Names That Mean God

British singer-songwriter Jacob Taio Cruz dropped his first name, and has put his unusual middle on the map. This wasn't his first time of dropping or changing names, however. Born Adetayo Ayowale Onile-Ere, it is likely that his middle name was inspired by his birth name, Adetayo, a Yoruba name meaning "crown of joy. 
 
Pronounced TAH-yo in Yoruba, but closer to TIE-o in English, it makes a cool, and stylish sounding choice, blending the qualities of Kai, Theo, and Matteo.
 
Alternatively, Tai might be considered a variation of the Māori names Tai and Taitoko meaning "tide" and "spring tide" respectively, or a Japanese name, blending the elements tai and o to mean "great man" or "peaceful hero". In the latter case, it would be pronounce TAH-EE-OH.
 
 Others consider it a Spanish name, likely used as a spelling variation of nickname Teo, and as such, pronounced TAY-o.

Taio

A stripped back form of the Biblical Theophilus, notably borne by the 18th century architect Theophil Hansen.


Theophil

Popular in its own right in Germany and definitely makes a more intriguing and grownup short form of the classic Timothy than Timmy or even Tim.

Timo

Juana with an X factor.
 
Xoana is a Jane variant hailing from Galicia, an autonomous community in Spain.

Xoana

Short and zippy, Zani is a multicultural choice that is currently only occasionally used for either sex. It has its origins in Hebrew, both as a name in its own right, meaning "gift from God", and as a variant of of John via the Venetian form, Zuana. Alternatively, it might come from the Arabic name Zaniah, meaning "corner", which is also the Medieval name of one of the star in the constellation Virgo. Another source however, is from the Albanian Zana, which could mean "voice" or "fairy" from Albanian, or "divine" if it's considered a form of Diana.

Zani

The name of multiple minor Old Testament figures, Amariah is an underused member of the -iah group of Biblical boy names. Consider Ry as a cool nickname.

Amariah

There are four figures named Ammiel in the Bible. The most notable was the father of Bathsheba.

Ammiel

Dennise

A Dorothy nickname name with a measure of nostalgic charm. Kids will associate it with the funny fish character voiced by Ellen DeGeneres in the Pixar animated instant classic Finding Nemo.

Dory

Dotty has a cheerful, playful quality that embodies vintage charm. It gained modest popularity in the mid-20th century, particularly during the 1930s-1950s when nickname-style given names were fashionable. The name evokes images of a friendly, approachable person with a positive disposition. 

While less common today as a formal name (more frequently used as a nickname), Dotty represents the trend of reviving vintage diminutives as full given names. The name has cultural associations with various fictional characters and suggests someone with a fun-loving personality. Its short, bouncy sound creates an immediate sense of familiarity and warmth.

Dot and Dottie are alternate forms.

Dotty

A variant of Elizabeth that is very popular in Hungary, that would translate well as a small quirky twist on the familiar classic.

Elizabet

A pretty and substantial German smoosh name, a combination of Hanne and Eleonore. Most popular in Germany from the 1930s to the 1950s. Former German Chancellors Helmut Kohl and Helmut Schmidt both had wives named Hannelore.

Hannelore

A spiritual Yoruban choice, Christian speaker and pastor, ImisiOluwa Owolabi may have introduced more people to this name, given to 13 babies in 2024.

Imisioluwa

Likely created as a spin on Naomi — with a touch of Kyomi thrown in — Jaomi blends a J- name like Jane, Jamie, or Jay with Biblical Naomi. As such, meanings could include "God is gracious and pleasantness", "pleasant jaybird, or "supplanter of pleasantness".
 
Jaomi made its US debut in 2024 and could be said as jah-O-mee, jay-O-mee, or even jie-O-mee, according to preference.

Jaomi

An Indian boy name, ultimately derived from Sanskrit and used as an epithet of Krishna and Shiva. It combines the word Deva meaning "deity" with the element īśa meaning "lord, ruler.

Devesh

Short for Olukemi or a rare name in its own right, this Yoruba name has a beautiful meaning. A notable bearer is British MP Olukemi (Kemi) Badenoch.

Kemi

Eliandro is a Brazilian name. It can be combination of any Eli- name with any name ending in -andro, for example Elisabete and Leandro or Eliana and Alexandro. 

The meaning could be "man of God".

Eliandro

Elizabeth is one of the most classic feminine names out there, but it has nevertheless been appearing in the US stats for boys since the late 19th century. While a good number of its appearances are likely down to data entry errors (before the system was computerized), it is unlikely to explain all 140 boys called Elizabeth in 1989, for example, or the 63 given the name in 2004.
 
It may be that the name has been used as a honor, perhaps with the intention of using nickname Eli, or the baby's middle name?

Elizabeth

Esko

Mariyana is the Bulgarian transliteration of this international Mariana, a name that is related to the Roman god of war, or is used as a compound of Mary (or Maria) and Anna (or Ana), to get the possible meaning of "beloved grace". 
 
American politician and lawyer Mariyana Spyropoulos is one bearer of the name.

Mariyana

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 35)

873+ Names That Mean God