Names That Mean Thankful or Gratitude
- Ayra
Origin:
SanskritMeaning:
"respectable, awe-inspiring"Description:
A beautiful name which is well used in India, and certainly has the potential to catch on elsewhere too, Ayra likely means "respectable" and "awe-inspiring" in Sanskrit, while also relating to the goddess Saraswati.
- Muhammad
Origin:
ArabicMeaning:
"praiseworthy"Description:
There are over five hundred names for the Arab prophet who founded the Muslim religion, making it the most common boys' name in the world and explaining the Muslim adage, "If you have a hundred sons, name them all Muhammad."
- Thana
Origin:
Arabic, GreekMeaning:
"praise; death"Description:
A multicultural choice with two rather different meanings, Thana is an Arabic name with the spiritual meaning of "praise". It may also appear as Thanaa, Sana, and Sena, the latter spellings reflecting its pronunciation in Urdu and Turkish.
- Odeya
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"I will thank God"Description:
Derived from a Hebrew phrase: ode "I will thank, praise" combined with yah "Yahweh". A famous bearer is Israeli-American actress Odeya Rush.
- Sanjiro
Origin:
JapaneseMeaning:
"admired, praised"Description:
Interesting name with a cool, upbeat sound.
- Erwin
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"respected friend"Description:
One of the many names with a strong "er" sound, like Bertram and Ernest, that was huge in the 1920s and is languishing in style limbo now. One famous bearer is the physicist Erwin Schrödinger, as in Schrödinger's cat.
- Enea
Origin:
Italian variation of Aeneas, GreekMeaning:
"the praised one"Description:
Enea is derived from Aeneas, the name of a Roman mythological hero with strong ties to the city of Rome. It's no surprise then, that Italians have embraced Enea, a more modern variation of his name.
- Samiyah
Origin:
ArabicMeaning:
"high, exalted, praised"Description:
Samiyah hovers near the bottom of the US Top 1000, used expecially by Arab-American and African-American families. Variations include Samiya, Samiah, and Samia.
- Shohei
Origin:
JapaneseMeaning:
"respect; soaring peace"Description:
Notably borne by baseball star Shohei Ohtani, Shohei can also be transcribed as Shōhei or Shouhei. As with many Japanese names, the meaning varies depending on what kanji combinations are used, but "soaring peace" or "gliding evenly" are those used by the baseball player. "Respect" and "prosperity" are other options.
- Mawgan
Origin:
CornishMeaning:
"praise"Description:
In its native Cornwall, Mawgan is identical in pronunciation to Morgan, a Welsh name of separate origins. Mawgan comes from the Old Welsh mawl, meaning "praise," and is the name of a Cornish saint.
- Joab
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"praise Jehovah"Description:
Joab is the biblical name of an advisor of David, who led many military victories, and is surely much more usable than the burdened Job. A similar option is Joah, a possible replacement for Jonah or Noah.
- Osanna
Origin:
ItalianMeaning:
"praise the Lord; deliver us"Description:
An Italian form of expressive Hosanna, this spiritual name might appeal to those who enjoy nicknames Ozzy or Anna. Borne by a number of saints, including a 15th century Italian mystic, Osanna also appears as Ozana and Osanne in Romania and France respectively. The traditional Hosanna may work better however in English speaking countries if you want the religious expression to be obvious.
- Blessing
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
"God's favor and protection"Description:
This spiritual word name is rising for girls and boys.
- Polyhymnia
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"one of many praises"Description:
Polyhymnia was one of the nine Muses of Greek mythology, associated with hymns, poetry, and dance. It's a whole lotta name for one girl, but now that Persephone and Calliope are on the table, Polyhymnia feels like much more of a possibility.
- Ahmet
Origin:
Turkish variation of AhmadMeaning:
"greatly praised"Description:
Ahmet is known outside its native land largely thanks to Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun. The original crazy celebrity baby namer Frank Zappa named one of his sons Ahmet, after the influential music executive. Ahmad is a variation of Muhammad.
- Mahmoud
Origin:
ArabicMeaning:
"praiseworthy"Description:
Historic name commonly found in the Arab world.
- Shakira
Origin:
ArabicMeaning:
"thankful, woman of grace"Description:
The mononymous Colombian-born singer inspired a popularity blip in the 90s and early 00s.
- Lalisa
Origin:
ThaiMeaning:
"one who is praised"Description:
A pretty Thai name famously borne by Thai musical artist Lisa (full name: Lalisa Manoban), whose name was changed in childhood from Pranpriya to Lalisa after she had her fortune told.
- Aenea
Origin:
Greek, female variation of AeneasMeaning:
"the praised one"Description:
This name found in the fantasy series Endymion/Rise of Endymion has a slightly physiological feel to it.
- Blessing
Origin:
Word nameDescription:
Blessing is among the Top 1000 girls' names in the UK and recently joined the ranks in the US as well. With modern spiritual names like Shiloh, Chosen, and Halo trending upwards, Blessing is likely to continue to rise in popularity.
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