Baby Name Meanings
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 10 pages
of 10
Hebrew
"carried by God, load, burden"
Amos is a robust biblical name that's being discovered by a new generation of parents in a major way. Similar to other popular choices like Amias, Asa, Moses, and Thomas, it has a contemporary air…
Latin, Greek
"a Christian"
Christina, a pretty and feminine, crystal clear classic, may be trending downward, but it's never out of style and its extra syllable does keep it fresher feeling than Christine. Christina's short…
"God is my salvation"
Creative name whose only limitation is that it looks like it would be pronounced akin to Alicia and Elissa — although as a Biblical boys’ name , it is traditionally pronounced ee-LIE-shah. With…
Aramaic, meaning unclear, possibly from Theodore
"gift of God"
Thaddeus, a distinguished, long-neglected name, has several areas of appeal: a solid New Testament legacy, a nice antique feel, and the choice of several more modern nicknames and international…
Diminutive of Ezekiel
"God strengthens"
Zeke is a casual form of the name Ezekiel, an important prophet from the Old Testament. How well Zeke holds up depends on the boy: it could be a cooler alternative of Zack, or it could prove too…
English surname derived from John
"God is gracious"
This quintessentially common last name makes a distinctive if first, given to more than 230 babies in the US in the most recent year counted. It has doubled in use over the last decade.
Feminine variation of Michael, Hebrew
"who is like God?"
This most proper form of the name shot up the charts in the nineties, only to sink just as precipitously, supplanted by upstarts Makayla and McKayla ad infinitum. The Michaela version retains some…
Johanna is the version of this name used in Holland, Germany, and Scandinavia. The extra h makes Johanna a slightly more dignified version of Joanna. A notable namesake is the author of Heidi ,…
"beloved of the Lord"
Jedidiah, an Old Testament name with a touch of Gunsmoke -era western panache, is right in line to be revived along with the other biblical -iah names. Jedidiah was the name given by the prophet…
German, Dutch, Danish, English, variation of Elizabeth, Hebrew
"pledged to God"
This spelling of the classic name is found in France, Germany, Greece, and other cultures, and is worn by such notables as Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, Elisabeth Shue, Elisabeth Moss, and Elisabeth…
Variation of John or Jonathan
"God is gracious; or gift of Jehovah"
Streamlined version of the classic boys' names, sometimes a short form of Jonathan, which is in fact an entirely different name from John attached to a different Biblical personage. Jon feels more…
English variation of Michael
"who is like God"
Mitchell has had something of a roller coaster ride, showing some panache in the forties and fifties, when it was seen as a sharper alternative to Michael with its cool Mitch nickname, slipping a…
English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Italian
Elvis naming his daughter Lisa Marie and Nat King Cole's hit song "Mona Lisa" conspired to catapult one of Elizabeth's many offshoots to a high of #4 in 1970. It has largely fallen from favor in the…
"might of God"
An obscure Old Testament name used by parents of 75 boys in 2016, Oziel could be a distinctive route to fashionable nickname Oz.
"my cover is God"
Castiel, which vaulted into the Top 1000 on the wings of the angel hero of the television show Supernatural , is the name of the Angel of the day Thursday. It may also derive some appeal from the…
Feminine variation of Joel, Hebrew
"Jehovah is his God"
Joel is one of those boys’ names that's never been super-popular yet has never been UNpopular either -- it's been in the Top 400 in the US since we started keeping statistics in 1880. So it's…
English feminine variation of John, Hebrew
Joan was the perfect name choice for one of the leading characters on Mad Men , being a quintessential girls' name of the period. A Top 10 name in the 30s, a Top 50 name from the 40s through the…
"he [God] has heard"
Could Simeon be the next Gideon? Parents seeking a less simple form of Simon might consider this biblical appellation that was chosen by Wynton Marsalis for his son. Simon is actually the Greek…
German diminutive of Elisabeth
Lost in limbo for decades and decades, Elsa now stands a good chance of following along in the progression from Emma to Ella to Etta, thanks to the ice queen heroine who "Let It Go" in the wildly…
Diminutive of Elizabeth, Hebrew
Combine the popularity of Betty White and Mad Men 's glamorous Betty Draper Francis, with the residual sweetness of Ugly Betty 's Betty Suarez, and the result is an impending return of the name. It's…
