Modern Christian Baby Names

A modern word and virtue name which first appeared on the US baby name charts in 2013, when it was given to 6 boys. By 2018, that had doubled to 12 (plus 8 girls), no doubt thanks to the enigmatic Credence Barebone from the Fantastic Beasts film franchise.

Seinfeld's George threatened to name his future child Seven, and then singer Erykah Badu actually did it.

Spiritual word names are becoming more and more popular – think Peace, Bodhi, Zen and Psalm – and Spirit is among the rarer options, given to a couple dozen baby girls each year in the US. It's the name of the horse in the kids' TV show Spirit.

A fresh and fragrant nature name, Cedar is one of the new tree/wood names that parents are starting to consider. A unisex option, for every one girl called Cedar, there are currently two boys. Nevertheless, its similarity to Selah, Celia, Freda, Sailor, and Ida could mean it doesn't feel out of place on any gender.

A word name with grandeur, musicality, and a hint of spirituality, Requiem could have the nickname Remi. Associated with remembrance, Catholic Mass, and music for the dead, it more literally means "rest". It has never been used as a name, as yet.

Evocative word name that's refreshingly straightforward. Overtones of Christianity and penalty. More subtle option: Cruz.

In the Bible, Calvary is the hill outside of Jerusalem where Jesus was crucified. This religious significance, along with a pleasant sound, have led some parents to begin using it as a name for their daughters.

Heavenly, the word that's become a name, has been flirting with the bottom of the Top 1000 for a handful of years now. Heaven and cousins like Nevaeh have been well-used so adding the popular -ly suffix, ala Everly, seems like a natural progression.

Chosen is officially a baby name thanks to Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, who chose (can't resist) the word as the name of his newborn son. While it may inspire bad puns, Chosen is actually a pretty good word name: It's got the two-syllable, n-ending sound that is so fashionable for names, plus a positive, affirming meaning. Chosen is rising on the girls' side too now, given to 74 baby girls in 2022.

Brother for Heaven or Nevaeh.

Page, Poet, and Story all get used as names, so why not Verse? Teen Mom's Kailyn Lowry used it as a name for one of her sons.

Rise joins the latest class of modern Christian names for its uplifting spiritual associations. Rise may be especially appropriate for an Easter baby. We expect it will, erm, rise now that Nick Cannon and Brittany Bell have used it for their son, born in 2022.

Generally used in conjunction with another name to form a religious phrase -- for instance the daughter of rapper DMX is called Praise Mary Ella.

Omega is a perfect choice for a youngest child.

A Puritanical virtue name and also a place name, belonging to the state capital of Rhode Island and several other towns and cities in the US.

Blessed and Blessing are two word and virtue names getting more attention, especially among religious parents.

Transferred from the geographical name, Jerusalem is a sacred city in many religious traditions, including Judaism, Christianity and Islam. It is given to around a dozen babies of each sex per year in the US.

Rare word name, and an unexpected way to get to Tess.

With its sharp Z initial and similar sound to Ryan, Zion has shot up the charts in singer Lauryn Hill used it for her son in 1997. Following on in its footsteps, spelling variant Zyon entered the Top 1000 in 2019 and was given to around 270 babies in a recent year.