Feminizations of Male Names

Juana has not achieved the popularity in the U.S. of the male version Juan. Whereas Juan has made it almost to the Top 50 on the U. S. hit parade, sister Juana has barely entered the thousand most popular. It is nevertheless a popular choice in Mexico.

Petronilla is an ancient saint's name that relates to the Roman family name Petronius, thought to mean yokel or woodpecker, though some connect it with Petra or Peter, meaning stone. With the resurgence of so many ancient Roman names, the elaborate and pretty Petronilla or its French form Petronille seem more usable these days than they have in centuries.

Sebastiane is not a common feminization but may become more so as Sebastian achieves international popularity.

A unique relative of Zoe via the Ancient Greek name Zoilos, borne by a 4th century BC cynic philosopher.

Símonía is an Icelandic feminine form of the classic Simon, frillier than Simone but still slightly clunky, being a feminization. From its Hebrew origins, the name would mean "he has heard" while from its Greek roots, it can mean "flat-nosed".

Caspia is both a feminization of the rising star Caspian, and the name of a flower that often grows near the sea or on salt marshes. Likely derived from the Latin term Caspii, meaning "white", Caspia could make an unexpected full name for Cassie or perhaps an alternative to Juniper.

Jacobine is a rare -- no baby girls received the name in the US last year -- feminine form of the popular Jacob. But Jacobine has a quirky appeal. The Jacobins were a radical political club formed during the French revolution as well as an order of Dominican friars.

Ulrica has an Old World sound, but is perhaps enough like Erika and Annika that it could work today. Also spelled Ulrika, it was borne by a 18th century Swedish queen and Olympic ice hockey player, Ulrica Lindström.

With a meaning like "elf power," Alfreda could find some appeal among fantasy enthusiasts. "Freda" makes for a pleasant nickname.

This rare feminization of Christopher blends in the sounds of the popular Josephine and is certainly more unexpected than Christine or Christina. German artist Christophine Reinwald (sister of playwright Friedrich von Schiller) is one notable bearer, while writer Jean Rhys used the name for a character in her 1966 Jane Eyre retelling, Wide Sargasso Sea. In the Caribbean and the UK, Christophine is also the colloquial name for the chayote fruit, a type of gourd named as such in reference to Christopher Columbus.

A rare and clunky femininization of the classic Fred, for those who like the airy -ella over the spiky -erika, Fredella may also be considered a compound name. As such, it may simply mean "peaceful ruler", or, as a smoosh, it could mean "completely peaceful" or "peaceful fairy queen". It has been used as the name of a typeface, though it has never appeared in the US stats.

Although Thaddeus has long been used in this country, Thaddea is almost unknown and, with its air of mystery, could make a distinctive choice.

Nicandra is the name of a plant known as apple-of-peru and also shoo-fly plant. It's also the feminine form of Nicander, an ancient Greek poet, physician, and grammarian.

An Italian feminization of Samuel that comes off as dated, we can't imagine many parents choosing Samuela over Samantha.

Norwegian feminine form of Tomas. Tomine currently ranks in the Norwegian Top 100 and is rising steadily. Its last period of modest popularity was towards the end of the 19th century.

A feminized form of Melchior, the name of one of the Biblical Magi (or Three Wise Men) and therefore associated with Christmas.

Christine was one of the first megapopular C-to-K baby names, from Scandinavian variations such as Kristine and Kirsten to Kris, Kristy, and Kristy. While Kristine retains its krisply lovely sound, it's lost much of its kool.

Sebastiana is not often heard in the US, but as Sebastian in all its forms becomes more popular, so might this feminine version.

The roles of vintage French girl names are filled with now-rare feminizations, such as Antonine. More usual forms today are Antonia or even Antoinette.

Cyril has several attractive femaie forms, including the French Cyrielle as well as Cyrilla. The one downside of this unique name is that many English speakers will pronounce it like cereal, so you'll constantly be explaining, "No, it's siri-ELLE."