Alternatives to Genesis
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Genesis is a modern Christian favorite, currently ranking at 65 in the US. Here are some alternatives!
- Genevieve
Origin:
English from FrenchMeaning:
"tribe woman"Description:
Genevieve is derived from the Germanic medieval name Genovefa, or Kenowefa, which consists of the elements kuni, meaning "kin", and wefa, meaning "woman." The medieval saint Genevieve, patroness of Paris, defended the city against Attila the Hun through her rational thinking, courage and prayer.
- Grace
Origin:
English, virtue nameDescription:
Grace, a simple and pure virtue name which originally referred to divine grace, is a fashionable classic. In the early 2000s, it seemed headed for the Top 10 but pulled back from the upward trajectory, which you may consider a very good thing.
- Jennifer
Origin:
Cornish variation of Guinevere, WelshMeaning:
"white shadow, white wave"Description:
Jennifer is the Cornish variation of Guinevere, which ultimately derived from the Welsh name Gwenhwyfar. As such, it is connected to the queen of Arthurian legend, and sharees the same meaning of "white shadow", "white wave", or "white phantom".
- Faith
Origin:
Virtue nameDescription:
Faith is one of the most straightforward of the virtue names popularized by the Puritans in the seventeenth century, many parents still choosing it as an indicator of their religious conviction. Faith peaked in 2002 at Number 48.
- Dream
Origin:
Word name, English from GermanMeaning:
"cherished ambition or hope; thoughts and images experienced during sleep; ideal"Description:
A whimsical and serene feeling word name, bestowed to reflect the joy and perfection parents might find in their children and the ambitions they have for them. Once a fantastical and celebrity-only feeling option, Dream came into popular usage after Rob Kardashian and Blac Chyna chose it for their daughter in 2016.
- Trinity
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"triad"Description:
A name that feels both spiritual and trendy, Trinity surged up the charts in the early 2000s, following the release of The Matrix. In just two years, it made an impressive jump from the latter end of the charts to the US Top 100, where it remained for more than a decade.
- Jenny
Origin:
Diminutive of Janet, Jane, Jean, and JenniferDescription:
At the height of the Jennifer craze, many parents were cutting straight to the nickname and putting Jenny on the birth certificate. But now that Jennifer is the mom rather than the daughter, Jenny, which has been somewhat replaced by Jenna, has faded as well.
- Salem
Origin:
Biblical place-name or ArabicMeaning:
"safe"Description:
Salem is a biblical place-name in Canaan, believed to be the same as Jerusalem. Americans may be more familiar with Salem as the name of the Massachusetts town famous for its witch trials in the late 1600s. It's also a popular Arabic name widely-used for both genders.
- Geneva
Origin:
Swiss place-name or FrenchMeaning:
"juniper tree"Description:
Unlike its somewhat formal Swiss city namesake, this is a lively and appealing place-name that also has a real history as a female name.
- Zion
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"highest point"Description:
A Biblical place name and a unisex choice that has been on the rise in the US in recent years. With its bright sound and cool, zippy Z beginning, it blends religious significance and trendiness.
- Harmony
Origin:
Word nameMeaning:
"harmony"Description:
If Melody and Lyric are on your style sheet, the peaceful Harmony, popularized by Buffy the Vampire Slayer, should be too. Girls names starting with the "Har" sound like Harper, Harley, and Harlow have been trending in recent years. This musical choice fits right in, and it is no wonder that Harmony has been in the Top 200 since 2014.
- Jubilee
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"ram's horn"Description:
Jubilee has a joyous and jubilant aura, but it wouldn't be an easy name to carry, what with all that pressure to be a living, breathing, 24-7 party. Jubilee was the name selected by television's Duggars for their miscarried child.
- Lyric
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"of the lyre; songlike; a personal, emotive poem"Description:
Associated with poetry, pop music, and the Greek lyre, Lyric has a light and zippy sound to it and joins the likes of Melody, Harmony, Cadence, and Aria as musical names that have become baby names. A unisex name, it is currently three times more popular for girls in the US where it sits in the Top 600. It has declined in use since its 2014 peak, but was still given to around 560 girls in a recent year.
- Journey
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
"passage from one place to another"Description:
One of the new word names, appealing to parents attracted to the idea of a spiritual -- or even an actual -- voyage. The Journee spelling is also being used. Unisex alert: Jenna Jameson used Journey for one of her twin boys, as did the Black Eyed Peas rock musician known as Taboo.
- Jream
Origin:
Variation of Dream, English word nameDescription:
Families with a J-initial sibset may opt to spell Dream this way. While Dream has been climbing up the charts since its entry in 2017 — attributed to the birth of a Kardashian baby by that name — alternative spelling Jream only just entered the Top 1000 for the first time in 2022.
- Glory
Origin:
Word nameDescription:
Glory sounds fresh and uplifting and a lot more modern than Gloria (which is definitely feeling the stirrings of a revival, though some might still view it as a terminal Old Lady name). Glory, as in "Glory Be" and "Old Glory," has both a religious and a patriotic flavor.
- Heaven
Origin:
Word nameDescription:
Among the children named Heaven are the daughters of TV personality Brooke Burke and rap singer Lil' Mo, who also has a daughter named God'iss Love. Some parents have taken to using Nevaeh instead—Heaven spelled backwards.
- Dancer
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
"someone who dances"Description:
A word name that's appealing when applied to a person boogying or doing ballet; a different story in the context of Santa's reindeer.
- Justice
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
"the quality of being just, impartial, or fair"Description:
Justice is a fashionable word name, used for both girls and boys. Justice has the distinction of being a virtue name without the religious implications of Faith or Grace. It still feels more male than female, perhaps partly due to the classic Roman name Justus, but Justice has become a more common pick for girls in recent years.
- Miracle
Origin:
Word name, LatinMeaning:
"wonder, marvel"Description:
A surprisingly popular spiritual name that entered the US Top 500 in 2003. As of 2023, it is still a Top 500 choice, where it fits in with similar bold word names like Chosen, Blessing, and Dream. Miracle is a familiar name in Nigeria too, where it is used as a unisex option.
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