143 Baby Names That Mean Life and New Beginnings

A name that means life carries a quiet wish inside it, that your child grows up healthy, whole, and glad to be here. It is one of the warmest sentiments you can fold into a name, and it turns up in almost every language on earth.

These names reach back a long way. You will find the Hebrew Chaim and Eva, the Greek Zoe, the Latin Vivian and Vita, the Arabic Hayat, and the Sanskrit Jeevan. Some point straight at life itself, while others gesture toward dawn, breath, or new beginnings, the first small signs that a life has begun.

Below are 143 options split into girl and boy lists, each with its origin and meaning. Browse for one that matches the sound you love and the story you want to tell.

72 Gorgeous Girl Names That Mean Life

Here are some beautiful girl names that celebrate the gift of life.

1. Abella: Every new life needs to breathe, and this Hebrew girl’s name carries exactly that meaning.
2. Adhaya: This Southern Indian name means first, first power, and at the beginning of the universe.
3. Aisha: Many Arabic girl names have symbolic roots. This popular choice means alive and well.
4. Aizza: Sometimes spelled Aiza, this lovely name means gift from God in Arabic.
5. Alba: This short and sweet Italian and Spanish name means sunrise and dawn.
6. Anastasia: This classic name of Greek and Russian origin translates to resurrection.
7. Aoibhe: A lyrical Irish name meaning radiant beauty, from the same root aoibh as Aoife and pronounced EE-va.
8. Aoife: An Irish name from aoibh, meaning radiant or beautiful and said EE-fa; a warrior princess of the Ulster Cycle bore it.
9. Asha: An Arabic name meaning alive and well, Asha is short, warm, and easy to say across many languages.
10. Aurora: This Latin name means dawn and belonged to the Roman goddess who opened the gates of day; it was the 16th most popular US girl name in 2024, its biggest year yet, with 6,924 babies given the name ⁽¹⁾, and the northern lights, the aurora borealis, carry it too.
11. Ausra: This Lithuanian entry brings a bright meaning of sunrise and dawn.
12. Ava: One of the most popular girl names in the country, Ava is a Latin variant of Eve meaning life. It reached the US Top Ten in 2005, according to SSA data, and still sits near the top of the charts, loved for its soft, open sound.
13. Avabelle: An amalgamation of the Hebrew Ava and the French Belle, creating the meaning beautiful life.
14. Ayelet: Many believe this Hebrew name gracefully means gazelle at dawn.
15. Beatrix: This Dutch name finds inspiration from the Latin Beatus and means blessed.
16. Beeja: An Indian-inspired name that means happy and the beginning.
17. Betha: This historic Celtic and Irish name translates directly to life.
18. Bibiana: A name of Brazilian and Portuguese origin, meaning alive and full of life.
19. Bophelo: This powerful Zulu name simply means to live.
20. Cansu: A Turkish name of Iranian origin, carrying the profound meaning of life, soul, and spirit.
21. Chae-Won: This Sino-Korean name represents source, beginning, and origin.
22. Chivvy: This beautiful Cambodian entry translates directly to life.
23. Chizue: A wonderfully descriptive Japanese name meaning a thousand storks, which represents long life.
24. Daifa: This beautiful Arabic name means a majestic creation.
25. Dajana: A graceful Arabic name that means divine, goddess-like, and heavenly.
26. Dawn: An Old English name referring to the first appearance of light and daybreak.
27. Eawa: A Polish variant of the Hebrew Eva, meaning life.
28. Eba: An alternative version of the Hebrew Eva that also translates to animal.
29. Efa: This Welsh version of Eva carries the meaning of alive.
