Names That Mean Gift

A long name with plenty of grandeur and plenty of grounding nicknames, Apollodora could make an interesting alternative to Apolline and Apollinia, and to Isadora, Theodora, and Dorothea. Meaning "gift of Apollo", Apollo being the Ancient Greek god of the sun, music, prophecy, and art, it is a feminine form of the masculine Apollodorus.
 
While it would make a rare and daring choice, with Apollo, Aurora, and Athena becoming familiar, it doesn't seem as out there as it might once have done. Add into that the nicknames Polly, Alora, Dollie, Dora, Rory, Lolo, Lola, Allie, Ollie, and Lora, it could be one to consider.

Apollodora

Popular in France where it ranks in the Top 350, Naëlle is a feminine form of the (even more) popular boy name Naël. As such, it may also be considered a nickname for Gwenaëlle ("blessed and generous") and a feminine variation of Nathanaël ("gift of God").
 
Occasionally spelled without the accent too, it has been notably used by content creators David and Logan Klein.

Naëlle

An alternative to Thea and Dora, Tedda is a nickname for Theodora that manages to feel both cutesy and boyish at the same time. Landing somewhere between Freddie and Bambi or between Sasha and Honey, Tedda is rarely used as a given name. 

Tedda

Contemporary meets vintage in this hyphenated name that blends the fierce-but-cuddly Bear with the charming nickname Teddy. In theory, blending these two popular choices could make a winning combination, however, Teddy-Bear may feel a bit cutesy, reminding people only of the stuffed toy. Nevertheless, it appeared in the stats in the UK for the first time in 2024.

Teddy-bear

Winnavie has the endearing sounds of vintage Winnie, but the cadence of contemporary choices like Waverley, Everly, and Romilly. The exact etymology of the name is unknown, however, it may be related to the Old English names Wynniva and Wynnġifu, meaning "gift of joy".
 
It could equally be connected to Guinevere, meaning "white phantom, white wave", or to Winifred ("blessed peacemaking"). More generally, you could associate it with the winn sound, giving you the meanings "joy" or "friend" from Old English, and "blessed, fair" from Welsh.
 
Currently a rare option, it may work as an alternative to Winry or Winslow.

Winnavie

A rare Greek name, combining the name of the goddess of the moon and hunting with the element doron meaning "gift". It may appeal to those who like the mythological connections of Artemis but the clunky-cute vibes of Theodora or Dorothy. 
 
The name of an Egyptian Mummy from 90-100 A.D, found in the early 19th century, it could offer the nicknames Artie, Aria, Dora, and Dotty.

Artemidora

Sunny and saintly, Sunneva is the Icelandic and Faroese form of the Scandinavian Sunniva. Associated with an English and Norwegian saint who was shipwrecked in Norway back in the 10th century, it ultimately comes from the Old English Sunngifu meaning "sun gift".
 
Also appearing as Sunnefa, though less commonly, it was most popular in Iceland and the Faroe Islands back in the mid-2000s.

Sunneva

Sweet but spirited, Nunana is a name used by the Ewe tribe of West Africa and is most familiar as a given name in Ghana. Derived from the word for "gift", it is a pleasant choice with nicknames Nuna and Anna. 
 
Nuname is the masculine form.

Nunana

A rare and bright name with the appealing V initial of Vivian and Violet, Vidonia is of Portuguese or Spanish origin and may mean "branch of the vine", associating it with grapes and vineyards. Other sources suggest it links to the Latin elements vita and donum meaning "life" and "gift".

Vidonia

An ancient relative of classic Matthew, Mathias, and Matteo, Mattithiah was borne by several minor figures in the Old Testament and by a 2nd-century BC Jewish priest who led a revolt against the Seleucid Empire. Also known as Mattathias and Mattityahu, the priest played an important role in the Maccabean revolt that led to the recovery of Jerusalem. As such, he is named in one of the Hannukah  celebration prayers.


Mattithiah

Majestic and poetic at the same time, Calidore appears in Edmund Spenser's 16th century epic poem, The Faerie Queene, in which Sir Calidore is a courteous and heroic knight. It may intrigue those looking for rare alternatives to Callum, Caleb, Callan, and Calvin, or those seeking unique options that still remind them of Theodore. 
 
Likely made up of the Greek elements kallos and doron meaning "beauty" and "gift" respectively, it comes from a piece of literature that has been fairly influential on naming, introducing Arlo, Amoret, Briana, and Claribel.

Calidore

An Old Norse and Medieval form of sunny Sunniva, this name is a blend of the Old English elements sunne and giefu meaning "sun gift". It is associated with St Sunnifa (or Sunngifu), the patron saint of Western Norway who was shipwrecked on the coast. 
 
While Sunniva is familiar in Norway, this form is very rarely used. It is similar however to the Icelandic variation of the name: Sunnefa.

Sunnifa

Blending the name of the goddess of the moon and hunting with doron meaning "gift", this rare Greek name was borne by a 2nd century author and diviner, famous for his work the Oneirocritica, or "The Interpretation of Dreams". 
 
Appearing multiple times in Ancient Greek history, it was also the name of various philosophers, early Olympians, painters and physicians. Today, it could be a bold choice and an interesting way to nicknames Teddy, Artie, Artem, Ross, Ari, and Aris.

Artemidoros

An elaboration of Teodora, ultimately derived from the Greek Theodoros, Teodorina is a rare choice, but used more notably in Brazil, Bulgaria, Romania, Italy, and Columbia. Pronounced as teh-o-DO-ree-na in Romanian, teh-o-DHO-ree-na in Spanish and teh-o-DAW-ree-na in Italian, a notable bearer is actress Teodorina Bello.


Teodorina

Also transliterated as Ehab, this Arabic name has the sweet meaning of "gift". A notable namesake is Egyptian-born American author Ihab Hassan, credited for popularising the concept of postmodernism in literary studies.

Ihab

A name with bright sounds and plenty of energy, Atiya comes from the Arabic ʿaṭā' meaning "gift": a beautiful meaning for any child. It may also be more figuratively interpreted as "gift from Allah" or "bestowed by God", making it a significant choice among Muslim families.
 
Also spelled as Atiyah, Atia, and Atiyya, the name is used predominantly for girls, though it is used for boys in Egypt.

Atiya

Also spelled as Nunamé, Nuname is a name used by the Ewe tribe of West Africa. Derived from the word nunana meaning "gift", it is a pleasant sounding choice. Nunana is the used as a feminine form.

Nuname

Metrodora is known as the possible author of an Ancient Greek medical text focused on pregnancy and women's health, and as a 4th century saint, sister to Menodora and Nymphodora. The name combines the elements meter meaning "mother" or "origin" with doron meaning "gift", making the overall meaning "gift of the mother".
 
While some might find the meaning very appealing and befitting of a baby, others may be put of by the "Metro" sound, with its public transport association.
 
The Macedonian form of the name is Mitrodora.

Metrodora

A zippy and cheerful name with bright, snappy sounds, Atiyah derives from the Arabic ʿaṭā' meaning "gift": a beautiful meaning for any child. Among Muslim families, it may be interpretated more figuratively as meaning "gift from Allah".
 
This form is also used in Indonesia and Malaysia, while alternative spellings include Atiya, Atia, Atiyya, and Atea. Used predominantly for girls, it is sometimes given to boys too, notably in Egypt.

Atiyah

This short form of the biblical Matthew relates most directly to the shorter, rarer spelling Mathew. (About 7000 baby boys were named Matthew in the US, versus about 250 called Mathew.) Nearly 50 baby boys were named just Matt, though none were given this spelling as a standalone.