Baby Name Meanings
Names That Mean Thankful or Gratitude
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About this list
Names that mean thankful or gratitude may hold particular appeal right now. Gratitude is an important value today, and one that many parents may want to express in name.
Names that mean gratitude, thanks, thankful, respect, or praise are an international bunch, from many cultures around the world. There are many unique names among those that mean gratitude.
Of course, there are many ways to express gratitude or thanks in a baby name that do not involve choosing a name that literally means gratitude or thanks. You might choose an honor name, for instance, to express gratitude toward a beloved family member or important mentor.
These names take gratitude more literally. Here, a collection of baby names that mean thanks, thankful, or gratitude.
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The names
Gianna
Italian, diminutive of Giovanna or feminization of Gianni, forms of John
"God is gracious"
The Italian Gianna undoubtedly owes much of its popularity in the US to its status as an honor name for John. Before the importation of Gianna, there was no truly workable feminine form of John, so…
Mila
Slavic, Russian
"gracious; dear"
Mila is a popular name that took a 125 year nap, ranking in the Top 1000 in 1881 and then not ranking again until 2006, after actress Mila Kunis appeared on That 70s Show . Ukrainian-born Kunis was…
Jayden
Variation of Jaden or Jadon, modern invention, Hebrew
"thankful"
Reminiscent of 70’s favorite Jason, and sharing sounds with the perpetually popular James, Jayden is one of the more enduring members of the -ayden trend. Until the 90’s, Jayden was a mostly obscure…
Evan
Welsh variation of John
"God is gracious"
Evan has a mellow nice-guy image that has kept it popular, while it has been widely used in Wales since the nineteenth century. And interestingly—and surprisingly—enough, Evan charts highly for boys…
Judah
Hebrew
"praised"
Judah is the strong, resonant Old Testament name of the son of Jacob who was the ancestor of one of the tribes of Israel, and from whom the word Jew is derived. Some of the names' popularity might be…
Selah
Hebrew
"praise, pause"
The name is derived from the term commonly used in the Book of Psalms, which has a many Hebrew scholars in confusion over its meaning. Given its context in the Bible, Selah is likely to mean "to…
Muhammad
Arabic
"praiseworthy"
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,…
Gia
Italian
"God is gracious"
Gia is a cute if slight name that calls to mind stylish sisters Mia, Lea, Pia, Tia, and Nia. One of the most familiar Italian baby names in the US, Gia is a short form of Gianna, which in turn is a…
Mohammed
Arabic
"greatly praised"
This variation of Muhammed is not as popular as some, but it still is a widely used choice.
Ahmad
Arabic
"most commended, praisworthy"
As a form of the popular Arabic name, Hamid, Ahmad could be seen as a contraction for one of the 99 names for Allah, al-Ḥamīd , however, it might also be a variation of Muhammad as they share the…
Ahmed
Arabic
"greatly praised"
This variation of Ahmad is one of the most popular Arabic names among Muslim families the world over and is now the most used spelling in the USA. It shares the same root as other popular Arabic…
Shakira
Arabic
"thankful, woman of grace"
The mononymous Colombian-born singer inspired a popularity blip in the 90s and early 00s.
Judith
Hebrew
"He will be praised or woman from Judea"
The biblical Judith, the fourth most popular name in 1940, may be getting ready for a comeback in its full, elegant, if somewhat solemn form. Many of those earlier Judiths were called Judy—some after…
Odelia
Hebrew, German
"I will praise the Lord or wealth"
Pretty Hebrew name that would create a strong but feminine impression, as well as a variant of the Germanic name Odilia or Ottilie.
Ayra
Sanskrit
"respectable, awe-inspiring"
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…
Zendaya
Shona
"to give thanks"
Zendaya has propelled her unusual African name into the spotlight and up the popularity charts. Zendaya is one of the major baby name influencers of our era. What does Zendaya's name mean? The name…
Blessing
Word name
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…
Samiya
Arabic
"high, exalted, praised"
Samiya is a name used by parents of both Arabic and African ancestry. Spelling variations include Samiyah, Samiah, and Samia.
Sena
Korean; Hindi; Turkish; Arabic; Ewe
"this world's beauty or grace; army; to praise; bringing heaven to earth"
Sena is one of those names that is as obscure in the Western World as it is simple and straightforward. Sena exists as a name in a range of languages and cultures and may be pronounced like Senna…
Erwin
German
"respected friend"
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…

