Names That Mean Gift

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.

Cadeau puts a decidedly French-ified twist on the word name trend, but don't be surprised if you encounter ponies and poodles with the same moniker.

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.

Mattie ranked among the Top 1000 for boys a century ago, in the heyday of the nickname-name. Today, few parents would dream of putting it on the birth certificate, preferring it as a short form for the perennially-popular Matthew. Mattie is in the Top 1000 in the U.S. for girls.

Jonathan variation that is common among Jewish baby boys in Israel.

Cinderella stepsister type Victorian-valentine name.

Jenica might work if you can't decide between Jennifer and Jessica. It's certainly a more distinctive option.

Very rarely used for girls, but New York socialite Kelly Bensimon and photographer Gilles Bensimon gave it to their youngest daughter in 2000.

Gio is a cute, more androgynous variation of Gia that could work well as a nickname for names such as Giovanna, Giordana, or Giorgia. It was chosen by Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo for their daughter in 2018.

A gallicized spelling of Mazhe, itself a Breton version of Matthew, which is currently popular for baby boys in France.

A gallicized spelling of Mazhe, itself a Breton version of Matthew, which is currently popular for baby boys in France. In the English-speaking world, where the é accent is not always recognized, there is great potential for confusion with the name Mae.

Another Spanish boys' name that relates to a goddess, the Egyptian Isis. San Isidro is the patron saint of Madrid.

The Isidora spelling, though equally legitimate, is about 90 percent less common than Isadora.

A Top 50 choice in the Netherlands.

Derived from Artemis, the name of the Greek mythological goddess of the moon and hunting, Artemesia has a couple of notable associations, among them a fourth century Queen of Caria who was responsible for the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World..

More commonly spelled FEODORA, a charming choice for the intrepid baby namer, especially with its dynamic nickname FEO (pronounced FAY-o).

Teddy or Teddie is an adorable short form of Theodora or Edwina, made more feminine by the -ie ending. Extremely cutesy for a full name, but feels increasingly wearable in this era of nicknames as given names. Television personality Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave is a famous bearer of another spelling variation.

The name of a nymph in Greek mythology, one of the prophetic Thriai, who divined the future by throwing pebbles. She was a lover of the sea god Poseidon.

Flowing, melodic boy name with a sun-drenched meaning.