Divine

Meaning of Divine

Divine (dih-VYN) traces back to the Latin “divinus,” originally describing something “of a god” or “heaven-sent,” and it entered English in the Middle Ages as both an adjective and a noun for theologians; only in the late 19th century did it start appearing on birth certificates as a given name. Because the word is already gender-neutral in everyday speech, Divine functions smoothly as a unisex choice, appealing to parents who prefer a name that signals spirituality without tying itself to a single tradition. In the United States, its popularity has hovered in the lower half of the Top 1000 for the past three decades—enough to feel current, yet rare enough to avoid roll-call echoes. Cultural associations range from sacred music (“O Divine Redeemer”) to pop culture’s flamboyant cult icon Divine, lending the name a surprising versatility that can read either solemn or subversive. For parents willing to stake a mildly audacious claim on the heavens, Divine offers a perfectly earthly way to do so.