Names That Mean Life

Life names appear in Greek, Hebrew, Latin and Arabic. Zoe is the Greek word for life, and Zoey and Zoie are English respellings. Eve, Eva and Evie come from the Hebrew name of the first woman in Genesis, connected to the word for living. Vivian, Vivienne and Viviana come from Latin vivus, alive, and Renata means reborn. Anastasia, from Greek for resurrection, was a favorite name among Russian royalty.

Arabic offers names for both boys and girls. Omar is usually explained as long-lived or flourishing and was the name of one of the early caliphs, and Omari is a Swahili form used widely in East Africa and in the United States. Aisha means living or alive and was the name of a wife of the Prophet. Chaya is Hebrew for life and is used in Jewish families.

This list is heavy on girls' names, but Omar and Omari give boys solid choices with the same meaning. For siblings, a pairing like Omar and Eva or Zoe shares the theme across languages. Spelling is worth a thought, especially for the Zoe family, since each version is common and easy to confuse.