Baby Name Meanings
Names That Mean Gift
Across 5 pages
of 5
Artemas
Greek
"gift of Artemis, goddess of the hunt"
This name has a nice mythological, historical, Three Musketeers-ish ring.
Dory
French
"gift of God"
A Dorothy nickname name with a measure of nostalgic charm. Kids will associate it with the funny fish character voiced by Ellen DeGeneres in the Pixar animated instant classic Finding Nemo .
Dottie
English, diminutive of Dorothy
"gift of God"
Dottie and Dot are old Dorothy nicknames that some cutting-edge Brits are bringing back to fashion. It's been half a century since Dottie ranked on its own in this country, one of those nickname…
Elidi
Greek
"gift of the sun"
Elidi is intriguing but potentially confusing. Try the French Elodie instead.
Esai
Short form of Esaias or variation of Esau, Hebrew
"salvation of the Lord; hairy"
An energetic and compact Spanish name, likely derived from Esaias or Esau, it is best associated with actor Esai Morales of American Family and Bad Boys fame. Pronounced as EH-sye in Spanish, it may…
Eudora
Greek
"generous gift"
Eudora is the name of five minor goddesses of Greek mythology and a major goddess (in the person of Pulitzer Prize-winning Eudora Welty) of modern American literature. Eudora is pleasant and…
Faerydae
English
"gift of the fairies"
The ultimate ethereal name for lovers of fairies, pixies, and sprites.
Feodora
Ukrainian; Russian, from Greek
"gift of God"
Feodora is an interesting choice for the intrepid name-giver, especially with the dynamic nickname Feo.
Fyodor
Russian variation of Theodore
"God's gift"
This variation of Theodore is familiar here mostly via the great Russian novelist Dostoyevsky. It was also the name of three early tsars of Russia.
Cleodora
Greek
"gift of glory"
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 name also belongs to a species of…
Dorothea
Greek
"gift of God"
Dorothea is a romantic Victorian-sounding name that blends elegance, gravitas and a hint of clunkiness too. Popular in the early decades of the twentieth century, it has been off the charts since…
Doron
Hebrew
"gift"
Benevolent name found in Israel in several forms, including Doran and Doroni.
Callidora
Greek
"gift of beauty"
An extremely rare name of Ancient Greek origin which could be a novel way to Callie. There is a minor Harry Potter character by the name: Callidora Black (later Longbottom).
Ata
Arabic, Turkish
"gift, ancestor"
Although it's a traditional male name in the Middle East, Ata has a more feminine read in the US.
Itzae
Mayan
"gift of God"
Itzae is an ancient Mayan name showing signs of revival in our modern world.
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:…
Doro
English and German diminutive of Dorothy and Dorothea
"gift of God"
Some parents might like this energetic diminutive for Dorothy used in the Bush family, though the traditional Dottie and Dot seem to be coming back.
Isadora
Greek
"gift of Isis"
For a long time, Isadora has been overlooked in favor of Isabella, owing perhaps to its association with the tragic modern dancer, Isadora Duncan, or because parents would rather their daughter be a…
Ihab
Arabic
"gift"
Also transliterated as Ehab, this Arabic name has the sweet meaning of "gift". A notable namesake is Egyptian-born American author Ihab Hassan, credited for popularising the concept of postmodernism…
Doris
Greek
"gift of the ocean"
Doris had long been on our so-far-out-it-will-always-be-out-for-babies list, and seemed to be written there in indelible ink. But there are signs of a sea change, that Doris could profit from the…