Names That Mean Lord

A French name that's lost its chic.

Laird is a Scottish title for the landed gentry – it ranks just below a Baron – with a pleasantly distinctive Scottish burr that must have appealed to Sharon Stone, who chose it for her son.

Zechariah is actually the original Biblical form of the name more often found these days as Zachariah, probably because of the popularity of Zachary. People are going to have trouble getting Zechariah because they won't understand the Zech part. This name, in whatever form, begs to be shortened in the modern world to Zach (or Zac or Zack).

Usually seen as a masculine name (deriving from both Welsh and Arabic), in its feminine usage it is from the Welsh alone. Idris has been used as a feminine name twice in popular culture: first by Mary Shelley in her post-apocalyptic novel "The Last Man" and also in cult British TV show, Dr Who, where Idris is the female personification of the TARDIS. A real-life Canadian woman named Idris Hall changed her name to the evocative Aloha Wanderwell and became "The World's Most Well Travelled Girl".

Kyrie elieson is one of the oldest religious refrains, meaning Lord, have mercy. As a first name, though, Kyrie is less a name of God and more a nickname-name that might be short for Kyra or a diminutive that stands on its own, a la Kylie. The best-known Kyrie is the male basketball player Kyrie Irving, who pronounces the first syllable to rhyme with my rather than fear. He has inspired more than 1000 baby boys to be given this name one recent year in the US, while it was given to 178 baby girls. Impressive numbers.

The Finnish equivalent to Zachary.

This contracted form of Asaiah was one of the fastest-rising boy names of 2019, but has yet to reach the popularity levels of its longer counterpart. Concise and less vowel heavy as it is, Asiah is given to 95 boys each year, compared Asaiah, which is given to more than 200.

A bit slight to put directly on the birth certificate, but Dom is a pleasant nickname for a boy or a girl.

This name, rich with meaning, is one of the more widely-used names in the Nigerian diaspora.

Much fresher and more energetic than Dominique.

Unisex option Dominique peaked for boys at Number 170 in 1991, perhaps due to the popularity of basketball player Dominique Wilkins. It's one of the most truly gender-neutral baby names right now.

Star Wars fans may know the lore behind the origin of the word and the concept Jedi well enough to confidently choose their name for their child. It has to do with balancing the forces of the universe.

Atalia or Athalia is a biblical name with a gory history. But it's an attractive name in step with the current fashion for A-starting and -ending names that are both distinctive and deeply rooted.

A cool and straightforward Vietnamese name, which resembles the increasingly popular Hawaiian name Koa.

Using the 'ie' ending makes Johnny slightly more feminine, which must have been what Melissa Etheridge was thinking when she named one of her twins Johnnie Rose.

Names with the del element, such as Adeline, Adelaide, Adele, and Della, are currently en vogue, but old-fashioned Odella didn't get the memo.

Like Isaiah but looking for a name that's more unique? Asaiah is a name found several times in the Old Testament. Think of it as a blend of Asa and Josiah and a possible substitute for Isaiah. Asaiah entered the Top 1000 in the US for the first time in 2022, and is looking like one of the fresher Biblical choices today.

Ysai is a less-known variation of the popular Isaiah.

An old Irish surname cousin of Tierney that makes an unusual and appealing Irish gender switch.

Freyr is the Norse god of fertility, sunlight, and peace. He features prominently in the Icelandic mythology collections the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda, and is considered an ancestor of the Swedish royal family.