873+ Names That Mean God

Jac is one of the new "creative" variations of Jack, a name on the rise in its own right and not just as a short form of John. But why, when Jack is so simple and so familiar, make it Jac and invite people to guess whether it's pronounced like Jake, or maybe like the French Jacques.

Espn was first recorded as a girl name in 2015, eleven years after it was first used for boys. It's considered a variation of the Scandinavian male name Espen, although its use can be attributed to the cable sports channel ESPN, which stands for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network.

The male nickname Elzie originated as a short form of Eliezer. Neither are coming back into fashion anytime soon.

For English speakers, Gabi is usually short for Gabrielle. Elsewhere - such as Spain, Latin America and Israel - it can also be a male nickname for Gabriel. For rock musician Gabi Hun, it's short for Gábor.

Johannes never caught on in the US, but popular European short form Hannes may be more accessible.

A particularly charming spin on the original, as is theSpanish name Tadeo. It debuted in the US Top 1000 in 2016.

Deriving from the ancient Greek name, Theokleia, Thekla is a contracted form that appears in the New Testament. According to the Acts of Paul, Thekla (or Thecla) is a 1st century saint and the first virgin martyr who angers her mother and her suitor by vowing to remain chaste after hearing Paul speak.

If you're looking for a Euro-chic alternative to Max, Mats is a strong possibility. It's a fading classic in Norway, but is popular in the Netherlands and Belgium, where short names are the height of style.

Yes, it's a word name, but Busy is also a rare pet form of Elizabeth. And yes, actress Busy Philipps was christened Elizabeth--she was given the nickname because she was such an active child. She must have been happy with the name, because she also gave her daughters adorable unique baby names, Birdie and Cricket.

Goodbye Uncle Vanya and hello...It Girl baby name? It's true — style icon Chloë Sevigny chose the name Vanja for her son, born in 2020. The name honors Vanja's paternal heritage — Chloë's partner is the Croatian-born gallerist Siniša Mačkovic.

With its upbeat Slavic/Scandinavian air, it has the most potential of all the Jan names.

An lesser-known member of the John-Joan family, though popular in its native habitat, has never emigrated, possibly due to its non-intuitive pronunciation.

Is this popular name really Michaela, or is it a combination of McKenna and Kayla. The real answer: it's a fusion of trends.

As a male name, Joni is a nickname for Jon or Jonathan, akin to Johnny or Jonny. It's more commonly used as a girl name, where it originated as a nickname for Joan.

Slovene mini name that was once short for names like Doroteja and Mateja, but now is more popular independently.

A less common, Biblical alternative to Liam, Elliott, Elias, and Eli. Eliam joined the Top 1000 for the first time in 2021 and was given to around 430 babies in a recent year. In Puerto Rico, it's a Top 50 choice.

An interesting cousin of Natalie (the 'h' is silent) found in the Louisiana Cajun community, Athalie is the name of a tragedy by classic French playwright Racine.

A Colonial-era nickname for Joan.

Strongly connected to Elie Wiesel — Holocaust survivor, Nobel laureate, and author of the influential book Night.