Names That Mean Blessed

Too close to "payola."

This spelling of Bennett is typically seen as a surname, but gets moderate use as a first name for baby boys and girls.

A French form of Benedict that makes a smooth and elegant choice, although the pronunciation may trip people up in an English speaking environment.

Once you get past the pronunciation hurdle, a smooth and elegant choice. In French, it's spelt with a circumflex: Benoît.

This Italian form of Benedict sidesteps the Benedict Arnold association that still clouds the English version.

In the Divergent series, Tris was used as a short form of Beatrice, but it could also be given as a nickname for names like Tristan, Patricia, or Demetris.

Welsh heritage choice that's rare today even in its native land.

Macario is used in the modern US, the Spanish form of the ancient Greek Makarios or Latinized Macarius, the name of several early saints. Accessible and worldly, Macario can lead to the friendly nickname Mac.

Bente, pronounced ben-tah, is a popular girls' name in both The Netherlands and Denmark though largely unknown in the English-speaking world. It suffers by being a near-homonym of the English word bent, not the best dictionary equivalent for a first name. Still, if you're looking for a girls' name that equates to Ben or Benjamin or Benedict, this may be one of your best bets.

Winnet is a long-forgotten nickname for Winifred that was used in the US in the 18th and 19th centuries. These days, it's more often found in South Africa.

The saintly Italian form of the saintly Latin Benedicta.

Saintly, and a Mother Superior to boot.

This feminine version of the Welsh name Carwyn could be a good choice for parents looking for something fresher than Bronwen.

Unusual and rhythmic, the feminine form of the ancient Greek Makarios or the Latinized Macarius, the name of several saints. The modern Spanish male version of the name, Macario, is used in the US.

Think of this as the Hebrew equivalent of Benedict or Benito; best for observant Jews.

A male name in Wales, Gwyn has been mostly feminine in the US thanks to its resemblance to the more familiar Gwen. It derives from the same Celtic root as the popular Finn family of names.

In Greek mythology, Elysium, or the Elysian Fields, was the paradise inhabited by the blessed and righteous after death. Greek poet Homer attested that the Elysian Fields were on the western edge of Earth.

A famous bearer is Carwyn Jones, leader of the Welsh Labour Party and First Minister of Wales since 2009. Feminine version is Carwen.

There are several fine Ben-beginning boy's names, such as BENJAMIN and BENEDICT, but girls names like this and BENJAMINA don't fare as well.

The Greek mythological Elysium, or the Elysian Fields, was the home of blessed mortals after death. It's been coopted as a modern baby name for both sexes, although the Elyseum spelling has never been given to more than five children of a single sex in any one year.