Names That Mean Good

  1. Nashira
    • Origin:

      Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "the bearer of good news"
    • Description:

      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 several positive associations.
  2. Merit
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "being good or worthy; deserving of recognition"
    • Description:

      Merritt is an English surname but spelled Merit it becomes a word name. Both variations are on the rise.
  3. Gita
    • Origin:

      Sanskrit; Latvian; Czech "song; pearl or strength or exalted one"
    • Meaning:

      "song; pearl or strength or exalted one"
    • Description:

      A simple, international name extremely popular in India. The word, meaning "song", also appears in the name of the Bhagavad Gita, a Hindu sacred text. Geeta is a spelling variant.
  4. Benvolio
    • Origin:

      Italian
    • Meaning:

      "good wisher; peacemaker, benevolent"
    • Description:

      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 familiar nicknames Ben, Lio, and Bo.
  5. Lykke
    • Origin:

      Swedish and Danish
    • Meaning:

      "happiness, good fortune"
    • Description:

      Sweet Lykke, virtually unknown in English-speaking countries, is one of the top girl names in Sweden.
  6. Bonaventure
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "good fortune"
    • Description:

      One for the truly adventurous baby namers, or perhaps an unexpected middle name to liven up a more traditional first. But on trend short form Bo does make it feel a little more accessible.
  7. Neema
    • Origin:

      Swahili, Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "divine grace, blessing"
    • Description:

      Ultimately from the Arabic ni'ma, this Swahili name celebrates the blessing of a baby. Also used as a masculine name, Neema is notably borne by film director Neema Barnette and activist Neema Namadamu.
  8. Euphrasie
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "good cheer"
    • Description:

      French form of Euphrasia. This was the real name of Cosette in Victor Hugo's Les Misérables. It was popular in French up to and around the turn of the 20th century, but fell out of the French Top 500 in 1943, just over 80 years after the publication of the novel.
  9. Tobi
    • Origin:

      Variation of Toby, English
    • Meaning:

      "God is good"
    • Description:

      Tobi is typically used as an alternate spelling of Toby, a common nickname for Tobias. In the anime series Naruto, the name Tobi is written in kanji giving it the meaning "ten tails."
  10. Vanina
    • Origin:

      Portuguese and Spanish diminutive of Evangelina
    • Meaning:

      "bringer of good news"
    • Description:

      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 alternative for people who like the sound of Vanille or Vanilla, but can't bring themselves to use a flavor as a name.
  11. Goodluck
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "good luck"
    • Description:

      A virtuous and optimistic name whose most famous bearer is the former president of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan.
  12. Boniface
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "fortunate, of good fate"
    • Description:

      A name borne by nine popes and several saints, which carries strong Catholic connotations. British politician Jacob Rees-Mogg named his sixth child Sixtus Dominic Boniface Christopher in 2017.
  13. Glenda
    • Origin:

      Feminine form of Glenn, English, Scottish
    • Meaning:

      "valley"
    • Description:

      Part nature name, part mid-century favorite, Glenda came into use in the 20th century as a feminine form of Scottish Glenn, likely inspired by Linda and Wanda too. While Glenn would give it the meaning "valley", if you do consider it a smoosh name with Linda, Wanda, or Brenda, you get means such as "beautiful valley", "tender valley", "Wend's valley", "sword valley" or "fire valley".
  14. Samran
    • Origin:

      Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "good friend, converser at night"
    • Description:

      A little-known Sam name with a lovely evocative meaning.
  15. Eudoxia
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "good deeds"
    • Description:

      Think the letter X is always cool in names? Meet Eudoxia. An ancient name with a great meaning, associated with a number of saints and Byzantine royals. You might also like the similar Eudocia or Eudora.
  16. Tuvia
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "God is good"
    • Description:

      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, pointing to the biggest downside of this name to the English-speaking ear: It sounds quite feminine.
  17. Tovia
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "god is good"
    • Description:

      Hebrew form of Tobiah, also used as a feminine form.
  18. Parasha
    • Origin:

      Russian
    • Meaning:

      "born on Good Friday"
    • Description:

      Slavic possibility for a girl born during the Easter season.
  19. Tashi
    • Origin:

      Tibetan
    • Meaning:

      "good fortune"
    • Description:

      Accessible and attractive Tibetan name used for both sexes.
  20. Tobin
    • Origin:

      English surname derived from Tobias
    • Meaning:

      "God is good"
    • Description:

      While Tobin is technically a variation of the Biblical Tobias and so a male name, it's a newfangled version that's been drafted for the girls' team by Olympic soccer star Tobin Heath, who plays for the U.S. women's national professional soccer team.

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