100+ Names Meaning Gift From God, From Hebrew to Yoruba

Parents who waited a long time for a child often want a name that says so. Almost every language has one: Matthew in Hebrew, Theodore in Greek, Bogdan in Slavic, Chinyere in Igbo, Sipho in Zulu. Each means some form of "gift from God" or "given by God".

Below are names with that meaning, grouped by language, plus a section of names meaning "God is gracious", a close cousin. Each comes with its origin and literal meaning.

Hebrew Names Meaning Gift From God

Hebrew builds these names from "natan", to give, and "matan", gift.

• Elnathan – Hebrew, "God has given".
• Jesse – Hebrew, "gift".
• Jonathan – Hebrew, "Yahweh has given".
• Matan – Hebrew, "gift".
• Mattaniah – Hebrew, "gift of Yahweh".
• Matthew – Hebrew, "gift of Yahweh".
• Nathan – Hebrew, "he gave".
• Nathaniel – Hebrew, "God has given".
• Netanel – Hebrew, "God has given"; the modern Hebrew form of Nathaniel.
• Netanya – Hebrew, "gift of God".
• Nethaniah – Hebrew, "Yahweh has given".
• Zabdi – Hebrew, "my gift".
• Zebadiah – Hebrew, "Yahweh has bestowed".
• Zebedee – Hebrew, "gift of Yah".

Matthew Around the World

Matthew, "gift of Yahweh", spread through every Christian country and took a local form in each.

• Maciej – Polish form of Matthew.
• Matej – Slovak, Slovene and Croatian form of Matthew.
• Mateo – Spanish form of Matthew.
• Mathias – German and French form of Matthias, a variant of Matthew.
• Mathieu – French form of Matthew.
• Mats – Swedish short form of Matthias.
• Mattea – Italian, a feminine form of Matteo.
• Matteo – Italian form of Matthew.
• Matthias – Greek form of Matthew, used in the New Testament.
• Matthijs – Dutch form of Matthias.
• Mattia – Italian, a form of Matthias.
• Mattias – Swedish and Finnish form of Matthias.
• Matvey – Russian form of Matthew.
• Máté – Hungarian form of Matthew.

Greek Names Meaning Gift of God

Greek uses "doron", gift, and "theos", god, in either order.

• Diodorus – Greek, "gift of Zeus".
• Dora – Greek, "gift"; often short for Dorothy or Theodora.
• Dorotea – Italian and Spanish form of Dorothea.
• Dorothea – Greek, "gift of God".
• Dorothy – English form of Dorothea, "gift of God".
• Fyodor – Russian form of Theodore.
• Heliodorus – Greek, "gift of the sun".
• Isidora – Greek, "gift of Isis".
• Isidore – Greek, "gift of Isis".
• Pandora – Greek, "all gifts".
• Teodora – Slavic, Spanish and Italian form of Theodora.
• Teodoro – Spanish and Italian form of Theodore.
• Theo – Short form of Theodore.
• Theodora – Greek, "gift of God".
• Theodore – Greek, "gift of God".
• Theodosia – Greek, "giving of God".
• Tudor – Welsh and Romanian form of Theodore.

Latin, Slavic and Old English Names Meaning Given by God

Latin and the Romance languages say "given"; Slavic languages join "bog", god, with "dan", given.

• Adeodatus – Latin, "given by God".
• Bogdan – Slavic, "given by God".
• Bogdana – Slavic, feminine of Bogdan, "given by God".
• Bohdan – Ukrainian and Czech form of Bogdan.
• Bozhidar – Bulgarian, "gift of God".
• Dieudonné – French, "given by God".
• Donatella – Italian, a feminine diminutive of Donato, "given".
• Donato – Italian and Spanish, "given".
• Godiva – Latinised form of Old English Godgifu, "gift of God".

Arabic, Persian and Turkish Names Meaning Gift From God

Arabic "ata" and "hiba" mean gift; Persian and Turkish names say "God gave".

• Allahverdi – Turkish and Azerbaijani, "God gave".
• Ata – Arabic, "gift".
• Ataullah – Arabic, "gift of God".
• Atiya – Arabic, "gift".
• Hadiya – Arabic, "gift".
• Hiba – Arabic, "gift".
• Hibatullah – Arabic, "gift of God".
• Khodadad – Persian, "given by God".
• Tanrıverdi – Turkish, "God gave".

