93 Baby Names That Mean Life (And New Beginnings)

You’ve done it, mama. You’ve created a whole new life. And before you know it, you’ll be holding this young life in your arms. If you’re looking for a way to honor this incredible journey, why not choose one of the many exquisite baby names that mean life?

There’s something life-affirming about naming your little one after life itself, and there are countless options available to you. Names that mean life are common in all four corners of the world, and our list includes names from Cambodia, South Africa, Turkey, and Tibet.

In some instances, the names don’t just mean life, but words related to it, such as dawn, new beginning, soul or resurrection.

Ready to dive in? Let’s go.

In this article: 📝

What name means gift of life?

From the lyrical Abella to the snazzy Aizza, from the super-short Bo to the longer Avabelle, these are our top 20 favorite names that pay homage to life.

1. Abella: This lilting name has its origins in both French and Hebrew. It’s a girls’ name that refers to the breath that is the source of life
2. Adamo: A Hebrew name for boys, Adamo means “first life.”
3. Aizza: Names with z’s always sound snappy and snazzy. Aizza is a girls’ name that means “life” in Hebrew.
4. Apela: A Hawaiian boys’ name, Apela means “breath of life.”
5. Avabelle: Avabelle, or Avabella, means “breathing in life” or “one who has a beautiful life.”
6. Bo: We love this monosyllabic Old Norse nickname for boys and girls. It means “to live.”
7. Calian: Calian is a Native American name for boys that means “life warrior.”
8. Daxon: Daxon is a French name for a life-giving drink. Consider naming your little boy after this elixir.
9. Ettan: This Indian boys’ name means “breath of life.”
10. Ha: Ha is a Vietnamese girls’ name that refers to the kiss of life.
11. Hale: This strong boys’ name is English originally and means “healthy in life.”
12. Hava: This Hebrew name, for boys, means “breathing,” “alive” or “living.”
13. Haya: Another Hebrew name for girls, Haya means “alive.”
14. Hayat: Meaning “life” in Arabic, Persian, and Urdu
15. Juro: Juro is a Japanese name for boys. It means “longevity of life.”
16. Liv: Many will associate this simple, elegant Nordic girls’ name with the actress Liv Tyler.
17. Nyssa: This Greek girls’ name means “new beginning.”
18. Omri: Another Hebrew name, Omri means both “life” and “servant.”
19. Tshering: Meaning “long life” in Tibetan and Bhutanese languages
20. Vian: An English name, Vian means “full of life.”

Girl names that mean life

If you’re having a girl, you might want to choose a chic and contemporary-sounding name like Eva or Lina, or a less common name, like Eiji or Luljeta.

21. Aisha: Meaning “life” in Arabic
22. Alba: Meaning “dawn” or “new life” in Spanish and Italian
23. Anastasia: Meaning “resurrection” or “new life” in Russian
24. Aoife: Meaning “one who gives life” in Irish
25. Asha: Meaning “life” in Swahili
26. Ausra: Meaning “dawn” or “new life” in Lithuanian
27. Ayelet: Meaning “dawn” or “new life” in Hebrew
28. Ava: Meaning “life” in German
29. Bibiana: Meaning “alive” in Greek
30. Bophelo: Meaning “life” from its Sesotho origins
31. Cansu: Meaning “water of life” in Turkish
32. Chae-Won: Meaning “beginning” in Korean
33. Chivy: Meaning “life” from its Cambodian roots
34. Dawn: Meaning “dawn” in English
35. Eloma: Meaning “life” in Finnish
36. Enid: Meaning “soul” or “life” in Welsh
37. Eshe: Meaning “life” in an Egyptian language
38. Eva: Meaning “life” in Italian
39. Evalyn: Meaning “living one” from its Hebrew roots
40. Evette: Meaning “life” in French
41. Hisa: Meaning “a person with long-lasting life” in Japanese
42. Hiwot: Meaning “life” in Amharic
43. Kia: Meaning “new beginnings” or “season’s beginning,” it’s a name of African origins.
44. Kiena: Meaning “prosperous life” in Japanese
45. Langhuie: Meaning “long life” from its English roots
46. Lizette: Meaning “life” in Hebrew
47. Luljeta: Meaning “flower of life” in Albanian
48. Noema: Meaning “new moon” in Greek
49. Nurcan: Meaning “bright soul” or “light of life” in Turkish
50. Renata: Meaning “reborn” in Spanish
51. Renee: Meaning “reborn” in French
52. Wahuj: Meaning “new beginning” in Arabic
53. Zera: Meaning “new beginning” in Hebrew
54. Ziva: Meaning “full of life” in Hebrew
55. Zoe: Meaning “life” in Greek

Boy names that mean life

Adem, Bion, Caner, Chiva, Suly and Phoenix — these boys’ names all mean life, or variations of it.

56. Achaz: Meaning “God’s way of life” in Hebrew
57. Adem: Meaning “brave life” in Hebrew
58. Anastasius: Meaning “rebirth” or “resurrection” in Greek
59. Antarbhuti: Meaning “life” or “soul” from its Indian roots
60. Ankur: Meaning “new life” in Hindi
61. Asher: Meaning “happy life” in Hebrew
62. Beathan: Meaning “life” in Gaelic
63. Bion: Meaning “life” from its Ancient Greek roots
64. Bindhas: Meaning “enjoy life” from its Indian origins
65. Can: Meaning “life” or “soul” in Turkish
66. Caner: Meaning “brave man’s life” in Turkish
67. Chai: Meaning “life” in Hebrew
68. Chaim: Meaning “life” in Hebrew
69. Chiva: Meaning “life” from its Cambodian roots
70. Dagian: Meaning “dawn” from its English origins
71. Ercan: Meaning “brave man’s life” in Turkish
72. Fajr: Meaning “dawn” or “new life” in Arabic
73. Genesis: Meaning “life,” this name refers to the first book of the Christian bible.
74. Haim: Meaning “life” in Hebrew
75. Inizio: Meaning “new beginning” in Italian
76. Jan: Meaning “life” or “soul” from its Indian roots
77. Phoenix: A legendary bird that rose from the ashes
78. Sulya: Meaning “breath of life” from its Indian origins
79. Sura Oighrig: Meaning “new life” from Native American roots
80. Umar: Meaning “life” in Arabic and Urdu
81. Vidal: Meaning “life” from its Spanish roots
82. Vihaan: Meaning “beginning of an era” in Sanskrit
83. Vitale: Meaning of “life” or “vital” in Italian
84. Yeong-Su: Meaning “long life” in Korean
85. Zoticus: Meaning “full of life” in Ancient Greek

What name means life in Latin?

Because so many names have Latin roots, here are some of our favorite names that mean life in Latin:

86. Eba: Eba means “life” in Hebrew and is also the Latin form of Eve. It’s a girls’ name.
87. Aurora: Meaning “dawn” or “new life,” this name is filled with possibility.
88. Janus: Meaning “the first month of the year,” as it was referred to in Ancient Rome
89. Jilian: Meaning “enjoys youthful life” from its Latin roots
90. Oriella: This Latin name means “full of life.”
91. Vida: “Life”
92. Vita: “Life”
93. Vitu: “Life”

There you have it, mama! 93 lively names for your new life!

Which ones are your faves? Share them with the other moms-to-be of Peanut!