Dog Names That Mean Miracle

Slovene mini name that was once short for names like Doroteja and Mateja, but now is more popular independently.

The Estonian writer Mats Tõnisson created Milvi as a nickname for Miranda. It's also connected to the Estonian word miilama, meaning "glow" or "burn slowly".

Mattie ranked among the Top 1000 for boys a century ago, in the heyday of the nickname-name. Today, few parents would dream of putting it on the birth certificate, preferring it as a short form for the perennially-popular Matthew. Mattie is in the Top 1000 in the U.S. for girls.

Jonathan variation that is common among Jewish baby boys in Israel.

Cinderella stepsister type Victorian-valentine name.

Jenica might work if you can't decide between Jennifer and Jessica. It's certainly a more distinctive option.

Very rarely used for girls, but New York socialite Kelly Bensimon and photographer Gilles Bensimon gave it to their youngest daughter in 2000.

Gio is a cute, more androgynous variation of Gia that could work well as a nickname for names such as Giovanna, Giordana, or Giorgia. It was chosen by Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo for their daughter in 2018.

Another Spanish boys' name that relates to a goddess, the Egyptian Isis. San Isidro is the patron saint of Madrid.

The Isidora spelling, though equally legitimate, is about 90 percent less common than Isadora.

More commonly spelled FEODORA, a charming choice for the intrepid baby namer, especially with its dynamic nickname FEO (pronounced FAY-o).

Teddy or Teddie is an adorable short form of Theodora or Edwina, made more feminine by the -ie ending. Extremely cutesy for a full name, but feels increasingly wearable in this era of nicknames as given names. Television personality Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave is a famous bearer of another spelling variation.

The name of a nymph in Greek mythology, one of the prophetic Thriai, who divined the future by throwing pebbles. She was a lover of the sea god Poseidon.

Pretty and unusual.

Peppy cheerleader with African roots.

Portuguese variation of Matthew.

Derived from the Tigrinya elements hiyab, meaning "gift," and el, "God."

Neo, indeed--though it was a male character in "The Matrix."

Izya is a unisex Russian nickname. For boys, it's a short form for Isaak and Isidor, the variations of Isaac and Isidore used in Russia. The A ending will make Izya read as a feminine name to English speakers.

Its resonant rhythm and positive connotations have led to some popularity with African-American parents, though it tends to have a masculine feel, particularly considering the rise of a certain Barack.