Cat Names That Mean Miracle

We like Matti in theory, but in practice it’s likely to get confused for the girlish Maddie.

You’re most likely to find this Theodore cognate in Eastern Europe, where it ranks among the top names for boys in the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Poland, and Romania. The nickname Teo is a real winner.

The ultimate ethereal name for lovers of fairies, pixies, and sprites.

Whether you think of the chocolates or the naked long-haired lady on the horse, Godiva is a name with baggage no child should have to carry.

While Meron looks like a variation of Maren or Marion, her origins are in Ethiopia: Meron is the name of the holy oil used for christenings in the Ethiopian Orthodox church.

Darina comes from the Slavic element "dar" which means gift; the name is found in Czech, Bulgarian, and Slovak cultures and translates easily for English speakers. Darina may also be an Anglicization of the Irish Dairine, which means "fruitful."

Friendly and charming international variation of Matthew, common in Estonia.

A Dorothy nickname name with a measure of nostalgic charm. Kids will associate it with the funny fish character voiced by Ellen DeGeneres in the Pixar animated instant classic Finding Nemo.

Central European form of Matthew.

Isidore and variants are remarkably underused and ripe for revival, a la Theodore and company.

A highly unusual Dora name that may be a spin on the Japanese name Midori, meaning "green," or a combination of Mia "my" plus Dora "gift."

Even in the Hispanic community, very religious and old-fashioned.

Benevolent name found in Israel in several forms, including Doran and Doroni.

An unusual member of the popular -iah ending clan.

As Theo and Thea get more popular, so do Teo and Tea, short forms of the Latinate variations of Theodore and Matthew -- which include Dorotea and Mattea. But like Theo and Thea, Tea can stand perfectly well on its own and blends seamlessly into any Anglophone or European culture, if that is your aim. Some may argue that the Tea version is the prettiest and it's certainly the sleekest.

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.

A particularly charming spin on the original, as is theSpanish name Tadeo. It debuted in the US Top 1000 in 2016.