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Names that mean hope: 70+ hopeful girl, boy and unisex names

73 names · Updated · By The Nomezo Editors · Save to Pinterest

Names that mean hope include Esperanza (Spanish), Nadia (Russian) and Omid (Persian), and the English virtue name Hope has been in use since the 1600s.

Below are girl, boy and unisex names that mean hope, including Japanese names written with 希, the kanji for hope, then names that mean wish or longing, and the word hope in other languages and myths. Every note gives the meaning and origin, with a simple pronunciation where it helps.

Can't decide? Shuffle 6 random picks

  • Saki

    Blossom and hope, written 咲希; Japanese

  • Yūki

    Gentle hope, when written 優希; Japanese

  • Tamanna

    Wish, desire; Arabic and Persian, popular in India

  • Umeed

    Hindi and Urdu word for hope

  • Hopp

    Swedish word for hope

  • Ümit

    Hope; Turkish, an older form from Persian. Say ew-MIT

Want endless ideas? Try the baby name generator and generate new names in one click.

Girl names that mean hope

Real girl names that mean hope, from the Puritan virtue name to Russian, Hebrew, Greek, African and Japanese favorites. The Japanese names mean hope only when written with 希.

  1. Hope US #352: The English virtue name, a Puritan favorite since the 1600s
  2. Esperanza: Hope; Spanish, from Latin sperare, to hope
  3. Esperança: Hope; Portuguese. Say esh-peh-RAHN-sah
  4. Speranza: Hope; Italian, a rare virtue name. Say speh-RAHN-tsah
  5. Espérance: Hope; French, a rare virtue name. Say es-pay-RAHNSS
  6. Nadezhda: Hope; Russian, a Christian virtue name. Say nah-DYEZH-dah
  7. Nadia US #565: Hope; a Russian short form of Nadezhda, now used worldwide
  8. Nadine: Hope; the French form of Russian Nadia
  9. Nadzieja: Hope; Polish. Say nah-JEH-yah
  10. Elpida: Hope; Greek, from elpis. Say el-PEE-dah
  11. Tikva: Hope; Hebrew, the word in the title of Israel's anthem
  12. Raja: Hope; Arabic, unrelated to the Sanskrit word for king. Say rah-JAH
  13. Asha: Hope, wish; Sanskrit. Say AH-shah
  14. Itxaro: Hope, waiting; Basque. Say ee-CHAH-roh
  15. Tariro: Hope; Shona, from Zimbabwe. Say tah-REE-roh
  16. Tsholofelo: Hope, expectation; Tswana, from Botswana
  17. Mizuki: Auspicious hope, written 瑞希; Japanese. Say mee-ZOO-kee
  18. Saki: Blossom and hope, written 咲希; Japanese
  19. Natsuki: Summer and hope, written 夏希; Japanese
  20. Maki: True hope, written 真希; Japanese
  21. Aki: Second and hope, written 亜希; Japanese
  22. Yuzuki: Citrus and hope, written 柚希; Japanese

Boy names that mean hope

Boy names that mean hope are less common, so these are worth knowing: Persian, Turkish, Greek, Ethiopian, Zulu, Japanese and Finnish.

  1. Omid: Hope, expectation; Persian. Say oh-MEED
  2. Umut: Hope, expectation; Turkish. Say oo-MOOT
  3. Ümit: Hope; Turkish, an older form from Persian. Say ew-MIT
  4. Arman: Wish, ideal, hope; Persian. Say ar-MAHN
  5. Elpidio: Hope; Spanish and Italian, from Greek elpis
  6. Elpidophoros: Bearer of hope; Greek, used in the Orthodox Church
  7. Tesfaye: My hope; Amharic, common in Ethiopia. Say tes-FAH-yeh
  8. Themba: Hope, trust; Zulu and Xhosa. Say TEM-bah
  9. Nozomu: To hope or wish, written 望; Japanese
  10. Toivo: Hope; Finnish. Say TOY-voh
  11. Kōki: Light and hope, written 光希; Japanese. Say KOH-kee

Unisex names that mean hope

Names used for girls and boys alike, from Arabic, Japanese, Hebrew and several African languages.

