Names That Are Variations
Across 139 pages
of 139
Damek
Slavic variation of Adam
"son of the red earth"
Damek, which you might think of as Adam with a Slavic accent, considerably freshens up the original.
Oracia
Spanish, feminine variation of Horace
Rarely used aristocratic name with ancient roots and less than appealing sound.
Adolphe
French, variation of German Adolph
"noble wolf"
Still verboten, even with a French accent.
Ahmet
Turkish variation of Ahmad
"greatly praised"
Ahmet is known outside its native land largely thanks to Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun. The original crazy celebrity baby namer Frank Zappa named one of his sons Ahmet, after the influential…
Alain
French, variation of Alan
Alain gives the midcentury Alan a bit of gallic dash.
Alarik
Croatian, Danish, Dutch, Frisian, Norwegian, Swedish, Finland, variation of Adalrich, German
"noble ruler"
When used in English-speaking countries — it's heard occasionally in the UK — it's more often spelled Alaric, however, across Scandinavia and Europe, Alarik might be prefer. Sharp and cool with an…
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…
Elbert
English variation of Albert
Rocking out on the porch with buddies Hubert, Norbert, and Osbert.
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…
Ansonia
Feminization of Anson, English
"son of Agnes"
Sounds too much like the name of a hotel.
Ophelie
French variation of Ophelia
"help"
Though this name properly takes an accent over the first e, most Americans would probably have trouble pronouncing it with French elan. Ophelie is the title of a Rimbaud poem, Ophelie Davis is a…
Alexandre
French variation of Alexander
"defending men"
What's the difference between Alexander, the usual English spelling of this deeply classical name, and Alexandre, the French version? English speakers might find the proper French pronunciation…
Alexzander
Spelling variation of Alexander
Traditional Alexander meets spunky Zander, and confuses everyone it encounters. Just stick with the timeless classic to avoid a lifetime of irritations.
Olympe
French variation of Olympia
Feodora
Ukrainian; Russian, from Greek
"gift of God"
Feodora is an interesting choice for the intrepid name-giver, especially with the dynamic nickname Feo.
Emrys
Welsh, variation of Ambrose
"immortal"
Magical and powerful, but gentle and approachable too, Emrys is a Welsh name which may be worth considering if you're looking for something less common that Dylan, Evan, or Morgan. An offbeat epithet…
Olya
Russian variation of Olga
"hearty, holy"
Makes the intriguing Olga even more so.
Amon
Hebrew, Arabic, Greek from Egyptian
"the hidden one; invisible"
In Egyptian mythology, Amon is a major god associated with creation and the air. He was later fused with the Sun god, Ra, and became Amun-Ra. In the US, Amon is occasionally used as a variation of…
Olena
Ukrainian, Hawaiian
"torch, shining light; turmeric, yellow, ginger"
This chic Ukrainian form of Helen is relatively unknown outside of its native country, but it definitely has international appeal. Olia or Olenka are the usual Ukrainian diminutives, but tomboyish…