Change: It’s inevitable. Sometimes change makes us uncomfortable — our job changed, our friends changed, we moved to a new house. Sometimes there’s only one thing that will allow us to make the leap from one phase of life to another — and that’s hope. Hope that no matter how things move on from where we’ve been, the next step will be better, brighter, and more hopeful for ourselves.
When making a change seems its most daunting, hope is sometimes the only thing we have to make it seem like everything will be OK. That’s why people use hope as the life raft to get them through uncertain times and why many parents might be seeking this lightness when considering what to name their child. With that in mind, we’ve compiled a list of beautiful baby boy names that reflect hope and promise. Each of these names evoke that much-needed sense of optimism.
ANWAR
Anwar is a classic boy’s name that has that ever-popular A- sound. Taken from Arabic, Anwar means “beams of light” or “shafts of light.” We all know that without light there can’t be any hope.
MESSIAH
Another name that evokes a positive future, Messiah has biblical origins. In Hebrew, Messiah means “anointed one” and was taken from the word mashiach meant to denote the future leader who would be both a priest and a king.
PHOENIX
A bird of rebirth, Phoenix is all about renewal and new life. It might be clear that the name Phoenix comes from the same name as the mythological bird, but it also is derived from the Greek phoinix, meaning “phoenix, bright red.”
VON
A short and sweet name that pairs well with just about anything, Von is a similar name to the more popular Van. This baby name has Norse origins and means “hope.”
ARMAN
While this name doesn’t often hit the top baby name lists in the US, it is huge in Armenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Of Iranian and Persian origin, Arman means “wish, desire, hope.”
BODHI
Another name that reflects forward thinking. Bodhi is a Sanskrit name that means "awakened" or "enlightenment" and has recently become one of the more popular names for a baby boy in the US.
BEACON
A ray of sunshine or the smallest sliver that things will be OK, that’s what Beacon represents. Like the phrase, “a beacon of hope” this moniker represents the smallest chance that good things are on their way.
LIOR
This name is all about what’s possible. No matter how bad things seem, light is the only way to defeat the dark. Lior is a modern Hebrew name, which means “I have light.”
KOUKI
A Japanese name that has topped boys names lists in Japan, Kouki isn’t as common here in the US. Loosely, the name can be translated to “light and brightness” or “hope.” How charming!
JAVIER
Taken from the Spanish surname, Xavier, the name Javier represents the end of one thing and the start of the next one. Xavier was taken from the Basque Etcheberria and means “the new house.”
RUPERT
When the future looks bright, it’s hard not to feel hopeful. Rupert is a form of Robert, derived from the Old High German Hruodperht, which is made from the elements hruod meaning “fame” and perht meaning “bright.”
LUMEN
Some people might recognize the name Lumen from the dark and twisted TV show Dexter, but the name has totally different connotations. Lumen is a Latin word derived from lūx, meaning "light.”
URIAH
An uncommon name that has gained some traction in popularity, Uriah is another name that evokes the positive. Uriah is an Old Testament name that comes from Hebrew and means, "God is my light."
CYRUS
A name that fell out of but then returned to popularity, Cyrus has a few origins. One of which is the version of the Hebrew Koreish, which was a derivative from the Persian Khur, meaning “the sun.”
HERBERT
An old-school name, Herbert was derived from the Old English Herebeorht. It’s made of the components here, meaning “army” and beorht, meaning “bright, fair, white.”
ROBIN
When the birds come back, spring has sprung. Which is why Robin is another name that evokes hope. Originally the name was a nickname of the name Robert, and means “bright fame.”
NEO
A name for all the Matrix fans out there. Anyone who’s seen the movies knows that Neo is the One, which is probably why so many associate the name with positive connotations. It comes from the Greek word neos and means “new."
