Names That Mean Good
Across 6 pages
of 6
Kalman
Latin, short for Kalonymous
"gracious, good reputation"
This is a rarely heard multi-cultural name, related to a 14th century Jewish scholar named Kalonymous ben Kalonymous, who translated important texts from Arabic to Hebrew. It is also a Hungarian…
Yoko
Japanese
"good girl; ocean child"
There are many in Japan, but for most Americans there's only one Yoko. Yoko Ono writes her name with characters meaning "ocean" and "child".
Naveed
Persian
"good news"
Attractive Middle Eastern choice.
Rashad
Arabic
"having good judgment"
In the US, Rashad is one of the most popular and best-known Arabic names, through several sports and entertainment celebrities.
Tobiah
Hebrew
"God is good"
Tobiah is the original Hebrew form of the better-known Greek Tobias, to which it could make a distinctive alternative. With its ah ending, Tobiah fits in with other stylish Biblical names today, from…
Ventura
Spanish
"good fortune"
Ventura started life as a shortening of Bonaventura, Spanish for good luck or good fortune, but now stands on its own. It has a pleasant sound and the stylish 'V' ending, but Angelenos would…
Tobin
English surname derived from Tobias
"God is good"
Tobias-related name that makes an attractive and modern-sounding form of the biblical original. It was recently chosen by Karolina Kurkova for her son.
Venturo
Spanish
"good fortune, good luck"
Upbeat choice.
Benvolio
Italian
"good wisher; peacemaker, benevolent"
A kindly, virtue-adjacent name, it appears in Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet , borne by the peacemaker friend who persuades Romeo to go to the party where he meets Juliet. Alas. A bold choice but with…
Nashira
Arabic
"the bearer of good news"
Nashira is one of those obscure space names that might rise along with such heavenly choices as Orion, Luna, and even Nevaeh. A giant star in Capricorn, Nashira is an unusual and attractive name with…
Venturi
Italian
"good luck"
The name of prize-winning American architect Robert Venturi would make a somewhat awkward first.
Parasha
Russian
"born on Good Friday"
Slavic possibility for a girl born during the Easter season.
Naviyd
Persian, variation of Naveed
"good news"
Usher put this spin on an attractive and popular Iranian name when he chose it for his son.
Fayola
Yoruba, "lucky, good fortune, blessed"
"lucky, good fortune, blessed"
A beautiful Yoruban name associated with honor and good fortune. Both fy-o-la and fay-OH-luh are used as pronunciations. Instagrammer Fayola Leo and musician Sri Fayola are notable bearers.
Benilde
French variation of Latin
"good"
The strong and unusual name of a medieval (male) saint and a contemporary (female) novelist, Benilde Little.
Tuvia
Hebrew
"God is good"
Tuvia is the Hebrew cognate of Tobias or Tobiah, found in the Bible and used in this form in Israel. The film "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" included a character named Tuvia, who was female,…
Bashir
Arabic
"the one who brings good news"
Used both as a given name and as a surname, Bashir is a familiar but still unusual choice in the USA and UK, even among Muslim families. In 2014, only 25 boys were named Bashir in the US. One reason…
Vanina
Portuguese and Spanish diminutive of Evangelina
"bringer of good news"
Vanina is a name that is, at first glance, miles apart from its origin. But once you say it aloud and look for it, you can see the direct line from Evangelina to Vanina. Vanina could also be a good…
Eupraxia
Greek
"good conduct"
This rare name, used by a Byzantine saint, is not as attractive as other Greek "Eu" name like Eugenia, Eulalie and Eudora. This probably belongs in the footnotes of the history books.
Agathi
Variation of Agatha, Greek
"good woman"
Agatha is an ancient name that hasn't quite joined the fashionable ranks of old lady names....yet. Agathi may be intriguing but it will also surely be confusing.