50 Baby Names Meaning Grace (Girls, Boys & Unisex)

Evidence-based, parent-tested. References guidelines from the AAP, CDC, and WHO.

Informational only, not medical advice. Always consult your pediatrician about your baby's specific needs.

Grace is one of the oldest ideas parents have put into a name. In Hebrew it is chen, in Greek charis, in Latin gratia, and each of those words has produced a whole family of names.

Two of those families are enormous. Hannah (“grace, favor”) gave us Anna, Anne, Annika, Anya, and Nancy. John (“God is gracious”) gave us Jack, Sean, Ian, Evan, Ivan, Juan, Giovanni, Jane, and Gianna. If you want a name that means grace, there is a good chance you already know several. This list has 50, grouped by gender, with the origin of each.

📌 Key Takeaway: Most names meaning grace trace back to just two Hebrew names: Hannah (“grace”) and John (“God is gracious”). Almost every European language has its own version of both, which is why Anna, Anya, and Anouk are the same name, and so are Sean, Ian, Ivan, and Juan. For more names with a similar spirit, see names meaning miracle, gift, or blessing and names meaning love.

50 Baby Names Meaning Grace (Girls, Boys & Unisex)

Girl Names Meaning Grace

Name	Gender	Origin	Meaning	Say it
Grace	Girl	Latin, via English	”Grace”; from Latin gratia	GRAYSS
Hannah	Girl	Hebrew	”Grace, favor”	HAN-uh
Chana	Girl	Hebrew	The original Hebrew form of Hannah	KHAH-nah
Anna	Girl	Hebrew, via Greek and Latin	Form of Hannah, “grace”	AN-uh
Anne	Girl	French / English	Form of Hannah, “grace”	AN
Anya	Girl	Russian	Pet form of Anna	AHN-yah
Annika	Girl	Scandinavian / German	Pet form of Anna	AH-nih-kah
Anita	Girl	Spanish	Pet form of Ana	ah-NEE-tah
Anaïs	Girl	French / Occitan	Form of Anna	ah-nah-EES
Anouk	Girl	Dutch / French	Pet form of Anna	ah-NOOK
Nancy	Girl	English	Originally a pet form of Ann	NAN-see
Charis	Girl	Greek	”Grace, kindness”	KAIR-is
Carissa	Girl	Greek, via English	From charis, “grace”	kuh-RISS-uh
Grazia	Girl	Italian	”Grace”	GRAHT-syah
Graziella	Girl	Italian	Pet form of Grazia	graht-see-EL-lah
Gracia	Girl	Spanish	”Grace”	GRAH-syah
Engracia	Girl	Spanish	From Latin in gratia, “in grace”	en-GRAH-syah
Jane	Girl	English	Feminine form of John, “God is gracious”	JAYN
Joanna	Girl	Hebrew, via Greek and Latin	Feminine form of John, “God is gracious”	jo-AN-uh
Gianna	Girl	Italian	Short form of Giovanna, the Italian feminine of John	JAH-nah
Ivana	Girl	Slavic	Feminine form of Ivan, the Slavic John	ee-VAH-nah
Siobhan	Girl	Irish	Irish form of Joan	shih-VAWN
Amara	Girl	Igbo	”Grace”	ah-MAH-rah
Kripa	Girl	Sanskrit	”Grace, mercy”	KRIP-ah
Mila	Girl	Slavic	From mil, “gracious, dear”	MEE-lah
Milena	Girl	Slavic	From mil, “gracious, dear”	mee-LEH-nah

Boy Names Meaning Grace

Nearly all of these are forms of John. The Hebrew original, Yochanan, means “God is gracious.”

