Names That Mean Life

Despite being one of the rare boy names that mean life, Chaim barely survived early Jewish immigration, being watered down to Hyman and Hymie. Today, the original seems like the most promising form of the name, familiar thanks to bestselling author Chaim Potok.

Possibly a variation of the ultra-popular Greek Zoe, Zoa was given to around 2 dozen baby girls each recent year.

The Hebrew, Biblical form of Eve. While English speakers will likely find the forms Ava or Eve easier in everyday life, Chava is a lovely variation for a family that speaks Hebrew or Yiddish - plus, English speakers could always learn.

A variant of Asha, which is related to the classic Arabic name Aisha, yet another way to say life. Other on-the-rise names with this uplifting meaning: Zoe and Vivian varieties such as Viviana, Viveca, and Vivienne.

In Slavic cultures, Saint Vitus is called Sveti Vid, making this a saintly appellation.

Pronounced like Evie, this sweet Irish nickname may be a variant spelling of the English name, or a short form of Aoibhe or Aoibhín.

Readers who remember J. D. Salinger's Franny and Zooey have probably forgotten that the character was male (nee Zachary). Nowadays the somewhat loopy spin on Zoe is associated with actress Zooey Deschanel.

Zealous and noble, an unusual and strong choice -- and if the original is too much of a mouthful, you can always call him Zen.

Brandy's son, Sherry's grandson.

Vivaldi is closely linked with the Italian Baroque composer Antonio Vivaldi, best known for the Four Seasons. His surname is derived from vita, the Latin word for "life."

A modern combo name created from Zoe + Ella – or, in the case of influential British Youtuber Zoella, from Zoë + Elizabeth.

This spelling variation hasn't followed cousins Zoe and Zoey up the charts. Even though there are a number of feasible spellings, Zoie along with Zooey might cause some unwanted confusion.

Hyman was commonly used by first-generation Jewish immigrants to Anglicize Chaim, but similarities to terms like heinie and hymen have taken it out of the realm of modern possibility. The original Chaim would be preferable to Hyman.

This name, also a term of affection, is popular in Turkey but has a spelling that may confuse English speakers.

A modern invented name, possibly a variation on Ziola, which comes from Greek Zoilos meaning "lively". It appears in several songs by the band Jane's Addiction, inspired by the adopted name of a former girlfriend of one of the band members.

For lovers of Pasternak's great doctor, a lively middle name choice, one made by actress Nia Long.

Zoelle is a modern-sounding name combining the stylish Zoe, which means life, with the trendy Elle, French for "she". Could make for a zippier spin on sweet Noelle.

Despite its attractive meaning, this name is very rare in the States: it has only appeared twice in the US charts, in 2006 and 2020. Akam is a genre of Classical Tamil poetry, and the ring name of WWE wrestler Sunny Dhinsa.

Selig comes from the Yiddish vocabulary word meaning 'happy, fortunate, blessed.' Most of us are more familiar with its Woody Allen variation, Zelig.

The name of an American cosmetics company which was inspired by the ancient traditional medicine practices known as Ayurveda, literally "knowledge of longevity" in Sanskrit. Unfortunately, when shortened to Aveda, the literal meaning in Sanskrit becomes "not knowledge" – no doubt not what the company's founder intended. If you can get past this, a pretty and evocative name associated with holistic health and beauty.