150+ Names That Mean Gift from God
Updated Thu Feb 01 2024
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Names that mean gift from God, gift of God, or God's gift center on a handful of classic names widely used throughout the Western World. The top baby names meaning gift from God are related to Dorothy, Theodore, Matthew, and John.
Girl names meaning gift from God often stem from the name Dorothy and variations, which include Dorothea, Theodora, and short forms such as Dottie and Thea.
Boy names meaning gift from God or God's gift are often connected to the traditional names Theodore or Matthew, including such short forms as the popular Theo and the friendly Matt. Nathaniel and Thaddeus are two Biblical boy names that mean gift from God.
Baby names for boys and girls that related to the classic name John also have meanings related to gift from God. John and its relatives mean God is gracious or graced by God.
John relatives meaning God is gracious include Jane, Joan, Jean, Jack, and Sean, along with many international variations and short forms for these names.
Names that mean gift from God or God is gracious honor the miracle that is a new baby. If you want your baby's name to mean God's gift, consider these choices, ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.
RELATED:
- Theodore
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"gift of God"Description:
As unlikely as it may seem, Theodore is a hot new hit name, vaulting into the Top 10 in 2021 for the first time ever. Friendly nickname Theo may be responsible for some of that, though there are plenty of baby boys given Theo as their full name too. Add their numbers together, and the two names jump to Number 6.
- Theo
Origin:
Diminutive of TheodoreMeaning:
"gift of God"Description:
See the popularity graph below for the name Theo? It's been heading straight uphill since 2010, when it hopped back onto the Top 1000 after a 60+ year absence.
- Thea
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"goddess, godly"Description:
Thea is a diminutive of names ending in -thea, including Dorothea, Althea, and Anthea. It is also the Anglicized spelling of Theia, the Titan of sight, goddess of light, and mother of the moon. She was the consort of Hyperion, and mother of Helios, Selene, and Eos.
- Nathaniel
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"gift of God"Description:
Nathaniel was derived from the Hebrew name Netan’el, meaning "gift of God," composed of the elements natan, meaning "to give," and ’el, in reference to God. The name is featured several times in the Old and New Testaments, typically spelled Nathanael. In the New Testament, Nathanael is also known by his other name, Bartholomew.
- Jack
Origin:
English, diminutive of JohnMeaning:
"God is gracious"Description:
Jack may have fallen from its Number 1 place in England, but in the US it's as popular as it was at its height in the 1920s and 1930s. A durable, cheery, everyman form of John, Jack ranks as one of the most popular boy names starting with J.
- Jane
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"God is gracious"Description:
No, we don't consider Jane too plain. In fact, for a venerable and short one-syllable name, we think it packs a surprising amount of punch, as compared to the related Jean and Joan.
- Mateo
Origin:
SpanishMeaning:
"gift of God"Description:
Mateo is one of the Latinate names that, like Luca and Gianna, is becoming popular far beyond its native Spanish community.
- John
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"God is gracious"Description:
John reigned as the most popular of all boys' Christian names for 400 years, from the time the first Crusaders carried it back to Britain until the 1950s. Then American baby namers finally seemed to tire of this straight-arrow, almost anonymous John Doe of names, replacing it with fancier forms like Jonathan and the imported Sean and Ian.
- Zane
Origin:
Possible variation of JohnMeaning:
"God is gracious"Description:
Western novelist Zane (born Pearl!) Grey made this name famous. Now, it's in tune with the style of our times, retaining that appealing cowboy image.
- Matthew
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"gift of God"Description:
Matthew was the third most popular boys' name in America throughout the 1980s and '90s, and is still one of the top boy names starting with M. The New Testament Matthew is the epitome of the fashionable classic—safe and sturdy, yet with a more engaging personality than John or William.
- Thaddeus
Origin:
Aramaic, meaning unclear, possibly from TheodoreMeaning:
"gift of God"Description:
Thaddeus, a distinguished, long-neglected name, has several areas of appeal: a solid New Testament legacy, a nice antique feel, and the choice of several more modern nicknames and international variations.
- Theodora
Origin:
Feminine variation of TheodoreMeaning:
"gift of God"Description:
Theodora is one of the most revival-worthy of the charmingly old-fashioned Victorian valentine names, softly evocative but still substantial, as is the reversed-syllable Dorothea.
- Nael
Origin:
Diminutive of Nathanael, FrenchMeaning:
"gift of God"Description:
Nael originated as a short form of names ending in -nael, such as Nathanael and Gwenael — a Breton name that was a minor hit in 1970s France. It has come to be more popular as an independent name, and currently ranks within France’s Top 50.
- Matteo
Origin:
ItalianMeaning:
"gift of God"Description:
This attractively energetic Italian version of the classic Matthew is primed to move further and further into mainstream American nomenclature. Mateo is technically the Spanish version, but many parents in the US use the two spellings interchangeably.
- Dorothy
Origin:
English variation of Greek DorotheaMeaning:
"gift of God"Description:
In the 1930s, Dorothy left Kansas and landed in the Land of Oz; by the '80s she had become a Golden Girl, living in Miami with roommates Blanche and Rose, giving her a decidedly older image. But parents today seeking a quiet classic are bringing Dorothy back—she reentered the Top 1000 in 2011 after almost completely disappearing.
- Jasmine
Origin:
Flower name, from PersianMeaning:
"gift from God"Description:
Jasmine was derived from the Persian word yasmin, referring to the jasmine flower. Scented oil was made from the plant, and it was used as a perfume throughout the Persian Empire. Variants include Jazmin, Yasmin, Yasmine, and Jessamine.
- Gianna
Origin:
Italian, diminutive of Giovanna or feminization of Gianni, forms of JohnMeaning:
"God is gracious"Description:
The Italian Gianna undoubtedly owes much of its popularity in the US to its status as an honor name for John. Before the importation of Gianna, there was no truly workable feminine form of John, so Gianna found widespread favor among American parents with Italian roots and far beyond.
- Matthias
Origin:
Aramaic variation of MatthewMeaning:
"gift of God"Description:
With Matthew sounding somewhat exhausted, and ancient endings sounding new again, this New Testament apostolic name makes an appealing and recommended choice. Both Mathias and Matias are well used in the Hispanic community, and throughout Europe. Will Ferrell and his Swedish wife chose Matias for their second son.
- Dorothea
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"gift of God"Description:
Dorothea is a flowing and romantic Victorian-sounding name which was popular in the early decades of the twentieth century, but has been off the charts since 1970. Definitely on the brink of a revival!
- Jonathan
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"gift of Jehovah"Description:
Jonathan was derived from the Hebrew name Yehonatan, eventually contracted to the modern Yonatan, meaning "gift of Jehovah." It comes from the elements yeho, in reference to God, and natan, meaning "to give." In the Old Testament, Jonathan was the valiant eldest son of King Saul, and it was his friendship with brother-in-law David that gave rise to the expression "Jonathan and David" to describe devoted, steadfast friends.