Names That Mean Joy
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About this list
The names
Joy
English word name
"joy"
Joy is from an older generation of word names, which also included Merry, Bliss, and Glory -- all of which exert a certain amount of personality pressure on a child. However, Joy, like Grace, Hope,…
Ilo
Finnish
"joy"
Roni
Hebrew
"my song or my joy"
Roni may sound like the Doowop-era Ronnie or Ronni, often named for her dad Ron, but it's actually a freestanding Hebrew name with an uplifting meaning.
Alize
Variation of Aleeza or Alizee, Hebrew or French
"joy or wind"
Alize feels like a blend of Alice and Eliza but it's not related to either of those names, rather to the more unusual (in the US, at least) Aleeza, a Hebrew name meaning joy, or Alizee, a French name…
Elza
Hebrew
"God is my joy"
Intriguing twist on several familiar names, though many people will mistake this for Elsa, Eliza, and so on.
Frayda
Yiddish
"joy"
An old favorite in traditional Jewish families.
Nayo
African Nigerian
"she is our joy"
A bit masculine in feel.
Charmian
Greek
"joy"
This name was used by Shakespeare (who got it from Plutarch) in Antony and Cleopatra for one of the attendants of the Egyptian queen. An interesting possibility, it is heard occasionally in the UK,…
Gioia
Italian
"joy"
Prettier than Joy and just beginning to be used here.
Dayo
Nigerian
"joy arrives"
Has an evocative African beat.
Gila
Hebrew
"joy of the Lord"
Gila and its variants have joyous meanings in Hebrew, but other kids might connect them to the monster.
Roni
Hebrew
"my song or my joy"
Looks modern, but sounds like the dated Ronnie.
Ayu
African, Yoruban
"joy"
Rhythmic and unusual.
Gili
Hebrew
"my joy"
Spirited unisex Hebrew name.
Rani
Hebrew
"my song, my joy"
Too bad everyone in this country will tend to hear Ronnie.
Geela
Hebrew
"joy"
Gay, nearly giddy, gee-whiz feel; also too reminscent of a gila monster.
Chara
Greek
"joy"
Chara is the name of a star in a constellation that represents hunting dogs, recently named as one of the most likely to host extraterrestrial life. Also, Chara is a variation of both Sarah and…
Sachiko
Japanese
"child of joy"
Sachiko was one of the first Japanese names familiar to Americans when it was used in the 1950s by actress Shirley Maclaine for her daughter, called the adorable short form Sachi. While Sachiko does…
Sachi
Japanese
"child of joy"
Sachi, often short for Sachiko, was given to 25 girls in the US in a recent year. While it is technically Japanese, this short form has an unidentifiably international feel and might be a relative of…
Bayo
African, Nigerian, Yoruba
"the crown meets joy"
Short form of Adebayo
