Nickname help!
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Looking for the perfect name for your new arrival? We’ve got you covered. Check out this list of Armenian baby names and their meanings.
Armenia is home to magnificent churches, breathtaking scenery, and the world’s oldest winery.
Armenian baby names reflect the rich beauty and traditions of this exquisite land.
The Armenian diaspora is vast and boasts some better-known names in pop culture. (Kim Kardashian, for one! Cher for another!)
Whether you have Armenian heritage or are simply drawn to this fascinating country, these names offer a wealth of choice.
Choose from one of the more traditional names like Madlene or Poghos or more modern Armenian names like Ani, Erik, Milena, or Hayk.
And before we dive into the best of Armenian first names out there, let’s take a quick spin around an interesting feature of Armenian surnames.
In this article 📝
- Why does every Armenian name end with -ian?
- What is the most common Armenian last name?
- What is the most popular name in Armenia?
- Armenian boy names
- Armenian girl names
Why does every Armenian name end with -ian?
Several Armenian surnames end with the suffix -ian or -yan—Artinian, Dorian, and Avakian, to name a few.
So, where does this ending come from?
This final syllable is a nod to a time when Armenian surnames came from the grandfather’s first name with, you guessed it, an added -ian on the end. It simply means “family of.”
There are other less common suffixes like -li, which indicates a place name, or uni, which connects to Armenian nobility.
What is the most common Armenian last name?
According to Forebears, the most common Armenian last name is Grigoryan.
Like the English name Gregory, Grigoryan means “watchful” or “alert.”
Some other popular last names include Sargsyan, Harutyunyan, and Hovhannisyan.
So, that’s surnames. But what about Armenian first names?
Let’s start by looking at the Number Ones on the list.
What is the most popular name in Armenia?
Drum roll, please!
When it comes to popular Armenian girl names and boy names, these top the charts:
- Davit. The Armenian version of David, Davit means “beloved.”
- Nare. Also spelled Nareh or Nara, This popular Armenian girl’s name refers to either pomegranate or a fire.
Armenian boy names
- Abraham. Like Abram and Ibrahim, Abraham means “father of many.”
- Abril. This name either refers to the month of April or means “to live.”
- Alex. “Dove”
- Anoushavan. “Prince of Anu”
- Apov. “Assured by the hope of God”
- Aram. “Son of the sun”
- Ardziv. “Eagle”
- Arek. “Sun”
- Aren. “Mountain of strength”
- Ari. This name of Hebrew origin means “lion” or “brave.”
- Arman. With its Armenian roots, Arman means “God’s man.”
- Artur. The Armenian version of Arthur, this name means “bear-like.”
- Aznavour. “He who triumphs”
- Barooyr. This name means “circle.”
- Barkev. “Gift”
- Berj. “Magnificent”
- Christapor. “Christ-bearer”
- Dikran. “Born king”
- Diran. With its alternative Tiran, Diran refers to an Armenian prince.
- Donabed. “Head of celebration”
- Drtad. “Gift of God”
- Dzaghig. “Flower”
- Erik. “Ruler of the law”
- Gaidzag. “Lightning”
- Gadar. “Peak” or “summit”
- Garabed. “Forerunner”
- Gomidas. Like the variation Komitas, Gomidas refers to an Armenian musician and priest.
- Gor. “Brave” or “proud”
- Hakob. The Armenian version of the name Jacob, Hakob means “supplanter.” Hagob is an alternative.
- Hayk. “Head of the family”
- Hazar. “Peace”
- Hovhannes. This name is the Armenian version of the name John. It means “graced by God.”
- Hrazdan. The Hrazdan is the second largest river in Armenia.
- Ishkhan. “Prince”
- Janig. “Soul” or “spirit”
- Kach. “Brave”
- Kail. “Wolf”
- Karnig. “Small lamb”
- Kevork. “Farmer”
- Khajag. “Blue-eyed”
- Louys. “Light”
- Manoug. “Child”
- Mardig. “Warrior”
- Mark. A reference to the Roman god Mars, Mark means “god of war.”
- Melik. “King”
- Mher. “Light”
- Michael. “Who is like God”
- Narek. This name refers to an ancient Armenian town.
- Pegor. “Piece” or “fragment”
- Petros. A version of the name Peter, Petros means “rock hard.”
- Poghos. Like the name Paul, Poghos means “small.”
- Samvel. “Told by God”
- Shant. “Lightning” or “thunderbolt”
- Shen. “Cheerful”
- Tigran. “Fighting with arrows”
- Torkom. This name refers to the ancestors of the Armenians.
- Toros. “Gift of God”
- Vartan. “Giver of roses”
- Yeram. “Follower of Jesus”
- Yergat. “Iron”
- Zorair. “Strong man”
Armenian girl names
- Adrine. The Armenian form of Adriana, Adrine means “from Hadria.”
- Aghavni. “Dove”
- Aida. “Prosperous” or “happy”
- Aiki. “Vineyard”
- Alenoush. “Sweet white wave”
- Alidz. “Gentle” or “joyous”
- Aline. “Noble”
- Alyag. “Small wave”
- Amalia. “Industrious one”
- Anahit. Anahit is the goddess of fertility, healing, wisdom, and water in Armenian mythology.
- Ani. “Grace”, “favor”, or “warrior”
- Angelina. “Messenger of God”
- Araksya. This name refers to someone who “came from the river Araks in Armenia”
- Armani. Armani refers to an Armenian woman.
- Armenoughi. “A woman from Armenia”
- Arpi. “Sunny sky”
- Azniv. “Gentle creature”
- Barig. “Fairy”
- Baydsar. “Bright”
- Dalita. “Pure”
- Datev. This name also refers to an Armenian monastery.
- Dzia. “Rainbow”
- Dzirani. “Apricot”
- Elen. The Armenian version of Helen, Elen means “torch” or “light.”
- Gali. With its Hebrew roots, Gali means “wave.”
- Gateel. “Raindrop”
- Hasmig. “Jasmine”
- Haverj. “Eternal”
- Houshig. “Memory”
- Isgouhi. “Authentic woman”
- Jebid. “Smile”
- Joudig. “Chickadee”
- Lar. This name refers to the strings of a musical instrument.
- Lelag. “Lilac”
- Luseres. “Little dove”
- Mane. From the Armenian word manana, this name means semolina.
- Maria. “Beloved”, “bitterness”, or “wished-for child.” Mari and Mariam are alternatives.
- Milena. “Gracious” or “pleasant”
- Nanor. “Sleep” or “lullaby”
- Narin. This name of Kurdish roots refers to the branch of the pomegranate tree that bears fruit and flowers.
- Noji. “Tree”
- Nver. “Gift”
- Ovsanna. “Deliver us”
- Pari. “Kind”
- Pareli. “Embraceable” or “lovely”
- Sevan. “Sweet water”
- Siranoush. “Lovely”
- Tabar. “Ax”
- Takuhi. “Queen”
- Tangakin. “Precious”
- Vanya. “God is gracious”
- Yeghisabet. The Armenian version of the name Elizabeth, Yeghisabet means “God is my oath.”
- Yerchanig. “Joyful”
- Zabel. “God is my oath”
And if you’re looking to extend your search further, try out some of our other lists:
All the best with your choice.
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