Names That Mean My

A very unusual biblical name, Rei was one of David's most loyal supporters.

Luxurious and distinctive, with a biblical bacground--although in the Good Book,Adalia is a male.

Intriguing Old Welsh name being revived there, but would have major pronunciation problems here.

Eliane is a melodic name with the very fashionable El- beginning. Lovely and lilting as it is, be aware that there are many El- variations around these days, and little girls called Ellie as a result.

This appealing Hebrew name is heard in Israel, and would fit in well with all the popular El-starting names for boys, such as Elliot and Ellery. It was given to just five American boys in 2015. Also worth considering is the pretty female version, Eliora.

Creative name whose only limitation is that it looks like it would be pronounced akin to Alicia and Elissa — although as a Biblical boys’ name, it is traditionally pronounced ee-LIE-shah.

A simple but unusual name with roots in disparate cultures, Neri appears in the Bible as a male name and is still sometimes used for boys as well as girls. The appeal of Neri are its deep roots combined with its simple, upbeat, modern feel, ala Peri and Rory.

Elisha (ee-LYE-sha) is an Old Testament male name, sometimes borrowed for girls. Pronouced eh-LEE-sha, it is also used as a spelling variant of Alicia or Elysia.

Gabriel is given to a small but consistent number of girls each year. Whether it’s used as an equivalent to the masculine Gabriel or as a variant of Gabrielle is up to the parents’ discretion.

A name used in the Middle East but that could easily work in the US. As a girls' name, Nuri can also be a short form of Nuria.

Mungo is one of the most classic Scottish names but perhaps also among the most difficult names to carry. There is a St. Mungo whose proper name was Kentigern; he is the patron saint of Glasgow.

Amiel is a biblical name with lots of connections to those with a creative spirit, including director Jon Amiel, French pop singer Thierry Amiel, and medieval troubadour Gaubert Amiel. Ami (which means friend in French) is an obvious (and beautiful) nickname option.

A pretty and substantial German smoosh name, a combination of Hanne and Eleonore. Most popular in Germany from the 1930s to the 1950s. Former German Chancellors Helmut Kohl and Helmut Schmidt both had wives named Hannelore.

This strong yet graceful feminine form of Gabriel is a modern favorite. The double L spelling is given to more than three times as many girls as the Gabriela version.

Popular Israeli choice, ripe for adoption here. Parents who great up in the 1980s may remember animated heroine Shira, Princess of Power.

Distinctly feminine form of the unisex name Liel

A lesser-known archangel, but the name is probably best known today on comedian Gadiel Del Orte. Thanks to him, and the trend for biblical-sounding names, Gadiel has been rising in recent years.

Mavie is cute as can be, and feels stylish today as similar-sounding Maeve rising in popularity. Mavie may be inspired by the French phrase "ma vie" — meaning "my life". Mavie can also be a diminutive of classic Mavis. Soccer star Neymar Jr. and girlfriend Bruna Biancardi named their daughter Mavie in 2023.

Bettina is a dainty ballerina version of Betty, that has not been heard much since its 1950s-60s heyday. Bettina appeared in the Danielle Steele novel Loving, and in real life as one of Grace Kelly's bridesmaids.