Names with Inspirational Meanings
Baby names with inspirational meanings or from spiritual sources strike an uplifting chord. Inspirational baby names are virtuous in nature, with meanings like comfort, generous, and bliss. This list includes classic virtue names like Justice and Grace, as well as names with subtler inspirational meanings, such as Grady and Veronique.
Along with Grace and Grady, other names with inspirational meanings in the US Top 500 include Amara, Audrey, Bodhi, Chance, Freya, Nadia, Solomon, and Vera. Rare and fashionable names to inspire include Anouk, Ever, Pax, and Verity.
Names with inspiring meanings might encourage your child to embody the virtue behind their name. Consider these names if you want to set your child up for a lifetime of inspiration.
Along with Grace and Grady, other names with inspirational meanings in the US Top 500 include Amara, Audrey, Bodhi, Chance, Freya, Nadia, Solomon, and Vera. Rare and fashionable names to inspire include Anouk, Ever, Pax, and Verity.
Names with inspiring meanings might encourage your child to embody the virtue behind their name. Consider these names if you want to set your child up for a lifetime of inspiration.
- Freya
Origin:
NorseMeaning:
"a noble woman"Description:
Freya is derived from the Old Norse name Freyja, meaning "Lady, noble woman." It is the name of the Norse goddess of love, beauty, and fertility. Freya can be considered a feminization of Frey or Freyr, the name of the goddess’s brother.
- Adelaide
Origin:
Variant of Adelheidis, GermanMeaning:
"noble, nobility"Description:
Adelaide is now heading straight uphill on the coattails of such newly popular sisters as Ava, Ada, and Audrey, and in the company of Adeline and Amelia. It was chosen by actress Katherine Heigl for the name of her second daughter.
- Audrey
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"noble strength"Description:
Audrey is derived from the Anglo-Saxon Aethelthryth, the name that later evolved into Etheldred or Etheldreda. St. Audrey was a seventh century saint who was particularly revered in the Middle Ages. Her name led to the term tawdry, as cheap lace necklaces were sold at the St. Audrey fair. Shakespeare bestowed her name on a character in As You Like It.
- Grace
Origin:
English, virtue nameDescription:
Grace is derived from gratia, the Latin word for "grace." It existed as Gracia in the Middle Ages but was not in common use until the Puritans adopted it along with other Christian attribute names in the sixteenth century. It was used as a virtue name, in reference to divine grace — the love and kindness of God.
- Amara
Origin:
Igbo, Sanskrit, ArabicMeaning:
"grace, immortal, tribe"Description:
Amara is the Italian word for bitter, from the same root as Mary and Miriam. It has separate roots in West Africa as a name that means "grace" in the Igbo language. These two meanings are the best-known, but Amara is also a Sanskrit name meaning "immortal", an Arabic word meaning "tribe" and a Mongolian name meaning "peaceful".
- Bodhi
Origin:
SanskritMeaning:
"awakening, enlightenment"Description:
Bodhi is a Sanskrit name translated as "enlightenment" or "awakening" which relates to a Buddhist concept, wherein Bodhi is synonymous with the state of nirvana, being freed from hate, greed and ego. The Bodhi tree is a large fig tree under which the founder of Buddhism received enlightenment. Spelling variations include Bodie and Bode.
- Vera
Origin:
RussianMeaning:
"faith"Description:
Vera was the height of fashion in 1910, then was for a long time difficult to picture embroidered on a baby blanket. Now, though, it has come back into style along with other old-fashioned simple names such as Ada and Iris.
- Frederick
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"peaceful ruler"Description:
Frederick, and friendlier nickname Fred, seemed almost to have disappeared, leaving just the memory of Freds past such as Astaire, Mr. Rogers and Flintstone. But today's parents are beginning to recognize it as a strong classic and one of the top royal baby boy names.
