Names That Mean God

Unusual and attention-grabbing, but this unusual spelling also could make your child's life more complicated than it has to be.

Alizabeth

An elaborate diminutive of Carmela or Carmel, this name has elegance and sweetness. Derived from Hebrew, it is interpreted as meaning "garden" — or sometimes "garden of God" — and is related to the Marian title "Our Lady of Mount Carmel".  Ranking in the US Top 1000 until the 1970s, popular in France during the 1960s, and it Italy until the mid-2000s, it's an elegant name with brightness and star quality.

Carmelina

A short form of Yiannis which is an alternative transcription of the Greek Giannis, which originates from the Biblical John. It might also be used as a form of other John variations too, such as Johan, Yanko, and Yannic.
 
Greek-American musician Yiannis Chryssomallis is known as Yanni, while actor Yani Xander spells his name slightly differently.
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Given to 19 boys and 14 girls in the US, it was a fast-rising gender-neutral name in 2023.

Yanni

Yusha

A distinctive and sharp sounding name, Ziah has a modern yet well-established sound. It could derive from Zion, Josiah, Azariah, Aziah, Isaiah or similar.

Ziah

Ilsa is remembered as the radiant but tragic heroine of "Casablanca," and it's having something of a European resurgence. 

Ilsa

An alternative to Gabriella, Briella, Bella, or Ella, Riella may also appeal to those who like Rhianna, Reese, and Aurelia. It was chosen by YouTubers Savannah Jean and Josh Alexander for their daughter in 2022, while in a recent year, 24 American girls were also given the name. 

Riella

A spiritually significant choice, Shekinah is derived from a Hebrew word meaning "dwelling" or "settling", and has been by Jewish scholars to refer to place of divine presence. While it isn't a direct Biblical name, its Hebrew roots do appear, and it may be related to the masculine name Shechaniah.
 
Pronounced as shuh-KIE-nuh or shuh-KEE-nuh, it is a concept explored in rabbinic literature such as the Mishnah, the Talmud, and Midrash. It is usually used to describe physical places where God is said to manifest, notable examples being the Temple in Jerusalem and the Tabernacle.

Shekinah

An Italian compound name, which in English would translate to John Marcus. Popular since at least the 90s, Gianmarco currently ranks in the Italian Top 200. 

Gianmarco

This little-known Biblical name belonged to Hosea's first son. There is also a Jezreel Valley in Israel.

Jezreel

Ysabel is the original spelling of this ever-more-popular name, though to English-speakers, the initial Y may confuse pronunciation. Only 14 baby girls were given the Ysabel spelling in the US last year, while Isabel and Isabelle were each given to about 1800 babies.

Ysabel

A multicultural option, Avleen feels both unusual yet totally familiar. As a Punjabi name, it is derived from the elements av meaning "god" and leen meaning "merged, absorbed" and is interpreted to mean "blessed by God" or "at one with God". Alternatively, it may be considered an alternative form of Aveline, inspired by other variations Aileen and Evelyn and blended into one.
 
One of the fasted rising names in England and Wales in a recent year, it has been used by Indian-American wrestler The Great Khali (born Dalip Singh Rana) for his daughter in 2014.

Avleen

In Roman mythology, Iana was an epithet of Diana, goddess of the moon.
 
If pronunciation troubles worry you, use the Yana spelling instead.

Iana

A name that celebrates a close and personal connection to faith and God, Munachimso is a unisex, Igbo choice. It recently entered the UK Top 1000 for boys, while for girls, it sits just outside.
 
Notable bearers include lifestyle influencer, Munachimso Emenike, and Munachimso Chukwu, daughter of hair stylist and beauty content creator, Olivia Chukwu. 
 
Munachi and Munachim are shorter variations of the same name.

Munachimso

A biblical character who was one of David's most valiant warriors and was known for being fast.  But in the modern English-speaking world, this name may be too close to an insulting anatomical word.

Asahel

Most commonly used as a short form of Theodora or Theodosia, this "boyish" nickname for girls is used much less frequently than Thea, Dora, or Teddy. One notable appearance however, was as the younger daughter in Sofia Coppola's film On the Rocks in 2020, while antiques expert, Theo Burrell was a real life bearer.
 
Given to 21 girls compared to more than 3900 boys in the US in a recent year, you may be surprised to learn that Theo was a Top 1000 name for girls from 1880 until 1930, and while some of this may have been down to errors in record keeping, this is unlikely to explain the 111 girls called Theo in 1924 or the 109 girls given the name in 1919.
 
With Scottie, Bennie, Stevie, and Davey on the rise for girls, alongside Margo, Cleo, Juno, and Theodora, perhaps you may hear of more girls called Theo in the future.

Theo

One of the fastest-rising boy names of the 2020s, Azriel is now starting to see some use among baby girls. Azriel is the name of the Angel of Death in Jewish and Muslim traditions.

Azriel

A rare name from Archaic Germanic that is rarely used nowadays, Godwin is the Germanic variant of Anglo-Saxon Godwine. Also used as a surname, it may be a bit heavy as a first name for a modern baby boy. Namesakes include the Austro-Hungarian fighter ace Godwin von Brumowski, and Godwin, Earl of Wessex (originally Godwine).

Godwin

Jac is one of the new "creative" variations of Jack, a name on the rise in its own right and not just as a short form of John.  But why, when Jack is so simple and so familiar, make it Jac and invite people to guess whether it's pronounced like Jake, or maybe like the French Jacques.

A blend of popular Leo and Italian Giovanni, Leovani is a modern creation, also spelled as Leovanni. 

Leovani

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 26)

873+ Names That Mean God