Names That Mean Gift
Across 10 pages
of 10
Sinead
Irish form of Janet
"God is gracious"
One of the best known of the Irish girls' names , thanks to singer Sinead O'Connor. Though it's still in the Irish Top 100, it's no longer quite as fashionable in Ireland as Aoife or Aisling. But by…
Mathis
French and German form of Matthias or Matthew
"gift of God"
Very popular in France and Belgium, this name -- pronounced mat-tees, like the surname of the painter Matisse -- might make an appealing new way to say Matthew here.
Mattias
Scandinavian, spelling variation of Matthias
"gift of God"
This particular spelling was chosen by Will Ferrell for his son, brother to Magnus. These names are both popular in Sweden, birthplace of their mother, Viveca Paulin.
Theo
Diminutive of Theodora
"divine gift, gift of God"
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…
Eudora
Greek
"generous gift"
Eudora is the name of five minor goddesses of Greek mythology and a major goddess (in the person of Pulitzer Prize-winning Eudora Welty) of modern American literature. Eudora is pleasant and…
Maceo
Spanish variation of Matthew
"gift of God"
This semi-obscure historic name was recently chosen for their son by Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez. A possible namesake is Maceo Grajales, a Cuban guerrilla leader who was second-in-command of the…
Teodora
Italian, Spanish, Swedish, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Slovene and Serbian form of Theodora
"gift of God"
Teodora is an extremely attractive and international choice, with several equally attractive, user-friendly nicknames. Appealing short forms might include Tea, Dora, or Dory for English speakers,…
Darko
Slavic
"gift"
If you're a movie fan or a sports fan, you might be attracted to this name, via the film "Donnie Darko" or the Serbian-born basketball star Darko Milicic. It is kind of dark, though.
Yanis
Greek, French, from Hebrew
"gift of God"
One of the relatives on the widely-branching family of John names, Yanis is in the French Top 50 and was a fast rising choice in the UK in 2022, when it went from being outside the Top 1000 to within…
Zevadiah
Hebrew
"God's gift"
One of the most unusual of the "iah" names, it comes with the appealing and usable nickname Zev.
Thijs
Dutch short form of Matthijs
"gift of God"
Usually pronounced to rhyme with nice — though others may rhyme it with Jace — Thijs is a popular Dutch name short for that country's form of Matthew. Matt Lauer's half-Dutch son is called Thijs.
Jonty
Diminutive of Jonathan
"gift of Jehovah"
Jaunty, to say the least, Jonty might be an option if Johnny feels too old school. It has been noticed most often on the playing fields, as in U.K. rugby player Jonty Parkin (born Jonathan) and South…
Sunniva
Scandinavian
"sun gift"
Sunniva was an Irish-born saint who fled to Norway, where she hid in an island cave with her followers and eventually died. After miracles were reported on the island, the cave was excavated and…
Ayaan
Arabic
"God's Gift"
This Arabic name, which can be used for either boys or girls, can also mean "wide-eyed" in the sense of someone who is studious and perceptive. Ayaan is most familiar to people in the West from its…
Shai
Hebrew
"gift"
Shai is a name newly-used in the US for both boys and, slightly less often, girls. Though the correct pronunciation is "shy", many will say shay, which might be all right with you.
Callidora
Greek
"gift of beauty"
An extremely rare name of Ancient Greek origin which could be a novel way to Callie. There is a minor Harry Potter character by the name: Callidora Black (later Longbottom).
Avu
Tamil, possibly "gift of God"
"gift of God"
An appealing Hindi name borne by Mindy Kahling's architect father Avu Chokalingam. She bestowed it on her son Spencer as a middle name in 2020.
Makana
Hawaiian
"gift"
A nice meaning -- congruent with the recent vogue for names like Blessing -- helps offset this Hawaiian name's proximity to overused Makayla and McKenzie.
Shia
Hebrew
"gift of god"
The young male star Shia LaBeouf has given this name a male image, but many would consider its sound soft and feminine.
Tanaquil
Etruscan
"gift of God"
This intriguing name of an ancient Etruscan queen renowned for her prophetic powers was long associated with the prima ballerina Tanaquil LeClerq.