Names That Mean Jehovah
- Jody
Origin:
Variation or diminutive of JosephMeaning:
"Jehovah increases"Description:
Quintessentially sweet and innocent unisex name of the 1960s and 70s, now gone the way of hot pants and disco balls.
- Jon
Origin:
Variation of John or JonathanMeaning:
"God is gracious; or gift of Jehovah"Description:
Streamlined version of the classic boys' names, sometimes a short form of Jonathan, which is in fact an entirely different name from John attached to a different Biblical personage. Jon feels more modern than the traditional John, but some may find it an overly slight variation on an already slim name. Jon Snow is a popular character on HBO's Game of Thrones.
- Peppa
Origin:
Diminutive of Giuseppa, ItalianMeaning:
"Jehovah increases"Description:
Not long ago, Peppa may have been at risk for confusion with the name Pepper. But thanks to the British children's TV series Peppa Pig, Peppa is now a household name. If your household contains preschoolers, that is.
- Fifi
Origin:
French diminutive of Josephine, HebrewMeaning:
"Jehovah increases"Description:
Fifi is a perfect name -- for a French poodle. But Fifi may seem more child-friendly as names like Coco and Lulu rise. Fifi in its fluffiness also balances the seriousness of such full names as Josephine or Federica.
- Elihu
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"Jehovah is God"Description:
Rarely used in the last two centuries, but might be worth dusting off and holding up to the light.
- Yoni
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"gift of Jehovah"Description:
Short form of Yonatan heard throughout Israel.
- Fien
Origin:
Diminutive of Josefien, Dutch variation of JosephineMeaning:
"Jehovah increases"Description:
Fien is a popular enough girls' name to make the Top 100 in The Netherlands. Dutch parents love nickname-names taken from the last vs. the first syllable of a name, like Sanne for Susanne or Lotte for Charlotte.
- Eliot
Origin:
Variation of ElliotMeaning:
"Jehovah is God"Description:
Sleekened spelling.
- Uzi
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"Jehovah is my strength"Description:
Despite its biblical pedigree and popularity in Israel, it has far too many ties to the lethal submachine gun to find many fans here.
- Uzzi
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"Jehovah is my strength"Description:
An extra zesty variation of Uzi, but not one that comes recommended — it’s strongly associated with the submachine gun.
- Gioele
Origin:
Italian variation of JoelMeaning:
"Jehovah is his God"Description:
Gioele is among the Top 50 names for boys in Italy, though the Italian version would cause pronunciation and spelling problems for English speakers. In the US, UK, or Australia, stick with the sleek and simple Joel.
- Josey
Origin:
Variation of Joseph, HebrewMeaning:
"Jehovah increases"Description:
Josie and Josey read as feminine names, but a handful of boys are given this form as a first name each year. Josey is also heard as a pet name for Joseph.
- Yusuf
Origin:
Arabic variation of Joseph, HebrewMeaning:
"Jehovah increases"Description:
Yusuf is the Arabic form of Joseph, used in the Middle East, as well as internationally from France and the US, to the UK, Turkey and Azerbaijan - where, as of 2023, it ranked in the Top 100.
- Tzofia
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"a scout of Jehovah"Description:
The "Tz" beginning of Tzofia represents the Hebrew letter tzadi, which is pronounced more like ts. So Tzofia sounds like Sofia with a light t at the beginning — intriguing, but a difficult sound for a native English speaker to reproduce. While Tzofia is a distinct name from the megapopular Sophia and Sofia, many people will hear it as a cognate and pronounce it the same...or like Zofia.
- Joni
Origin:
Diminutive of Jon, English from HebrewMeaning:
"God is gracious; gift of Jehovah"Description:
As a male name, Joni is a nickname for Jon or Jonathan, akin to Johnny or Jonny. It's more commonly used as a girl name, where it originated as a nickname for Joan.
- Jonathon
Origin:
Spelling variation of Jonathan, HebrewMeaning:
"gift of Jehovah"Description:
Like many spelling variations of popular names, Jonathon's star rose and is now falling along with that of the original Jonathan. Jonathon occupied the very last spot on the boys' US Top 1000 in 2016, at Number 1000. Parents in search of an Old Testament boys’ name today tend to look for more original choices, from Ezra to Abraham to Moses.
- Jessel
Origin:
German, French, or English surnameMeaning:
"gift; Jehovah increases"Description:
A fresh take on Jessica, Jessel is currently borne in the public eye by Jessel Taank, a Real Housewife of New York City.
- Hadriel
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"splendor of Jehovah"Description:
An alternative to the formerly male Ariel, which is now in the grasp of "The Little Mermaid."
- Bethia
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"daughter of Jehovah"Description:
Long forgotten Old Testament name with modern potential.
- Joa
Origin:
Finnish, Danish, Swedish variation of JoMeaning:
"Jehovah increases"Description:
A unisex Scandinavian name. Joa is more common for boys in Finland but equally split between sexes in Sweden and Denmark.