Name	Gender	Origin	Meaning	Say it
John	Boy	Hebrew, via Greek and Latin	”God is gracious”	JON
Jack	Boy	English	Medieval pet form of John	JAK
Ian	Boy	Scottish	Scottish form of John	EE-un
Sean	Boy	Irish	Irish form of John	SHAWN
Shane	Boy	Irish	Anglicized form of Seán	SHAYN
Eoin	Boy	Irish	Older Irish form of John	OH-in
Evan	Boy	Welsh	Welsh form of John	EV-un
Ivan	Boy	Slavic	Slavic form of John	EYE-vun or ee-VAHN
Juan	Boy	Spanish	Spanish form of John	HWAHN
João	Boy	Portuguese	Portuguese form of John	ZHWOWN
Giovanni	Boy	Italian	Italian form of John	jo-VAH-nee
Gianni	Boy	Italian	Short form of Giovanni	JAH-nee
Johannes	Boy	German / Dutch / Scandinavian	The Latin form of John, still used in northern Europe	yo-HAH-nes
Johan	Boy	Scandinavian / Dutch	Short form of Johannes	YO-hahn
Hans	Boy	German	Short form of Johannes	HAHNS
Jan	Boy	Dutch / Czech / Polish	Form of John	YAHN
Keoni	Boy	Hawaiian	Hawaiian form of John	keh-OH-nee
Hananiah	Boy	Hebrew	”God is gracious”	han-uh-NYE-uh
Milan	Boy	Slavic	From mil, “gracious, dear”	MEE-lahn
Miloš	Boy	Slavic	From mil, “gracious, dear”	MEE-losh

Unisex Names Meaning Grace

Name	Gender	Origin	Meaning	Say it
Jean	Unisex	French / English	A form of John in French, and of Jane in English	ZHAHN or JEEN
Chen	Unisex	Hebrew	”Grace, charm”	KHEN
Hanan	Unisex	Hebrew / Arabic	”Gracious” in Hebrew; “tenderness, compassion” in Arabic	hah-NAHN
Jackie	Unisex	English	Pet form of Jack or Jacqueline	JAK-ee

One Name, Many Languages

If you have family ties to more than one country, the John and Hannah families are useful because the same name exists almost everywhere:

Language	Form of John	Form of Hannah
English	John, Jack	Hannah, Anne
Irish	Seán, Eoin	Áine (a separate Irish name often used as its equivalent)
Spanish	Juan	Ana
Italian	Giovanni	Anna
French	Jean	Anne, Anaïs
German	Johannes, Hans	Anna, Anke
Russian	Ivan	Anna, Anya
Welsh	Ioan, Evan	Ann

This makes them a practical choice for a child with grandparents in two countries: each side of the family can use the form that is natural to them.

How to Choose a Name Meaning Grace

Decide whether you want the word or the meaning. Grace, Grazia, and Charis say it directly. Anna, Sean, and Gianna carry the meaning without announcing it.

Grace is one of the most popular middle names. It is one syllable and pairs with almost anything: Olivia Grace, Eleanor Grace, Lily Grace. If you like the name but find it too common as a first name, the middle spot is its natural home.

Check pronunciation for the Irish forms. Siobhan (shih-VAWN) and Eoin (OH-in) are not pronounced the way they look in English. They are beautiful names, and they come with a lifetime of spelling them out.

Try first and middle combinations in our Baby Name Generator, or browse more middle name ideas.

FAQ

What girl name means grace?

Grace is the most direct choice. Hannah and its many forms, including Anna, Anne, Anya, and Annika, come from the Hebrew word for grace. Charis is the Greek word for grace, and Amara means grace in Igbo.

What boy name means grace?

John means God is gracious, and so do all of its forms: Jack, Ian, Sean, Evan, Ivan, Juan, and Giovanni. Milan and Miloš come from a Slavic word meaning gracious or dear.

What name means God is gracious?

John and its feminine forms Jane, Joanna, and Gianna all mean God is gracious. Hananiah has the same meaning and is built from the same Hebrew words in a different order.

Are Anna and Hannah the same name?

Yes. Hannah is the Hebrew original, meaning grace or favor. Anna is the form the name took in Greek and Latin, and Anne is the French and English form.

Sources

Behind the Name. Name etymologies and histories.
Oxford University Press. A Dictionary of First Names (Hanks, Hardcastle, and Hodges).
U.S. Social Security Administration. Popular Baby Names.

Medical Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your pediatrician or healthcare provider with any questions about your baby's health.

Written by

Vega Lin

Founder & Editor — Mother of 2 (Taiwan)

Vega writes Baby Care Guide from the intersection of evidence-based research (AAP, CDC, WHO) and real parenting experience. Holds a Master's in Digital Innovation from Tunghai University. Read more →