Names That Mean Thankful or Gratitude

Shaquille O'Neal came almost as close as he could to a Junior when he selected this name for his son.

A Gothic name belonging to the wife of Theodemir, a 5th century king of the Ostrogoths, and the mother of Theodoric the Great. The name also belongs to a genus of moths.

Itta is a cute old-fashioned name that arose parallelly as a nickname for Yehudit, used among Ashkenazi Jews, and a variation of Ita, an Irish name.

In the Plymouth Colony of the seventeenth century, Thankful was the third most popular of the abstract word names. It disappeared after 1700 and has virtually no chance of returning.

Short form of Dumisani

Also a city near Tel Aviv, Hadar is a name found primarily in Israel. There is also a citrus fruit associated with the holiday of Sukkat the Torah calls the "hadar fruit".

Kaena is a pleasant sounding unisex Hawaiian place name, the westernmost point of the island of Oahu. In the computer-generated fantasy movie Kaena: The Prophecy, the character of Kaena is voiced by Kirsten Dunst.

Hillel the Great was a famous Talmudic scholar, the spiritual and ethical leader of his generation, and his name is greatly honored by parents in Israel and, to some extent, here.

A strong choice for a Muslim child with Russian ancestry. The name is primarily heard in the Caucasus.

Name of a great Indian Mogul king, a Matt Groening cartoon character, and many Indian restaurants.

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.

The name of a beautiful princess of Wales in Arthurian legend. She is rescued by "Le Bel Inconnu" — Gingalain, the son of Sir Gawain — and marries him. Esmerée likely derives from Old French esmer "to love; respect".

Sami is cute if overused in its more familiar Sammy form.

Nigerian name with an honorable meaning.

This bold musical word name is given to just a handful of baby girls per year in the US, but it has a very contemporary sound. Hallie and Lou/Lulu would make for more mainstream nicknames. Lovers of the music and lyrics of Leonard Cohen might also appreciate the link to one of his most successful hits.

Gracious African choice.