150+ Names That Mean Gift from God

Pronounced just like Jean in the English-speaking world, but as the more unusual zhahn in France, this has sailed away with the first wave of French favorites: Denise, Michelle, et soeurs.

Mattie, which might be a short form of Martha, Matilda, or even Madeline, ranked among the Top 100 names for girls in the 1880s and in fact, has held a place among the Top 1000 for most of U.S. naming history. It fell off the popularity charts in 2014 and makes a cute, tomboyish, if somewhat slight name option.

Jackie Kennedy gave this name a lot of style, but it doesn't seem destined for a comeback the way brother name Jack has. Jackie and Jacqueline both peaked in 1961.

Old-fangled nickname could make dot.com era short form or middle name.

Itzae is an ancient Mayan name showing signs of revival in our modern world.

Gian sounds (almost) like John, so there's some potential for confusion, but the spelling makes it unmistakeably Italian. It could be a solution if longer names like Gianni and Gianluca aren't your style.

Still one of the most appealing short forms, which goes a long way toward explaining the sustained popularity of Matthew. Matt is perennially the popular guy in high school, friendly, attractive, and comfortable with a baseball. Matty or Mattie are cute for a younger boy.

As parents go searching for alternatives to the unstoppable Mateo/Matteo duo, Mattia stands out as a worthy option. Same handsome, alluring feel, for a fraction of the popularity. Buy now!

Hanya, made famous by American novelist Hanya Yanagihara and German dancer and choreographer Hanya Holm, is a simple straightforward name rare in the US, where only a handful of baby girls are named Hanya each year. But it makes a distinctive short form for the overused Hannah or an update for the old world Johanna, so deserves more attention.

With Old European vibes, Johan is a variant of the classic John, similar to the Latin, Hebrew, and Germanic forms, Iohannes, Yohanan, and Johannes. Conjuring up the image of the classical composer Brahms or the astronomer Kepler, while still feeling timeless and distinctive, Johan has been in the US Top 600 for most of the 21st century, helped along by Heidi Klum and Seal using it for their son in 2006.

Yet another offshoot of the original John, also sometimes used as Jevan or Yevan.

Mattis was most popular in Scandinavia in the 2000s and 2010s, and is now seeing success in Germany. In the US, it's most familiar as a surname.

This particular spelling was chosen by Will Ferrell for his son, brother to Magnus. These names are both popular in Sweden, birthplace of their mother, Viveca Paulin.

The ultimate midcentury nickname, retaining a good measure of retro charm, was chosen for her son by Mira Sorvino.

The young male star Shia LaBeouf has given this name a male image, but many would consider its sound soft and feminine.

Animated Gaelic name popularized by singer Sheena Easton, also brings to mind Sheena, Queen of the Jungle, the Amazonian comic book and TV series heroine. Sine is considered to be and English equivalent of Jane or Jean.

Sweet old-fashioned nickname name that could make a comeback in the wake of Sadie et al. Famous bearers include author Dodie Smith, who wrote The Hundred and One Dalmatians and I Capture the Castle.

Those "Where's Gretel?" jokes will get old pretty fast.

Variation of Thaddeus.

Evanna is the name of a Harry Potter actress who pronounces it ee-vah-na. This might be considered another international feminine form of the many variations of John; Ivana, Giovanna, and even Joan are cousins of Evanna. It could also be a compound name, combining Eva and Anna.