By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 169 pages
of 169
French, feminine variation of Emanuel
"God is with us"
The female version of Emanuel could become more prominent, though for some it still carries a steamy image dating back to a then sensationally erotic French film. Singer and Shameless star Emmy…
English word name, Swedish variation of Louis
"fondness, beloved; renowned warrior"
In the Anglophone world, Love is more likely to be perceived and pronounced as an English word name than the Swedish form of Louis, which is pronounced LOO-veh. Nevertheless, Love is a popular name…
French variation of Maximus
Common in France, but could be confused with the feminine Maxine here.
Combination of Katherine and Lynn, or a variation of Kathleen, English
"pure + lake; pure + pretty"
Not Katelyn, not Kathryn, not Kathleen, but a blend of the three, Kathlyn might be considered a compound name, mixing Lynn and Katherine, which gets you the appealing meanings "pure lake" or "pure…
Feminine variation of Michael, Hebrew
"who is like God"
Onetime superstar name (Number 4 in the seventies) that's now in steep decline. Today's feminine is more likely to be some form of Michaela...or Makayla.
Scottish variation of Thomas
"twin"
This Scottish form of Thomas has a lot of charm, evoking images of men in plaid kilts playing the bagpipes. As for the 'ish' ending, it could either be seen as cozy and hamish, or a little…
Feminization of Ricky, English, or English diminutive of Frederica, German
"dominant ruler; peaceful ruler"
One of the earliest of the relaxed, unisex names, now relegated to oldies rock stations. Ricki is a spirited, retro nickname traditionally short for Frederica but now stands strong on its own.…
Spelling variation of Tyla, Lithuanian
"silence, peace, calm"
Tylah or more correctly Tyla may be used in the US as a variation of Tyler but is an authentic Lithuanian name in its own right.
Irish
"little and fiery"
Aiden/Aidan is just beginning to wander into the girls' side of the name popularity list, but it's so huge for boys in all its spellings that it will be a long time before it can be called a unisex…
Spelling variation of Brett
There are 15 times as many baby boys named Brett than Bret, but this sleeker version is used and has some merits, namely, being sleeker.
Dutch and German variation of Casper and Jasper, Persian
"keeper of the treasure"
After half a century, this otherwise feasible name has at last started to lose its link to the friendly ghost; it certainly didn't scare model Claudia Schiffer, who chose it for her son, as did…
English variation of Esme, French
"esteemed, beloved"
As the French Esme becomes more popular, it will inevitably spawn spelling variations. This one, like Zoey or Layla, clarifies pronunciation, so while we prefer the original, that's not a bad thing.
Hebrew
"happiness"
Pronounced zheel, it's a dashing conquistador; as gill, it's the nice and slightly boring guy down the street.
French variation of Yvonne
The I freshens up this name.
Spelling variation of Katherine, Greek
"pure"
This is the spelling that old-time film star Katharine Hepburn used, and it's still favored by fans wanting to reference her classic strength and beauty. But in general, it's losing ground to…
Modern variation of Gerald
Yesterday's Jaylen.
Greek variation of Judah
"praised"
Though there were two apostles named Judas, everyone remembers the one who betrayed Jesus, and the name has been permanently shunned.
Italian and Spanish, diminutive of Nicole, feminine variation of Nicholas, Greek
"people of victory"
If you loved Nicole growing up but now are looking for a new spin, Nicoletta may interest you. The slightly sleeker French version is Nicolette. A shorter form is Coletta, or you could shorten it…
Modern invented name, variation of Kyson
A spelling variation of Kyson, possibly with a hint of pop cultural influence (via the Kardashians and Gigi Hadid). Sometimes recorded to mean "son of Kyle" (or maybe "son of Kylie"), in this case,…
Russian variation of Cyril, Greek
"lordly"
Strong and attractive form of Cyril.