30. Eiji: A unisex Japanese name meaning prosperity and peace. It perfectly captures your baby girl’s whole life ahead.
31. Ella: A name of German, English, and Hebrew origin, meaning fairy maiden and goddess.
32. Eloma: This Northern Spanish name translates simply to life.
33. Elu: This Cherokee entry holds the delicate meaning of full of grace and fair and beautiful.
34. Enid: This classic Welsh name means spirit, life, and purity.
35. Eos: A luminous Greek girl’s name meaning dawn, borne by the Titan goddess of the sunrise whom Homer called rosy-fingered.
36. Eshe: An African and Swahili name meaning immortal and life.
37. Eva: This timeless name stems from the Hebrew Chavah, tied to breathing and giving life, and reads simply as life or living one. It has stayed in gentle use for generations and works as both a full name and a nickname.
38. Evalyn: Another Hebrew-inspired girl’s name meaning life, desired, and water.
39. Evette: A French or American version of the Hebrew Eve, meaning living one and yew.
40. Evika: Sticking with Hebrew-inspired names, this unique option means life.
41. Evita: Celebrate longevity with this feminine Latin name meaning life and living one.
42. Ha: A name of Chinese, Cantonese, and Vietnamese origin, meaning sunshine and summer.
43. Hisa: A Japanese eternity name for those living a long time of life.
44. Hiwot: This eastern African name translates to life.
45. Jilian: An unusual Latin name meaning youthful.
46. Jivanta: A beautiful Hindi name that translates to giver of life.
47. Khepri: This arresting Egyptian name means develop, come into being, and create.
48. Kia: Known globally as a Korean car manufacturer, the name actually means to rise from Asia.
49. Langhuie: Derived from the Old English Langgifu, meaning the lasting one and long life.
50. Lizette: This French-inspired name means God’s promise or pledged to God.
51. Luljeta: An Albanian female name that sweetly means flower of life.
52. Mika: This Japanese name means beautiful fragrance and new moon.
53. Motoyo: A name of Japanese origin, simply meaning lifetime.
54. Nefes: A soft Turkish girl’s name meaning breath, the very sign of life; it traces to the Arabic nafas and recurs in Sufi poetry.
55. Nurcan: This Turkish option is a fantastic choice, meaning bright soul.
56. Nyssa: This Greek name translates to goal, ambition, and beginning.
57. Odoti: A pretty Hindu girl’s name, meaning dawn and refreshing.
58. Oma: Arabic names offer plenty of great options. This one means giver of life and leader.
59. Oriana: A classic Latin girl’s name, meaning sunrise and dawn.
60. Oriella: Derived from the Latin Aurea, holding the meaning of golden.
61. Pran: A short and sweet Sanskrit name meaning life, breath of life, and spirit.
62. Rachana: A lovely name of Sanskrit origin, meaning creation.
63. Renata: A feminine Latin and Italian name meaning reborn.
64. Renee: Derived from the Latin Renatus, meaning born again.
65. Tadesse: This Ethiopian entry carries the meaning he has renewed.
66. Taisha: This name is popular in Uganda and translates to full of life.
67. Thyia: A name of Greek origin, meaning to sacrifice and tree of life.
68. Wahuj: An Arabic name meaning first light, dawn, and new beginning.
69. Xiola: Derived from the Greek Zoilos, carrying the meaning life and lively.
70. Zera: An unusual Hebrew name meaning seeds and beginnings.
71. Ziva: A gorgeous name of Hebrew origin, meaning life and light of God.
72. Zoe: A Greek name meaning life that early Christians tied to eternal life; the Septuagint used it to render Eve, the mother of all living ⁽²⁾, and it ranks around 30th among US girls today.