Sanskrit and Indian Names Meaning Gift or Grace

Sanskrit "datta" means given; "prasad" is a gift or blessing from the divine.

• Anugraha – Sanskrit, "grace, favour".
• Datta – Sanskrit, "given".
• Devadatta – Sanskrit, "given by the gods".
• Kripa – Sanskrit, "grace".
• Prasad – Sanskrit, "grace; a gift from the divine".

African Names Meaning Gift From God

Igbo names often start with "Chi", God; Yoruba ones with "Olu", lord; Zulu and Xhosa use "Sipho", gift.

• Chinenye – Igbo, "God gives".
• Chinyere – Igbo, "God gave".
• Ebun – Yoruba, "gift".
• Mphatso – Chichewa (Malawi), "gift".
• Olufunmilayo – Yoruba, "God gave me joy".
• Osinachi – Igbo, "from God".
• Sipho – Zulu and Xhosa, "gift".
• Siphokazi – Xhosa, "gift", for a girl.
• Zawadi – Swahili, "gift".

Names Meaning God Is Gracious

Yohanan, "Yahweh is gracious", gave the world John and dozens of forms. Hannah, "grace", gave Anne and Anna.

• Anna – Greek and Latin form of Hannah, "grace".
• Evan – Welsh form of John.
• Gianna – Italian, a short form of Giovanna, feminine of Giovanni (John).
• Giovanni – Italian form of John.
• Grace – English, the virtue.
• Hannah – Hebrew, "grace, favour".
• Hans – German and Scandinavian short form of Johannes (John).
• Ian – Scottish form of John.
• Ivan – Slavic form of John.
• Ivana – Slavic, feminine of Ivan.
• Jan – Dutch, Czech and Polish form of John.
• Jana – Czech, Slovak and Dutch, a feminine form of John.
• Jane – English, a feminine form of John.
• Jean – French form of John.
• Jens – Danish and Norwegian form of Johannes (John).
• Joan – English, a feminine form of John.
• Joanna – Greek and Latin, a feminine form of John.
• Johanna – German and Scandinavian, a feminine form of John.
• John – Hebrew Yohanan, "Yahweh is gracious".
• Juan – Spanish form of John.
• Juana – Spanish, feminine of Juan (John).
• Sean – Irish form of John, via French Jean.
• Shane – Irish, from Seán, a form of John.
• Siobhan – Irish form of Jeanne (Joan).
• Yahya – Arabic form of John.

How to Choose a Name Meaning Gift From God

Five things to think about once you have a shortlist.

1. Pick the language that fits your family

Theodore for a Greek grandparent, Bogdan for a Polish one, Chinyere for an Igbo one. The heritage is part of the gift.

2. Decide how obvious you want the meaning

Matthew and John are so common nobody thinks about the meaning. Netanya or Dieudonné says it plainly.

3. Think about the short form

Theodore becomes Theo or Ted, Nathaniel becomes Nate, Dorothy becomes Dot. Make sure you like the one people will use.

4. Check the spelling at school

Siobhan and Mattaniah need spelling out in many countries. That may be fine with you; know it going in.

5. Pair it as a middle name

If the gift name feels too formal for every day, put it in the middle: Lily Theodora, Sam Nathaniel.

FAQs

What boy's name means gift from God?

Matthew, Nathaniel, Jonathan and Theodore all mean "gift of God" or "God has given". Bogdan, Dieudonné and Khodadad mean "given by God".

What girl's name means gift from God?

Dorothy, Dorothea, Theodora and Netanya mean "gift of God". Chinyere (Igbo), Hibatullah (Arabic) and Bogdana (Slavic) carry the same meaning.

Does the name Jesse mean gift?

Yes. Jesse, from the Hebrew Yishai, is usually given as "gift".

Conclusion: Names Meaning Gift From God

Whether the language is Hebrew, Greek, Igbo or Persian, these names all say the same thing: this child was wanted and is welcome. Pick the form that sounds like your family. For related names, see names that mean blessing.

Tags: Baby Names, Name Meanings, Gift From God