By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 10 pages
of 10
Germanic, Slavic
"yew wood, archer; God is gracious"
Succinct, stylish, and catchy, Ivo has the energetic impact of other names ending in -o . It is a multicultural choice with two distinct origins, and, as such, is familiar across a variety of…
Eline is a delicate feminine name with multiple potential origins. In the Scandinavian tradition, it functions as a variant of Helena or Ellen, while in French contexts, it may be considered a form…
Joshuah is a masculine name that represents a spelling variation of Joshua, which derives from the Hebrew name Yehoshua, meaning "Yahweh is salvation" or "God is deliverance." This biblical name…
Dutch and German variation of John
"God is gracious"
Popular form of John in Germany. Just remember to pronounce it YAHN-nik, which most English-speakers won't. Jannick is another spelling.
African, Arabic mythological name; diminutive of Melissa, Greek
"honeybee"
Lissa might be an abbreviation of Melissa, but it's more substantial in its own right: Lissa is the name of a supreme mother goddess in African mythology and an Arabic symbol of rebirth.
Dutch and Frisian
"peace"
The vintage Fenna, an old lady name making a comeback in the Netherlands, originates in Friesland in the northern part of the country, where the Fries language is spoken. Rhyming with Jenna, it's…
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.
Dutch and Scandinavian variation of Arnold
"ruler; strong as an eagle"
Works better as a full name than Arnie does as a nickname.
Christiaan is a Dutch and Afrikaans variant of Christian, ultimately derived from Latin 'Christianus,' meaning 'follower of Christ.' The distinctive double 'a' spelling reflects its Dutch linguistic…
German
"work"
Spelling variation of Amalia, rising in popularity throughout Europe.
Dutch, German, and Frisian diminutive of Adelheid
"noble"
Though she has long stood on her own, Elke has many longer cross-cultural connections, to the Dutch/German/Scandinavian Adelheid and Alice and the English Adelaide, as a feminine version of Elkanah…
"scholar"
Originally a Dutch surname, imported by the early Dutch colonists, has been all but overpowered by the phonetic spellings in the US -- Skyler for boys and Skylar for girls. With the…
This worthy name, imported by the early Dutch colonists, has been all but overpowered by the phonetic spellings -- Skyler for boys and Skylar for girls. With the surnames-as-first-names trend,…
Czech variation of Charles
A name that seems to switch genders when it switches nationalities.
Rutger is a masculine name of Dutch and Germanic origin, derived from the elements 'hrod' meaning 'fame' and 'gar' meaning 'spear.' This powerful combination creates a name that historically conveyed…
Marien is a feminine name with multiple cultural roots. It can be considered a variant of Marion or Marian, which themselves derive from Mary (Hebrew origin meaning 'bitter' or 'beloved'). In some…
Karsten as a feminine name is a very unusual usage of what is traditionally a masculine name of Germanic and Scandinavian origin. Derived from the name Carsten, itself a variant of Christian, Karsten…
Dutch variation of Marie
"bitter"
A Dutch version of Marie - this is a cute name that has potential.
Dutch variation of Julia, Latin
"youthful or sky father"
This fairly obscure saint's name was chosen by Oscar-winning actress Marcia Gay Harden for one of her twins.
Juut is an uncommon feminine name with possible Dutch or Frisian origins. It likely developed as a short form of Judith, a biblical name meaning 'woman from Judea' or 'praised.' In some Dutch…
