Baby Name Meanings
110+ Names That Mean Blessing
Across 6 pages
of 6
Isidore
Greek
"gift of Isis"
Isabel, Theodore, and Isadora are back: could it now be time for a more widespread revival of Isidore? Yet to see any big moves up the charts, Isidore was given to more than 30 boys in a recent year:…
Janice
Variation of Jane
"God is gracious"
For a minute or two this sounded more modern than Janet, now equally outmoded.
Jonty
Diminutive of Jonathan
"gift of Jehovah"
Jaunty, to say the least, Jonty might be an option if Johnny feels too old school. It has been noticed most often on the playing fields, as in U.K. rugby player Jonty Parkin (born Jonathan) and South…
Janet
Diminutive of Jane
"God is gracious"
Janet started as a pet form of Jane but has long been used independently. Jane is a feminine form of John, which derived from the Hebrew name Yochanan. Janet can also be considered a variation of…
Jenica
Romanian variation of Jane
"God is gracious"
Jenica might work if you can't decide between Jennifer and Jessica. It's certainly a more distinctive option.
Jevon
Welsh, variation of Evan
"gift of God"
Yet another offshoot of the original John, also sometimes used as Jevan or Yevan.
Maceo
Spanish variation of Matthew
"gift of God"
This semi-obscure historic name was recently chosen for their son by Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez. A possible namesake is Maceo Grajales, a Cuban guerrilla leader who was second-in-command of the…
Makana
Hawaiian
"gift"
A nice meaning -- congruent with the recent vogue for names like Blessing -- helps offset this Hawaiian name's proximity to overused Makayla and McKenzie.
Mathis
French and German form of Matthias or Matthew
"gift of God"
Very popular in France and Belgium, this name -- pronounced mat-tees, like the surname of the painter Matisse -- might make an appealing new way to say Matthew here.
Matt
Short form of Matthew
"gift of God"
Still one of the most appealing short forms, which goes a long way toward explaining the sustained popularity of Matthew. Matt is perennially the popular guy in high school, friendly, attractive, and…
Mattea
Italian, from Hebrew
"gift of God"
This pretty, international feminization of Matthew was chosen by Mira Sorvino for her daughter, Mattea Angel. As the Spanish Mateo and the Italian Matteo become more popular for baby boys throughout…
Mattie
Diminutive of Martha or Matilda
"lady; battle-mighty"
Mattie, which might be a short form of Martha, Matilda, or even Madeline, ranked among the Top 100 names for girls in the 1880s and in fact, has held a place among the Top 1000 for most of U.S.…
Medora
Greek
"mother's gift"
Medora is a Greek name much less common here than, say, Melanie or Melissa. It has some literary references, including as the beautiful and passionate heroine of Lord Byron's poem The Corsair, and in…
Mercedes
Spanish
"gracious gifts, benefits"
Mercedes is one of the few names attached to luxury living that we can wholeheartedly recommend, it being a legitimate Spanish appellation stemming from one of the epithets given to the Virgin…
Natania
Hebrew
"gift of God"
This female form of Nathan can be pronounced with three syllables or four, and could make an interesting alternative to Natalia.
Ohanna
Hebrew and Armenian
"God is gracious"
A joyous, celebratory-sounding name.
Pandora
Greek
"all gifted"
Pandora has occasionally been used by the British gentry (for girls with brothers who might be called Peregrine) and is now starting to be heard in the US too: It was given to 34 baby girls last…
Phedora
Greek
"supreme gift"
A bit pharmaceutical, not to mention hatlike.
Shai
Hebrew
"gift"
Shai is a name newly-used in the US for both boys and, slightly less often, girls. Though the correct pronunciation is "shy", many will say shay, which might be all right with you.
Shia
Entered the vernacular with the rising star of Shia LeBeouf. The meaning and origin of the name are disputed, though the actor has been quoted as saying he's embarrassed by its meaning in French:…