Baby Name Meanings
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 5 pages
of 5
English
"God's gift"
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.
Ukrainian; Russian, from Greek
"gift of God"
Feodora is an interesting choice for the intrepid name-giver, especially with the dynamic nickname Feo.
"gift of the fairies"
The ultimate ethereal name for lovers of fairies, pixies, and sprites.
Norwegian
"sun gift"
The Norwegian form of Sunniva used to be very popular in its native country, making the Top 100 every year from 1945 to 1966. It shares Sunniva's beautiful, sunny meaning and has a lovely sound,…
Italian variation of Thaddeus
A particularly charming spin on the original, as is the Spanish name Tadeo. It debuted in the US Top 1000 in 2016.
Hebrew
"gift"
Benevolent name found in Israel in several forms, including Doran and Doroni.
Slovene
This charming feminine form of Thaddeus is based on the Slovene variant Tadej. Its melodic sound and stylish nickname Teja make it an attractive possibility, even outside of its native country.
Polish variation of Thaddeus
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…
Etruscan
This intriguing name of an ancient Etruscan queen renowned for her prophetic powers was long associated with the prima ballerina Tanaquil LeClerq.
English and German diminutive of Dorothy and Dorothea
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.
Greek
"bountiful gift"
Cinderella stepsister type Victorian-valentine name.
West African
Diarra has a nice meaning, but we could see it leading to possible teasing re association with a certain digestive problem.
Slavic
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.
Hungarian
"shepherd, gift"
"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…
Dutch short form of Matthijs
Usually pronounced to rhyme with nice — though others may rhyme it with Jace — Thijs is a popular Dutch name short for that country's form of Matthew. Matt Lauer's half-Dutch son is called Thijs.
Turkish, Spanish, Armenian variation of Theodore, from Greek
"bull, Taurus; gift of God"
Toros is a multicultural option, used in Armenia as a variation of classic Theodore, in Spanish to refer to bulls, or sometimes to bullfighting, and in Turkey, as a place name, given to a mountain…
Lativian
"gift or tribute"
A pretty name with that fashionable V intitial, little known outside of Latvia.
"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).
French
Cadeau puts a decidedly French-ified twist on the word name trend, but don't be surprised if you encounter ponies and poodles with the same moniker.
