe and slippers.

Ilya

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.

Evan

Is this popular name really Michaela, or is it a combination of McKenna and Kayla. The real answer: it's a fusion of trends. 

Mckayla

The name of the late husband of Naomi in the Bible.

Elimelech

This appealing Hebrew name is heard in Israel, and would fit in well with all the popular El-starting <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">names for boys</a>, such as Elliot and Ellery. It was given to just five American boys in 2015. Also worth considering is the pretty female version, Eliora.

Elior

A rare Biblical name, reminiscent of Gabriel, Aziel, and Malachi, Gamaliel appears in the Old Testament as a son of Pedahzur and in the New Testament as a Jewish priest and scholar who taught Saint Paul and who saved the Apostles when the Sanhedrin wanted to persecute them.
 
Meaning "my reward is God", Gamaliel is also associated with what's known as Gamaliel's Principle or Gamaliel's rule which refers to the belief that if an idea is of human origin, it will come to nothing, but if it is of God, it will endure. Essentially, it encourages believers to leave judgement to God rather than making rash or hostile decisions. 
 
Given to around 30 boys in the US in a recent year, the name may be pronounced as guh-MAY-lee-uhl or ga-MAH-lee-ehl.

Gamaliel

These days, some may think of Hermes as an upscale brand name like Chanel and Porsche (spelled as Hermès), or a strange choice thanks to the parcel delivery company. However, with names from Greek mythology very much in style, it is possible there will be plenty who link it to the Greek messenger god. 
 
Derived from the Greek herma meaning "pile of stones" or "boundary marker", Hermes is the god of travellers, writers, athletes, merchants and thieves. Often portrayed as wearing a winged helmet, he is also associated with delivering messages, with good luck, and with speed.
 
Pronounced as HEHR-MEHS in Classic Greek, the English pronunciation is typically HUHR-meez. In Spanish it would be EHR-mehs and in French, EHR-MEHZ.
 
Actress Kelly Rutherford bestowed the name on her son in the late 2000s, and it has since seen moderate use in the US. In a recent year, it was chosen for just shy of 40 boys.

Hermes

Debanhi took the lead in 2022 as the name with the biggest increase in percentage of babies born — a whopping 1,164% increase. The name was given to 177 baby girls, and this rise may be attributed to the tragic murder of Debanhi Escobar in 2022. The name comes from the phrase Dios Eterno Bendiga A Nuestra HIga, meaning "Eternal God bless our daughter".


Debanhi

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 19)

873+ Names That Mean God