Names That Are Variations
Across 139 pages
of 139
Carsyn
Spelling variation of Carson, English and Scottish
"son of the marsh dwellers"
The Y ending gives Carson a feminine spin. Carsyn is used for girls more than 70% of the time.
Giacobbe
Italian variation of Jacob, Hebrew
"supplanter"
Buford
English variation of Beaufort, French
"beautiful fort"
Buford has lost any charm it once had. Try Beauford instead.
Noud
Diminutive of Arnoud, Dutch variation of Arnold
"ruler; strong as an eagle"
Preferable to its parent name, Arnoud, in the Netherlands.
Ismail
Arabic variation of Ishmael, Hebrew
"God will hear"
This classic, handsome Arabic name — cognate of the Hebrew Ishmael — was chosen by Tan and Rob France for their son born in 2021. Ismail is the preferred spelling in England, Germany, Malaysia,…
Allena
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.
German
Spanish and Russian variation of Herman, German
"warrior"
German might seem like an unlikely occupant of the Top 1000 list, unless you realize that it's a Spanish name, with the accent on the second syllable. It's been on the U.S. list since 1973.
Nazar
Russian, Ukrainian, Turkish, and Armenian variation of Nazarius, Latin
"from Nazareth"
A highly usable Central and Eastern European name with spiritual overtones. Nazar was among the Top 50 baby boy names in Turkey in 2004 and 2005.
Jadwiga
Polish variation of Hedvig, German
"war"
A sweet but spiky form of Hedwig, Jadwiga recently ranked in the Top 100 in Poland. Its popularity may owe something to Jadwiga, a 14th century ruler of Poland, who was crowned "king", not queen. The…
Martinka
Slovene variation of Martina, Latin
"warlike"
Hannes
German, Dutch, Scandinavian variation of Johannes
"God is gracious"
Johannes never caught on in the US, but popular European short form Hannes may be more accessible.
Ksawery
Polish variation of Xavier, Basque
"new house"
An international form of the Basque name Xavier, Ksawery ranks in the Polish Top 50 in a recent year. The original form of the name comes from a place name meaning "new house" or "castle" and was…
Atli
Old Norse variation of Attila
"little father"
One of the most usable names for an American child from the Icelandic Top 50.
Keoni
Hawaiian variation of John
"God is gracious"
Keoni is one of the lesser-used international forms of John, but it has an on-trend sound that many parents may find appealing, perhaps as an alternative honor name. As well as Hawaii, it is also…
Vanja
Croatian, Serbian variation of Vanya, Russian
"God is gracious"
Goodbye Uncle Vanya and hello...It Girl baby name? It's true — style icon Chloë Sevigny chose the name Vanja for her son, born in 2020. The name honors Vanja's paternal heritage — Chloë's partner is…
Cilka
Slovene variation of Cecilia, Celia "blind; heavenly"
"blind; heavenly"
Gellért
Hungarian variation of Gerard, English and Irish
"spear strength"
Xabat
Basque variation of Salvador, Spanish
"savior"
The Basque form of Salvador starts with the intriguing letter X, which is pronounced like a "sh" sound in the Basque language. Xabat is a great Basque heritage choice, but we must note that it sounds…
Amadej
Slovene variation of Amadeus, Latin
"lover of God"
Amadej is the Slovene version of Amadeus, perhaps best known as the middle name of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Nahomi
Japanese, variation of Naomi
"straight and beautiful"
While many are familiar with the Hebrew name Naomi through the Biblical character, the name also has separate roots as a unisex Japanese name meaning "straight and beautiful." Variation Nahomi is…