873+ Names That Mean God

A Scandinavian short form of Johanna, properly pronounced with a Y sound at the start, but would likely be read as the more prosaic "John-a" in an English-speaking context.

Militaristic.

Natty short form of Nathan, Nathaniel or even Ignatius.

This spelling is almost exclusively feminine, but is occasionally given to boys as a variation on Ariel — to 6 baby boys in 2020, for instance.

Feminine form of Gottlieb

The Irish form of Elizabeth is properly spelled with a fada (Eilís) and pronounced with a long vowel sound accordingly: EYE-leesh. But Billie Eilish has popularized the anglicized spelling and pronunciation of this name.

With more parents turning to biblical names like Ezekiel and Isaiah, this could prove a quasi-unique alternative in a similar -- if more Orthodox -- vein.

Anno is an extreme rarity: a simple, familiar-sounding name with deep history that is completely unknown in the US and rare in its native Germany. Anno is the name of a saint also known as Hanno, a 10th century archbishop of Cologne also known as Hanno of Worms.

Dutch diminutive of Elizabeth

Shiva is one of the principle deities of Hinduism. Shiva is the powerful god of both destruction and resurrection but is also associated as the patron god of yoga, meditation and arts. Shiva's wife is Parvati, the mother goddess of creation.

A Nephite soldier mentioned in The Book of Mormon. Its meaning is not clear: it may derive from Hebrew amar "to speak", or from Omri, or from the gentilic Amorite.

Outlook in this country: paltry.

Variation of Ejiroghene

A mini variation of Elsie that is better relegated as a nickname than a full form.

Once upon a time, Lye was used as a nickname for Elijah. These days it feels too deceitful — try Eli as a nickname, or if you prefer something truly vintage, Lige.

Abijah, which you might think of as Abigail with rhythm, is the name of both female and male personages in the Bible. A biblical Queen Abijah was the daughter, wife, and mother of kings. The name is pronounced with a long i, to rhyme with Elijah.

This variation of Ivan entered the US Top 1000 for the first time in 2022. Double As are trending across the states, such as Saanvi and Aarush, and Ivaan is running right along with them — all the way into the Top 1000 this past year in 2022.

Nigerian-born supermodel Oluchi Orlandi brought this little-known (to non-Nigerians), lovely choice into the lexicon.