Baby Names

Zoe is a gender-neutral name of Greek origins, meaning “life.” In the third century, Alexandrian Jews translated the Hebrew name Eve to its Greek equivalent, Zoe. The name became popular with early Christians, who associated its meaning of “life” with eternal life. An ancient name with a modern and trendy rendering, Zoe is well represented on TV with characters on Sesame Street, Firefly, and House of Cards. Variations include the trending and increasingly popular spellings Zoey and Zoie.

Damien, also spelled as Damian, is a striking title derived from the Greek Damianos. Stemming from the word daman, Damien means “to tame, subdue.” Damien may also be linked to Damia, an epithet given to the Greek goddess of the harvest, Demeter. Damien replaces the a with an e, creating a subtle French flair like Lucien and Julien. Damien and Damian are particularly popular throughout Christian communities in Europe, most likely because of the martyred Saint Damian. If you’d like a name embued with strength and stability, Damien is a solid choice.