  1. Amal: Hope, aspiration; Arabic. Say ah-MAHL
  2. Nozomi: Hope, wish, written 希 or 望; Japanese
  3. Yahav: Hope; Hebrew, a modern Israeli name. Say yah-HAHV
  4. Tumaini: Hope, wish; Swahili. Say too-mah-EE-nee
  5. Tshepo: Hope, trust; Sotho and Tswana. Say TSEH-poh
  6. Chiyembekezo: Hope; Chewa, from Malawi
  7. Ireti: Hope; Yoruba, from ì and rètí, to expect
  8. Olileanya: Hope, expectation; Igbo, from Nigeria
  9. Yūki: Gentle hope, when written 優希; Japanese
  10. Mitsuki: Light and hope, when written 光希; Japanese

Names that mean wish or longing

Hope's close cousins: names that mean wish, desire or aspiration.

  1. Arezoo: Wish, desire; Persian. Say ah-reh-ZOO
  2. Arzu: Wish, desire; Turkish, from Persian
  3. Emel: Wish, aspiration; Turkish, from Arabic
  4. Dilek: Wish; Turkish. Say dee-LEK
  5. Muna: Wishes, desires; Arabic. Say MOO-nah
  6. Umniya: Wish, desire; Arabic. Say oom-NEE-yah
  7. Tamanna: Wish, desire; Arabic and Persian, popular in India
  8. Akanksha: Wish, aspiration; Sanskrit. Say ah-KAHNK-shah
  9. Abhilasha: Desire, wish; Sanskrit, a popular Indian girl's name
  10. Abhilash: Desire, wish; Sanskrit, a boy's name
  11. Kamna: Wish, desire; Hindi, from Sanskrit

Hope in other languages and myth

The word hope in other languages, plus the spirits of hope from Greek and Roman myth. These are words and figures, not everyday given names.

  1. Elpis: Greek spirit of hope, left behind in Pandora's jar
  2. Spes: Latin for hope; the Roman goddess of hope
  3. Esperanto: One who hopes; the language named after its creator's pen name
  4. Dóchas: Irish word for hope. Say DOH-khas
  5. Gobaith: Welsh word for hope
  6. Espoir: French word for hope. Say es-PWAHR
  7. Hoffnung: German word for hope
  8. Hoop: Dutch word for hope. Say HOPE
  9. Håp: Norwegian word for hope. Say HAWP
  10. Hopp: Swedish word for hope
  11. Von: Icelandic word for hope
  12. Speranța: Romanian word for hope
  13. Remény: Hungarian word for hope
  14. Viltis: Lithuanian word for hope
  15. Kibō: Japanese for hope, written 希望
  16. Xīwàng: Mandarin Chinese for hope, written 希望
  17. Huimang: Korean for hope, written 희망
  18. Umeed: Hindi and Urdu word for hope
  19. Manaʻolana: Hawaiian word for hope

How to pick the right name

Pick a hope name with a story

Hope names often mark a special arrival, such as a rainbow baby or a child born after a hard year. Nadia, Tikva, Omid and Tariro carry that meaning gently in any language.

Check the characters

Japanese names like Mizuki and Yūki mean hope only when written with 希. Choose the name and the kanji together, and ask a native speaker for real-world use.

Mind the double meanings

Raja means hope in Arabic but king in Sanskrit, and Asha means hope in Sanskrit but life in Swahili. Make sure the meaning you love is the one people will hear.

Names that mean hope: 73 ideas from Nomezo

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Frequently asked questions

What name means hope?

Hope itself, Esperanza (Spanish), Nadia and Nadezhda (Russian), Elpida (Greek), Tikva (Hebrew), Amal (Arabic), Asha (Sanskrit) and Omid (Persian) all mean hope.

What girl names mean hope?

Hope, Esperanza, Nadia, Nadine, Elpida, Tikva, Asha and Tariro are popular choices. Mizuki and Saki mean hope when written with the kanji 希.

What boy names mean hope?

Omid (Persian), Umut and Ümit (Turkish), Elpidio (Spanish and Italian), Tesfaye (Amharic), Themba (Zulu), Nozomu (Japanese) and Toivo (Finnish) all mean hope.

What is the Greek word for hope?

The ancient Greek word is elpis, also the name of the spirit of hope left in Pandora's jar. Modern Greek uses elpida, which is also a girl's name.

What names mean faith, hope and love?

In Russian, the virtue names Vera, Nadezhda and Lyubov mean faith, hope and love. They honor three sister saints, remembered with their mother Sophia.

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