- Winifred
Origin:
WelshMeaning:
"blessed peacemaking"Description:
One of the few remaining unrestored vintage gems, with a choice of two winning nicknames--the girlish Winnie and the tomboyish Freddie--as well as the slight stretch Freda. Winifred, the name of a legendary Welsh saint, was a Top 200 name into the mid-1920's.
- Eliana
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"my God has answered"Description:
The Hebrew variation of Eliana was taken from the elements el, meaning "God" and ana, meaning "answered." Eliana also has roots as a variation of the Late Latin name Aeliana, a feminization of the male given name Aelianus, itself derived from the Roman family name Aelius. Aelius is related to the Greek word helios, which refers to the Sun.
- Aaron
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"high mountain; exalted, enlightened"Description:
The origin of the name Aaron is debated—some say it was derived from Hebrew, while others claim it originated in Ancient Egypt. In the Old Testament, Aaron, the older brother of Moses who was appointed by God to be his brother's spokesman, was the first High Priest of the Israelites. The Hebrew version is Aharon—in Yiddish it can be Aaran—and the name appears in Arabic as Haroun or Harun.
- Celia
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"heavenly"Description:
Celia, splendidly sleek and feminine, is a name that was scattered throughout Shakespeare and other Elizabethan literature, but still manages to feel totally modern.
- Patrick
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"noble, patrician"Description:
Patrick, long tied to a hyper-Irish image, is enjoying something of a renaissance as a stylish classic, as it has long been considered in England. Along with such choices as Charles and George, Patrick has escaped overuse in recent decades.
- Dion
Origin:
Diminutive of Dionysius, GreekMeaning:
"child of heaven and earth"Description:
In ancient Greece, a student of Plato; in modern America, a cool guy.
- Arwen
Origin:
Literature, SindarinMeaning:
"noble maiden"Description:
Arwen is well known as princess of the Elves in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. The author took inspiration from Welsh for many of his character names, and indeed Arwen and its masculine counterpart Arwyn do have a modest history of use as legitimate Welsh names, deriving from the -wyn suffix ("fair, blessed") plus an intensifying prefix.
- Albert
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"noble, bright"Description:
Albert has acquired a new gloss as one of the top royal baby boy names, a serious upgrade from its serious, studious image (think Einstein, Schweitzer). Albert remained popular for 80 years, and though it's far less fashionable today, it's still a widely used choice. Still, along with such stalwarts as Walter and George, it could now make an unusual yet classic choice. It became especially popular in Britain following the 1840 marriage of Queen Victoria to the German Prince Albert. Enlivening nickname Bertie is popular on its own in England.
- Alana
Origin:
Feminization of Alan, Irish; variation of Ilana, Hebrew; Gaelic; HawaiianMeaning:
"handsome, rock; oak tree; child; awakening"Description:
Alana, in all its various spellings, was at one time reserved for daughters of dads named Alan, but is now much more widespread. It came into prominence via model/actress/celeb spouse Alana Hamilton Stewart.
- Aaliyah
Origin:
Variation of Aliya, ArabicMeaning:
"heavens, highborn, exalted"Description:
Aaliyah is the feminine variation of Aali, a masculine Arabic name meaning "high" or "exalted." There are many additional spellings of the name, including Alia, Aliyah, Aleah, and Aleia. In Hebrew, aliyah (pronounced with the emphasis on the second syllable) means "rising," and refers to Jewish immigration to Israel.
- Nancy
Origin:
English diminutive of AnnDescription:
Nancy originated as a contraction of “mine Ancy,” with Ancy being a nickname for Annis, a Medieval English variation of Agnes. In the 18th century it began being used in its own right, as well as a nickname for Ann. Related names include Nan, Nance, Nanette, Nanny, and Nanou.
- Hope
Origin:
Virtue nameDescription:
Can a name as virtuous as Hope be cool and trendy? Strangely enough -- yes. But though this optimistic Puritan favorite is experiencing substantial popularity, Hope is too pure and elegant to be corrupted, a lovely classic that deserves all the attention it's getting.