Spiritual Baby Names and Meanings

The name Parson might have seemed ridiculous even a few years ago, but when Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe named their son Deacon, they opened up a whole new field of ecclesiastical cool. Bishop, Priest, and Pastor are other possibilities.

Christmas is a day name long and quietly used as a name for babies born at Christmas. Prettier and more modern than Noel or Noelle.

Mecca was the birthplace of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, making it the holiest city in Islam. Located in modern-day Saudi Arabia, millions of Muslims make a pilgrimage to Mecca each year.

Generally used in conjunction with another name to form a religious phrase -- for instance the daughter of rapper DMX is called Praise Mary Ella.

A contemporary sounding word name with an ancient history, widely used in the Roman Empire, and based on the mythic goddess of good luck and fertility.

Alperen is derived from the Turkish roots alp, meaning "hero," and eren, "saint."

Easter has been used as a name for several hundred years, as part of the day-naming tradition; now, this rarely heard holiday celebration name would make a novel choice for a springtime baby. Background:The early Anglo-Saxon monk and scholar Bede took the name of a goddess--Eostre-- whose feast was celebrated at the vernal equinox and gave it to the Christian festival of the resurrection of Christ.

Pastor might be a brother for Parson and Deacon.

Forever still feels more like a sentiment than a name, and rather feminine at that.

This name boomed in the 1940s and 50s thanks to the glamorous singer Risë (pronounced REE-sa) Stevens, who inherited her name from her Norwegian grandmother. It's rare nowadays, but when used it's more likely to be the uplifting vocabulary word, rhyming with "eyes". The latter was chosen by Nick Cannon and Brittany Bell for their son, born in September 2022.

Anicca is a Buddhist characteristic of existence, the concept that all things are impermanent and constantly changing. It has never been on the US charts yet, but with a similar sound to Annika, it could easily be an option for parents looking for a spiritual, enlightened name.

An extreme example of the newly possible ecclesiastical brotherhood that includes Deacon and Bishop. This one might work better in the middle spot.