873+ Names That Mean God

Manuela is one feminine form that's more energetic than the male original, and is worth considering if you're seeking an easily assimilated Spanish name.

Goodbye Uncle Vanya and hello...It Girl baby name? It's true — style icon Chloë Sevigny chose the name Vanja for her son, born in 2020. The name honors Vanja's paternal heritage — Chloë's partner is the Croatian-born gallerist Siniša Mačkovic.

Short for Olukemi or a rare name in its own right, this Yoruba name has a beautiful meaning. A notable bearer is British MP Olukemi (Kemi) Badenoch.

Tew many conflicting word spellings.

Ilyas is the more traditional Arabic spelling, but Ilyes is the common version in Northern Africa and France, which has a large Algerian population.

Mishka is traditionally a masculine nickname in Russia but has become unisex along with Mischa, another common short form of Mikhail.

More than the sum of Abby and Ella.

A gallicized spelling of Mazhe, itself a Breton version of Matthew, which is currently popular for baby boys in France.

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.

This quirky Old Testament name has potential, as parents are digging deeper into the Bible to find names for their children. It has also been used as a nickname for Obediah.

Mahelet, Mahlet or Mahilet is a chant performed to praise god in the Ethiopian Orthodox church, also used as a female name.

Like its parent name Elijah and the related Elliot, this has potential for girls. It shares sounds with Eliza, Delilah, and Iris, along with established unisex choices, like Ellis, Emery, and Eden. Given to only a small handful of girls every year, it is not a popular choice just yet. If you do enjoy the idea, Lilias, Eirlys, Clovis, Micah, or Micaiah might appeal too.

Abiah is a gentle, rarely used Old Testament name belonging to Samuel's second son. This makes a good choice for the parent who wants a traditional biblical name that is not overly familiar.

Made most familiar in English-speaking countries by prize-winning author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Chimamanda has a wonderful meaning and can be shortened to Chima or the spunky Chi. In 2022, it entered the UK Top 100 for the first time, when 38 baby girls were given the name.

Ezequiel or Ezekiel may be a Hebrew name, but it's well-used among Spanish speakers. Quiel is a short form favored in Spanish countries.

This classic, handsome Arabic name — cognate of the Hebrew Ishmael — was chosen by Tan and Rob France for their son born in 2021. Ismail is the preferred spelling in England, Germany, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Turkey, while Ismael ranks higher in countries with native Spanish speakers, including the US.

A gallicized spelling of Mazhe, itself a Breton version of Matthew, which is currently popular for baby boys in France. In the English-speaking world, where the é accent is not always recognized, there is great potential for confusion with the name Mae.

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

Intriguing twist on several familiar names, though many people will mistake this for Elsa, Eliza, and so on.

Abijah is a truly unusual, truly unisex, truly appealing biblical name. There were several male Abijahs in the Bible, one of them, known as Abijah of Judah, was the fourth king of the House of David, and also a couple of females.