Names That Mean God

A rare Biblical name that may appeal to fans of Shephard, Jedediah, Shiloh, and Hezekiah, Shephatiah is borne by at least nine minor figures in the Bible. These include a son of King David, a servant of Solomon, and a Benjaminite warrior. 
 
Derived from the Hebrew shafaṭ meaning "to judge" and yah referring to God, the name may be translated to "God is my judge" or "Yahweh judges".

Shephatiah

The Albanian form of the Biblical classic John.

Gjon

Also spelled Liesbet, this is one of many international variations of the traditional Elizabeth. 

Liesbeth

This charming feminine form of Thaddeus is based on the Slovene variant Tadej. Its melodic sound and stylish nickname Teja make it an attractive possibility, even outside of its native country.

Tadeja

A contracted form of Theophila, Theola could make an unusual twist on Thea, Theodora, and Viola. Other long forms include the Germanic Theolene and Theoldine meaning "gentle people".

Theola

A combination of the Arabic elements, Abd and Fateh, meaning "servant of" and "victorious, conqueror" respectively. Fattah, another spelling variation of Fateh, is also used as a name for God, meaning "the one who opens the doors to mercy". Putting the meanings together, this name suggests the importance of faith, dedication and humility towards Allah.
 
Somalian activist Abdifatah Hassan Ali is a notable bearer of the name.

Abdifatah

Benajah, the name of several minor Old Testament figures, is also written as Benaiah.  Benajah might make a great Benjamin update or name for the son of a builder or architect.

Benajah

Also spelled Liselotte, this is a clunky-but-cute compound name of German, Danish, Swedish, and Dutch origin. It combines elements of popular Elizabeth with popular Charlotte to create a name with a very different feel: sweet and oldy-worldy. 

Lieselotte

A sweet, succinct short form of Emmanuel off-shoots, suitable for any gender. 

Manu

Predominantly used in French-speaking African countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Cameroon, and Rwanda, Dieudonné combines the French words Dieu ("God") and donné ("given"), making this a spiritual choice. Also given to a handful of babies each year in the US, it is notably borne by Congolese footballer Dieudonné "Dieumerci" Mbokani. 
 
Dieudonnée is a feminine form while Deusdedit is a Latin variation.

Dieudonné

Notably borne by Cuban baseball player, Raisel Iglesias, Raisel is often considered a diminutive of the (feminine) Yiddish name, Raisa, meaning "rose". While this could be a possible source for its use as a masculine name, it may additionally link to the Arabic Rais, meaning "leader, chief", to the Spanish Reyes, meaning "kings", or to the Hebrew Israel, for which it is both an anagram and connected to Spanish short form, Rai. In the latter case, it would mean "he who struggles with God" or "God contends".




Raisel

Jimothy is a combination of two 'dad' names: Jim, a form of James, meaning "supplanter", and Timothy, meaning "honoring God".

This name is best associated with Timothy Gonzales, a British rapper and musician who used Jimothy as a stage name.

Jimothy

A bit like Annelise in reverse, Lisanne is a sleek but gentle Dutch compound name that was popular in the 2010s. 

Lisanne

Ansgar is an ancient name still used in modern times, especially in Scandinavia. Saint Ansgar is the patron of Scandinavia.

The name Ansgar may be related to Oscar, so you can use it to honor an ancestral Oscar or vice versa.

Ansgar

A Saint's name almost unheard of outside of Russia and Moldova, Gleb comes from the Old Norse Guðleifr. Boris and Gleb were the first two saints to be canonised in Christian Kyivan Rus'. 
 
Recent years have seen it rank in the Top 50 in Russia and the Top 100 in Moldova, though a contemporary bearer is ice rhythm dancer, Gleb Smolkin, who represented Georgia in the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Gleb

Sweet but sleek, Ivalene can be considered an elaboration of the international Iva, or a compound name, blending Iva with Arlene, Darlene, Abilene, or similar. Quietly used in the first half of the 20th century, it was also chosen in 2024 but a <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/babyberries-class-of-2024">a Nameberry user</a>.

Ivalene

Elixevetta is part Elizabeth and part Alexandra, and thoroughly confusing.

Elixevetta

A literary choice that appears in Victor Hugo's 19th century classic, Les Misérables, Azelma is the second daughter of the Thénardiers, a sister to Eponine and later Gavroche. As a child, she is spoiled and pampered, but her adult life is spent in poverty, helping her parents with their various schemes; she does not appear in the popular musical adaptation of the novel.
 
While the exact origins of the name are unknown, it is likely a variation on Anselma (via Zelma and Selma), a German name meaning "God helmet" or more figuratively, "divine protection". Other possible sources of inspiration include Azelle, a French feminine form of the Hebrew Azel, meaning "reserved", or from Azelie, meaning "noble".
 
Azelma is also the name of a death metal band.

Azelma

Anglicized form of Seònaid, the Scottish Gaelic equivalent of Janet. It has historically been quite popular in Scotland, although it hasn't ranked in the Top 100 there since 1995. 

 Shona is also, coincidentally, the name of an ethnic group who live in southern Africa, mainly Zimbabwe.

Shona

An international variation of Theodosius, a rare alternative to the popular Theodore / Fyodor / Fedir. Ukrainian artist Feodosiy Humeniuk is a notable bearer. 

Feodosiy

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 45)

873+ Names That Mean God