Dog Names That Mean Miracle

Central European form of Matthew.

The name of a nymph in Greek mythology, one of the prophetic Thriai, who divined the future by throwing pebbles. She was a lover of the sea god Poseidon.

The Estonian writer Mats Tõnisson created Milvi as a nickname for Miranda. It's also connected to the Estonian word miilama, meaning "glow" or "burn slowly".

Portuguese variation of Matthew.

Jonathan variation that is common among Jewish baby boys in Israel.

If you're a movie fan or a sports fan, you might be attracted to this name, via the film "Donnie Darko" or the Serbian-born basketball star Darko Milicic. It is kind of dark, though.

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.

Cross classic Eleanor with rising vintage star Theodora and you get Eleadora, a beautiful Greek name with a wonderful meaning.

This rare name crosses cultures. With the popularity of Ella and Bella, perhaps we'll hear more of Pella one day soon?

Rare Russian name borne by an enemy of Rasputin.

Despite sounding feminine to English speakers, Shaya is a unisex name more common among baby boys — the male version also has roots in Arabic.

Pretty and unusual.

Too close to nausea.

Dynamic and creative; common in Africa, challenging here. Pronunciation isn't as difficult as you'd guess, but everyone will have to ask. Many favor n-GO-zee, but a native speaker tells us that it is closer to n-GAW-zee, and we've found at least one n-GAH-zee, too.

Neo, indeed--though it was a male character in "The Matrix."

Whether you think of the chocolates or the naked long-haired lady on the horse, Godiva is a name with baggage no child should have to carry.

Somali and East African form of Hiba.

Izya is a unisex Russian nickname, used for Isaak and Isidore for boys, and for Isabel and Isidora for girls. Unlike other Russian nicknames (Sasha, Anya, Sonya), this has not caught on internationally yet.

This Japanese name is used for both boys and girls.

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.