Baby Names

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20 Baby Names That Mean Father

Be warned: With a name that means “father,” your baby’s first word might be Dada, not Mama.

by Jennifer Parris

While you might have mostly everything prepared for the birth of your baby, the one thing that you could still be struggling with is the name. It makes sense, since picking out a crib can be a whole lot easier than choosing a name that will carry your child through their life. But if your baby is due around the third Sunday in June, you might want to consider any one of these baby names that mean “father.”

People get inspiration for baby names from anyone, anywhere, and anything, really. It might be something you heard while streaming shows on Netflix, (Daenerys, anyone?), or it might be a name that has been passed down from generation to generation. Still, though, you might not want an exact duplicate of a name, but rather a name that signifies the importance of what a father means to you, or one that is a wink and a nod to the baby’s father. It can be a name that inspires you when you hear it, rather than just a name that has Jr. or II or III after it. It can convey your hopes and dreams that you and your partner have for your child, while still honoring the role that they have played in your life — and will continue to do so in the future.

So if you’re still searching for a name, these baby names that mean father might provide some much-needed paternal inspiration.

1Axel

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Of course, Axel gets its cool factor from Guns N’ Roses’ lead singer Axl Rose. But Axel, which is Scandinavian in origin, means “father of peace.” Hopefully, with this rock n’ roll name, your little rocker will rock his cradle right to sleep.

2Abigail

When your baby is the apple of her daddy’s eye, there’s no better name than Abigail. It means “the father’s joy” in Hebrew, and has a slew of spellings (think Abigael, Abagail, Abigayle, Abbegail, etc.) Plus, the nickname Abby is super cute, and Abigail is one of the most popular girl’s names right now.

3Eliab

Eliab is another Biblical name; he was the son of Helon and eldest brother of King David. Eliab is a boy’s name of Hebrew origin and means “God is father.” Not feeling the B at the end of the name? You can always shorten it to Elia (for a girl), or Eli, for a boy. You could even give your child the nickname Ellie, which can be gender-neutral, too.

4Abner

Abner is a Hebrew name, meaning “father of light.” It comes from the Bible, where Abner was the army chief for King Saul, who was known for being a true warrior. The name is pronounced Ab-ner, but it can also have the nickname Aby.

5Abraham

Whether you’re a history buff (think Abraham Lincoln) or a bibliophile, you might adore Abraham. It is a Hebrew name meaning “father of multitudes.” It’s typically a boy’s name, and can be either Abraham or Abram, which was Abraham’s original name.

6Avielle

A version of Aviela or Abiela, Avielle is a Hebrew name that means “God is my father.” It’s not a common name, which means you won’t find too many Avielle’s in your kiddo’s pre-K class, and it’s a name that honors a father as well.

7Abital

A gender-neutral name, Abital is a name for both boys and girls in Israel, where it’s still popular. Abital, which means “my father is dew,” comes from the Old Testament, where she was one of King David’s wives.

8Cleopatra

Of course, visions of the Ancient Queen of Egypt might come to mind when you think of the name Cleopatra. But Cleopatra actually means “glory of the father” and is of Greek origin. If you’re in de-Nile (get it?) about naming your kid Cleopatra, Cleo is pretty cute for a boy or a girl and still has the same significance.

9Abra

Abra is a girl’s name that is of Hebrew origin. It means “father of multitudes” which could be a cute name if you’re having twins.

10Avi

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Pronounced Ah-vee, Avi is a Hebrew name meaning “father.” It is often used as a prefix in many father-centric names, but can be used as a stand-alone name, too. While it’s often considered a boy’s name, Avi can be gender-neutral as well.

11Zaci

An African name, Zaci means “god of fatherhood.” It can be either for a boy or a girl, and can also be pronounced a multitude of ways (think: “Zay-sigh” or “Zah-chee”), too.

12Avirama

Meaning “my father is strong,” Avirama is a Hebrew name. It’s a girl’s name, which can be cute, especially if her daddy is the big, strong type.

13Abbott

Although it is more common as a last name, Abbott (which means father in Hebrew) can be a gender-neutral first name. And Abbott joins the list of names that end with a double T, (think Everett, Barrett, Wyatt, for example), and can be gender-neutral, too.

14Jupiter

Sure, you think your baby is out of this world amazing, and that’s why a name like Jupiter works. With the Latin element of “pater” which means “father,” Jupiter isn’t quite a common name, and that’s why you might find it astronomically appealing.

15Abba

Sure, it might sound like that Swedish group from the 70s, but Abba is a Hebrew name which means “father.” You can always switch it up and name your baby Abby, but Mamma Mia, you just might fall in love with this melodic name.

16Nnamdi

The name Nnamdi means “my father lives,” and is a traditional male name. It hails from the Igbo people of Nigeria, and is pronounced “nahm-dee.” Even though it’s more common for a boy, it can easily be a gender-neutral name.

17Attila

If “the Hun” comes to mind upon hearing Attila, well, that’s not surprising. But what might be is that Attila, which is of Hungarian origin, means “little father.” It’s still pretty popular in parts of Europe, but with possible nicknames like Ati, or even Tilly, Attila can become a gender-neutral name for your little leader.

18Adanna

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Not to be confused with Donna or Dana, Adanna is a Western African name. It means “she is her father’s daughter,” so if your little one looks just like her daddy, this would be a fitting name.

19Abijah

Abijah is a Hebrew name, and it means “Yahweh is my father.” It has various spellings (such as Abia or Abiyyahu) and can be used for either a baby boy or girl. It’s pronounced “Ah-bye-jah”, and not “Abby-jah.”

20Abiel

Known as a boy’s name, Abiel is a Hebrew name. It means “my father is the Lord” or “God is my father.” Nicknames for Abiel could be Abe (for a boy), and Abby or Bibi for a girl.

If you want to honor the father of your baby, your dad, or someone who has been a father figure to you, these baby names will honor the father figure in your and/or your baby’s life. But be warned: with a name that means “father,” watch your baby’s first word will not be Mama, but Dada.