International Forms of Classic Names

Clarissa, the daintier version of Claire, has a long literary history of its own, having been featured in the novels of Samuel Richardson, Charles Dickens, and Virginia Woolf—Clarissa was the title character of Mrs. Dalloway—not to mention the 1990s teen sitcom, Clarissa Explains it All.

Rakish nickname able to stand on its own.

Since female cousins Mitzi and Fritzi have entered the realm of possibilities, there's a chance that Cousin Fritz could as well. Fritz is the name of several notables, from early German-born film director Lang to early footballer Fritz (born Frederick) Pollard, the first African-American to play in the Rose Bowl in 1916.

This cool and quirky short form of the suave Ludovic could be an even-more-adventurous spin on Nico and Hugo.

Rollo is a livelier, roly-poly, o-ending version of Roland.

Suri, a once obscure name, hit the headlines when chosen by Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise for their daughter in 2007. Multi-cultural, it also means "the sun" in Sanskrit, "rose" in Persian, and is the name of the Andean Alpaca's wool, as well as a Yiddish form of Sarah, a title used for Jain monks, and a Japanese word for "pickpocket."

Based on the ancient name Marcellus, drawn from Mars the god of war, Marcello -- it's pronounced mar-chell-o -- is one of the most lush and attractive Latin names.

Pared-down form loses none of the name's grace or power. Ana is one of the most popular Spanish names for girls in the US.

With Isabel getting so popular, parents are searching for new varieties of the name, and Isabeau is one that makes a lovely French twist.

Andre is one international form that's been familiar in the English-speaking world for decades yet still has not been Anglicized.

As Mary falls further out of favor, her variations become more appealing, whether you're honoring an ancestral Mary or Marie or Miriam or simply love the tradition of the name.

This is a classic Italian name for boys, but despite the success of Luca and Matteo, has yet to catch on in the US. Vincenzo has made the charts in the US in only a couple years throughout the 20th century, but has been consistently on the charts since 2000. As Enzo becomes one of the hottest boys names in recent years, the elaborated Vincenzo may follow suit.

Sidonie is an appealing and chic French favorite that is starting to attract some American fans as a fresher alternative to Sydney. Also spelled Sidony, Sidonie was the birth name of the French novelist Colette.

Pronounced MAW-rayt or ma-REYD, Mairead is close enough to Maureen to be accepted here. The name became popular in Ireland due to admiration for the saint of that name. Peig and Peigi are its Irish-language nicknames.

Common in Holland, the appealing Willem (as in de Kooning and Dafoe) makes William fresh and distinctive.

One of the most familiar Russian names in the West, thanks to ballet great Mikhail Baryshnikov and state head Mikhail Gorbachev.

Attractive name popular in the Latino community, long identified with half-Bolivian actress Raquel Welch. Similarly to the Hebrew form Rachel, Raquel is past its peak. Nonetheless, it retains a certain sparkle and would feel newly refreshing for a baby today.

Zahara, a delicate but strong multicultural name, came into the spotlight when Angelina Jolie bestowed it on her Ethiopian-born daughter, and we predict other parents will adopt it as well. If you want something simpler than Zahara, consider Zara, a royal name in England--but also the name of a Spanish-based clothing store chain.

Paolo is an irresistibly lush Italian name for boys, worlds more romantic than its spare English equivalent.