By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 169 pages
of 169
Hebrew variation of Chazaiah
"God has seen"
With more parents turning to biblical names like Ezekiel and Isaiah, this could prove a quasi-unique alternative in a similar -- if more Orthodox -- vein.
Russian diminutive of Lidia; Scandinavian diminutive of Alida; variation of Leda, Greek
"woman from Lydia; noble; happy"
Multicultural mini name with an intuitive pronunciation — it's a recipe for success, yet Lida remains under the radar.
Icelandic, Faroese, and Finnish variation of Lily; "lily"
"lily"
Cute and quirky Lily alternative.
Portuguese and German variation of Lucia
"light"
A Portuguese and German variant of Lucia which was particularly popular in Brazil during the 20th century.
Scandinavian, variation of Janson, Jansen
"Jan's son"
Jansen is an intriguing way to honor an ancestral John; Jantzen is a brand of swimwear.
Dutch
"short"
A Dutch surname which is given as a full name to a handful of boys in the US each year, possibly as a spelling variant of Kurt.
American invented name or variation of Lachlan
"pretty lake; lake; lake land"
Lakelyn is a fast-rising girl name of the last decade, combining a nature word with the ever-fashionable -lyn suffix. It is occasionally given to baby boys too (more than 30 since 2020), no doubt…
Hebrew
"God is gracious"
More modern options: Shaw, Shay, or even Sean.
Swedish, Danish variation of Louis
We get that the "s" in Louis is confusing if you want it to be pronounced "lewee" — which is why Louie exists. Losing the "e" gains it nothing.
Turkish variation of Murad, Arabic
"wish"
Murat was a very popular name in Turkey in the 1980s but is now progressively falling in popularity. It currently sits just outside the Top 80.
Variation of Otho
"wealth, fortune"
Possibly created as an elaboration of Otho or Otto, Othello is almost exclusively associated with Shakespeare's 1603 tragedy of the same name. Borne by a Moorish General who is tricked and…
English, feminine variation of Albert
"noble, bright"
This jazzy old name could make a comeback, the way Josephine and Ella have. In England the name was popularized by Queen Victoria's daughter Princess Louise Caroline Alberta, after whom her governor…
Greek, Russian from Greek
"broad-shouldered"
Philosopher names can be difficult to wear — the original Greek form of Plato is just different enough from the typical English form to give your child his own identity.
Female variation of Allen or Alana, Irish
"handsome, cheerful"
Allena may feel like a somewhat antiquated feminization, though Allen itself is a tad old-fashioned. In many ways, Allena -- pronounced ah-LEN-ah -- feels more appealing that Alana or ah-LAH-ah.
Variation of Kathleen, English and Irish
"pure"
Variant of Kathleen
Latinate variation of Christelle, French
"a Christian"
Either an alternative feminization to Christina, an elaboration of the French diminutive Christelle , or a compound name, blending the element Christ- with either Stella or Ella. In the case of the…
English variation of Kristin, German and Norwegian
Christina who decided, at the last minute, she'd rather be Kristen.
Short form of Thaddeus or variation of Tad
Thad is a tad too slight to stand alone as a name, though as a short form of the imposing Thaddeus it's as serviceable as Ted or Ed.
Anglicized variation of Eilis, Irish form of Hebrew Elizabeth
"pledged to God"
Eilish is one of those Irish names that, thanks to a celebrity, has suddenly become much more familiar outside of Ireland. Irish-American singer Billie Eilish (Eilish is actually one of her middle…
Spelling variation of Echo, English, Danish
"repeated sound"
A name with a modern vibe and plenty of energy, as an English name, Ekko may well be a twist on the Greek Echo, both a word referring to a repeated, reverberating sound, and to a mythological nymph,…
