Names That Are Variations
Across 139 pages
of 139
Zahirah
Spelling variation of Zahira
Whether you spell it with or without the final h, this is a name with international possibilities.
Zaynabu
Arabic and Swahili variation of Zaynab
"beauty, grace"
Zaynab is the name of the Prophet Muhammad's oldest daughter. When written as Zaynabu or Zainabu, it's a name found in both the Arabic and Swahili languages and cultures.
Karly
Variation of Carly, English
"free man"
Whether it be due to the Kardashian's or another manifestation of the creative spelling trend, we're seeing K spelling variations as some of the fastest-rising names of the past few years -- and…
Zela
African variation of Zoe
See ZELLA.
Orina
Russian variation of Irene
Better: Irina.
Zephyrine
Feminine variation of Zephyr, Greek
"west wind"
Zephyr may not be a name often heard in the U.S., but its variations are used throughout Europe. Zephyrine, a cousin in sound and feel if not in fact to such lovely names as Severine and Seraphina,…
Oralie
French variation of Aurelia
Better go to the original Aurelia or Aurelie, if only for its similarity to the ord 'orally.' In pop culture, Oralie is a Pokemon name.
Zooey
Literary name or variation of Zoe, Greek
"life"
Readers who remember J. D. Salinger's Franny and Zooey have probably forgotten that the character was male (nee Zachary). Nowadays the somewhat loopy spin on Zoe is associated with actress Zooey…
Zoia
Slavic variation of Zoe
See ZOE.
Zoie
Spelling variation of Zoe; Greek
"life"
This spelling variation hasn't followed cousins Zoe and Zoey up the charts. Even though there are a number of feasible spellings, Zoie along with Zooey might cause some unwanted confusion.
Zoya
Russian and Greek variation of Zoe, Greek
"life"
Now that Zoe is getting wildly popular in the U.S. and the U.K. -- one poll puts it at number one in Wales -- parents may start hunting down fresh twists like this.
Zoila
Greek, “lively”
A unique relative of Zoe via the Ancient Greek name Zoilos, borne by a 4th century BC cynic philosopher.
Felicia
Latin
"lucky"
A lacy, lucky name very popular in the Hispanic community a decade ago, less so now.
Haroun
Arabic variation of Aaron
"exalted, high"
This common Arabic name is related to Aaron, but feels far more distinctive in the US. Haroun Khalifa is the protagonist of Salman Rushdie's Haroun and the Sea of Stories .
Abt
German, variation of Abbott
A German surname you do NOT want to use as a first.
Bram
Dutch variation of Abraham, Hebrew
"father of multitudes"
Bram has an unusual measure of character and charm for a one-syllable name; it started as a hipper-than-Abe diminutive of the biblical Abraham, but is also an independent Irish and Dutch name, made…
Oracia
Spanish, feminine variation of Horace
Rarely used aristocratic name with ancient roots and less than appealing sound.
Oprah
Variation of Orpah, Hebrew
"fawn or gazelle"
The misspelling that created an indelibly one-person name. And we mean that literally: Despite Oprah Winfrey's fame and appeal, there were no baby girls named Oprah last year, OR Orpah. The Biblical…
Fyodora
Slavic variation of Theodora
"God's gift"
More commonly spelled FEODORA, a charming choice for the intrepid baby namer, especially with its dynamic nickname FEO (pronounced FAY-o).
Karlie
Variation of Carly, English
"free man"
Supermodel Karlie Kloss lends this spelling variation some style. Having appeared in the US Top 1000 since 1991, it was in trouble of dropping off completely when it ranked Number 992 in 2009. Since…