150+ Names That Mean Gift from God

Feodora is an interesting choice for the intrepid name-giver, especially with the dynamic nickname Feo.

If you're looking for a Euro-chic alternative to Max, Mats is a strong possibility. It's a fading classic in Norway, but is popular in the Netherlands and Belgium, where short names are the height of style.

You’re most likely to find this Theodore cognate in Eastern Europe, where it ranks among the top names for boys in the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Poland, and Romania. The nickname Teo is a real winner.

Nicknames ending in o are invariably cute, though this one is a boys' name in its own right. And not just any boy name, but a saint's name no less. Saint Hanno, aka Saint Anno, was an 10th century archbishop of Cologne, He is also known as, less attractively, Hanno of Worms, which is one of the oldest cities in Germany.

Central European form of Matthew.

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.

Thad is a tad too slight to stand alone as a name, though as a short form of the imposing Thaddeus it's as serviceable as Ted or Ed.

A form of the classic Theodore, most often used in Eritrea and Ethiopia. Tewodros is an alternative spelling.

We like Matti in theory, but in practice it’s likely to get confused for the girlish Maddie.

Very rarely used for girls, but New York socialite Kelly Bensimon and photographer Gilles Bensimon gave it to their youngest daughter in 2000.

Johannes never caught on in the US, but popular European short form Hannes may be more accessible.

Together with the more common (in France) Jeannine spelling, this feminine form of Jean was most popular in the 1930s in its home country, and in the 1960s in the US. It's fallen off the Top 1000 list since, but perhaps cute retro nickname Jeannie could tempt some vintage-loving parents back.

A rarely used Slavic name until the Czech-born ex-Mrs. Trump took it over the top. Daughter's name Ivanka adds a dollop of charm.

Last moment of glory was in the Janis Joplin sixties.

Derived from the Tigrinya elements hiyab, meaning "gift," and el, "God."

One of the most unusual of the "iah" names, it comes with the appealing and usable nickname Zev.

Teddy or Teddie is an adorable short form of Theodora or Edwina, made more feminine by the -ie ending. Extremely cutesy for a full name, but feels increasingly wearable in this era of nicknames as given names. Television personality Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave is a famous bearer of another spelling variation.

The Polish form of Thaddeus, it is associated with Adam Mickiewicz's 1834 poem Pan Tadeusz, the national epic poem of Poland and compulsory reading in schools. The poem is set in the early 19th century when Poland had been divided between Prussia, Russia, and Austria and tells the story of Tadeusz and Zosia, members of two feuding noble families.