By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 169 pages
of 169
Cornish variation of Mirin, Irish and Scottish, meaning unknown
St. Merryn, the name of a Cornish town derived from Mirin, a 6th century Irish saint important in Scottish history often as Mirren, is sometimes used in modern times as a girl's name. Lovely, sleek,…
English, diminutive of names ending in -ette or -etta, or variation of Neta, Hebrew
"plant"
You may never have known a Nettie personally, but there well might be one hidden in your family history, considering that she was a Top 100 name until 1901 and stayed on the Social Security list…
Spelling variation of Rainey
Spelling of Rainey used by Andie MacDowell for her daughter, perhaps reflecting the ie ending of her own name. Rainey is the most popular spelling of the name, given to about 50 girls last year, with…
Low German variation of Gerhard
An undiscovered cousin of Garrett and Gerard. Gerrit has some merit, especially for its arty credentials as the name of several Old Master painters.
Kwah, Liberian; variation of Snow
Snoh is a term used in Liberia by the indigenous Kwah people to refer to God. In the US, it may also be a spelling variation of word name Snow. Snoh rose in use in 2022, likely influenced by Swedish…
English word name, variation of Sincere
Sincere is more common than you think as a given name, and so is variation Syncere, which sits right outside the Top 1000 for boys. For girls, both spellings are much more rare.
Spanish variation of Isabel, variation of Elizabeth, Hebrew
"pledged to God"
Ysabel is the original spelling of this ever-more-popular name, though to English-speakers, the initial Y may confuse pronunciation. Only 14 baby girls were given the Ysabel spelling in the US last…
Hawaiian variation of David
"blessed"
Spelling variation of Kieran
"little dark one"
While Kieran is the class and most-used male form of this name, some people spell it Keiran in keeping with the female Keira, the version popularized by the gorgeous Ms. Knightley.
Russian, variation of Leonidas "lion"
"lion"
This form got noticed as the first name of long-reigning Russian president Brezhnev; other bearers include playwright and short-story writer Andreyev, Leonid the Magnificent,a Russian performance…
Spelling variation of Lincoln
Many unique baby names are in fact respellings of much more popular baby names, and rarely improve on the original.
Welsh, variation of Llywelyn
"leader's image"
Llewellyn/Llywelyn is a common patriotic first name in Wales, with its distinctive Welsh double LL's; in the U.S. Llewellyn would make a daring choice, though with the chance that some might find the…
Greek variation of Maximus, Latin
"greatest"
The Greek form of Latin Maximus, with plenty of gravitas.
Spanish variation of Claire or Clarissa
"bright, clear"
The pronunciation is different enough -- it's clar-EE-sa -- to make this feel like a distinct name. But an improvement on Claire or Clarissa? Not really.
Romanian, Russian, Ukrainian and Polish variation of Myron, Greek
"fragrant, an aromatic shrub, myrrh"
Myron still has ways to go before sounding stylish again, but this Eastern European variation has a more contemporary look.
English variation of Dolores, Spanish
"lady of sorrows"
See Dolores.
Variation of Diane, French from Latin
"divine"
Dianne, one of the many offshoots and variations of the classic Diana, had its moment in the sun in the 1940s--it was a Top 100 name from 1943 to 1952. It now would make a very unlikely choice. This…
Latin, Slavic variation of Jane
"God is gracious"
In Roman mythology, Iana was an epithet of Diana, goddess of the moon. If pronunciation troubles worry you, use the Yana spelling instead.
Spelling variation of Roland, German
"famous throughout the land"
Rowland is more usually the surname spelling of Roland, as in Kelly Rowland.
French variation of Jane
Has lost all trace of its French accent.
