Cat Names That Mean Miracle

Baby girl Danas outnumber baby boys with the name nearly ten to one. But Dana is an attractive, sleek name that can certain work for babies of either gender.

The pronunciation barrier looms large, but Maciej has such a pleasant sound, we think it deserves a second look.

In Turkish mythology, Kayra is the deity of creation. The ancient Turks did not assign a gender to Kayra, who took the form of a goose. According to legend, Kayra planted the tree of life after creating the universe, from which emerged the nine clans.

For a minute or two this sounded more modern than Janet, now equally outmoded.

An approachable mini name that could go on the birth certificate, but may work best as a nickname. Full name options include Thaddeus, Theodore, and Thomas, which was the given name of Abe's son Tad Lincoln. Taddy is a rare alternative to Teddy.

This female form of Nathan can be pronounced with three syllables or four.

This name directly translates to the way most parents feel about their sons. It's rising quickly in popularity, along with many other names from the Indian subcontinent.

Short form of Yonatan heard throughout Israel.

Teodora is an extremely attractive and international choice, with several equally attractive, user-friendly nicknames. Appealing short forms might include Tea, Dora, or Dory for English speakers, however, classic diminutives include the Spanish, Italian, Serbian and Portuguese Dora, the Bulgarian Todorka, and the Swedish Thea.

Shai is a name newly-used in the US for both boys and, slightly less often, girls. Though the correct pronunciation is "shy", many will say shay, which might be all right with you.

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

An Asian name not widely known in the West.

An Indian name that has seen a recent uptick, especially in Canada. Asees was the title character of a 2018 Netflix family drama, and Asees Kaur is an Indian singer.

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!

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

Biblical names are expanding (literally) as some parents move from Isaiah and Elijah to more elaborate choices with simple short forms, like Jedidiah and Zebediah.

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 grandiose name of a French revolutionary – in full: Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, comte de Mirabeau. Mirabeau likely derives from Latin mirabilis, making it a masculine cousin of Mirabelle.