71 Brilliant Boy Names That Mean Life

Explore these brilliant boy names that carry the powerful meaning of life.

1. Aadi: The fourth month of the Tamil calendar gives us this Sanskrit name meaning first and beginning.
2. Aarth: A powerful Hindu name meaning first, gift, and meaningful.
3. Abel: Derived from the Hebrew hevel, this classic name means breath or vanity.
4. Abtum: A name of Parsi and Indian origin, meaning the creator of plentiful water.
5. Adamo: This Hebrew name’s purpose explains that new life comes from the earth.
6. Adem: A unique spelling of the Hebrew Adam, meaning son of the red earth.
7. Ahelia: This beautiful name of Hebrew origin means breath and source of life.
8. Anastasius: A Latinized version of the Greek Anastasios, meaning resurrection.
9. Ankur: A Hindi boy’s name meaning flower, blossom, and sprout.
10. Antarbhuti: One of many Hindi names on the list that translates to soul and life.
11. Apela: One of a handful of Hawaiian names that means breath and breathing spirit.
12. Aroon: This warm Hindi name means darling and dawn.
13. Asher: Derived from the Hebrew osher, this popular boy’s name means happy and blessed; it belonged to one of the twelve sons of Jacob.
14. Asier: This classic Basque name means the beginning or new beginnings.
15. Baari: This Islamic name holds the deep meaning to create and to form out of nothing.
16. Balkar: A Punjabi and Sikh name meaning full of strength.
17. Beathan: This is primarily a Scottish name that translates simply to life.
18. Bindhas: This fun Sanskrit name literally means enjoy life.
19. Bion: A short Greek name drawn straight from bios, the word for life; the Hellenistic poet Bion of Smyrna carried it.
20. Bo: A short name of Scandinavian origin, meaning to dwell or to live.
21. Brahma: A sacred Hindu name meaning the creator god.
22. Calian: This Native American male name translates to he is a warrior of life.
23. Can: A name of Turkish and Azerbaijani origin, meaning spirit, life, and soul.
24. Caner: A name of Turkish origin, meaning soul, life, and best friend.
25. Chai: A Hebrew name meaning living or alive, and the word behind the toast L’chaim, to life. In Hebrew numerology its two letters add up to 18, a number long seen as lucky.
26. Chaim: This Hebrew name translates directly to life and dates to the Middle Ages. It is built on chai, the Hebrew word for alive, and stays a cherished choice in Jewish families.
27. Dagian: An Old English name meaning beautiful dawn.
28. Daxon: A cool name of French origin, meaning water, life-giving drink, and leader.
29. Ercan: This Turkish name means the brave one with valiant lineage.
30. Ettan: A catchy Sanskrit name carrying the meaning breath and life.
31. Faatir: A cute Muslim baby name meaning maker and creator.
32. Fajr: This quirky Islamic name translates to dawn, rise, and beginning.
33. Genesis: A bold, modern choice meaning creation and beginning, taken from the opening book of the Bible. It works for girls and boys and reads as a clean fresh start.
34. Haim: Very similar to Chaim, this Hebrew name means life.
35. Harshavardhan: A lengthy Hindu name meaning creator of joy and one who provides happiness.
36. Hava: A short and sweet name of Hebrew and Yiddish origin, meaning life.
37. Haya: This Hebrew name also means modesty, decency, and shyness in Arabic.
38. Hayat: This traditional Quranic name means life.
39. Hyman: A beautiful Yiddish boy’s name, translating to life.
40. Inizio: A beautiful Italian name meaning new beginnings.
41. Jaival: This Hindu boy’s name means life-giver and full of life.
42. Jan: Derives from Janus, the Roman god of new beginnings.
43. Janmay: A Gujarati boy’s name meaning born and newborn child.
44. Janus: This classic Roman name means new beginnings, passages, and endings.
45. Jeevan: This name is highly popular on the Indian sub-continent and means bringer of life.
46. Jeton: Possibly of Albanian or Swiss origin, this option simply means lives.
47. Jivan: Mostly found in Hindi countries, this boy’s name means life and giver of life.
48. Juro: A cool Japanese baby name meaning tenth son, best wishes, and longevity.
49. Kahanu: This peaceful Hawaiian name means the breath and the breath of life.
50. Kartaara: A sophisticated Hindu boy’s name meaning the father and Lord of creation.
51. Naveen: This Sanskrit name symbolizes new life and translates to new.
52. Neo: Some boy names that mean life are Greek, and this recognizable choice means new.
53. Nouvel: A smooth name of French origin, also meaning new.
54. Ojas: An unusual Indian name meaning the strong one.
55. Omar: This globally recognized Arabic name means flourishing, thriving, and long-lived, sharing its root with the classic Umar.
56. Omri: This Hebrew boy’s name means life, servant, and sheaf of grain.
57. Ordell: A unique Latin name meaning beginning and of the beginning.
58. Phoenix: One of the mythological Greek life names. It means dark red and heavily symbolizes resurrection and rebirth.
59. Suchart: A name of Sanskrit and Thai origin, meaning good and birth.
60. Sulya: A beautiful Hindi name, meaning god of the sun.
61. Tshering: A popular Sanskrit and Nepalese name meaning long life.
62. Umar: A classic name of Arabic origin, meaning prosperous, thriving, and flourishing.
63. Urien: This unique option is of Celtic and Welsh origin, meaning of privileged birth.
64. Vian: A gender-neutral English name meaning life, energy, and lively.
65. Vidal: From the Latin Vitalis, carrying the strong meaning of life and vitality.
66. Vihaan: A Sanskrit name meaning dawn or the beginning of a new era, widely used across India. It carries the same hopeful image as first light breaking over the horizon.
67. Vitale: Highly popular in Russia and Italy, this Latin name means life-giving.
68. Vitus: This male Latin name means lively and life.
69. Walid: Many names that mean life are Arabic, and this beautiful option means newborn.
70. Yeong-Su: This Chinese and Korean name means eternal, long life, forever, and perpetual.
71. Zoticus: The last male entry is derived from the Greek Zotikos, meaning full of life.

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