Names That Mean Form

Once rare, this streamlined form of Jessica has been boosted by two very different television figures: the Jemima Kirke character on HBO series Girls, and reality television daughter Jessa Duggar.

Katerina and its near-identical twin Katarina have a pleasingly lilting European sound, though for some Americans they may be uncomfortably close to Katrina, which will be linked for a long time to the hurricane that devastated New Orleans.

Tavi has been catapulted into the spotlight by teenage fashion blogger Tavi Gevinson. This cute name, previously not on anyone's scope, could be a way to honor an ancestral David or a short form of the luscious Octavia or could stand as a perfectly stylish name all on its own.

A rare and delicate choice, Lelia is a modern variation of an ancient Roman family name. It came to Britain in the mid-nineteenth century, following the publication of George Sand's popular romantic novel titled Lelia in 1833.

Friendlier french form of ancient Germanic royal name Amalric or Emmerich.

Malina is a synthetic-feeling name that may be a feminization of the Scottish Malcolm or a spelling twist on the Greek Melina and that also has a fruit meaning in several Eastern European languages. For all that it's a little bit of lots of things, Malina doesn't feel very much like itself.

Truly original yet not strange name ripe for the plucking by the adventurous baby namer. Aurelius works too.

If Ellie and Evie are fashionable, why not Elvie? This is a diminutive of the Anglicized version of the Irish name spelled Ailbhe.

Richie was once a popular enough nickname for Richard that it made the Top 1000 all by itself, blending in with Ronnie, Reggie, Robbie, and Randy. In the US, it last appeared in the charts back in the 70s, but its still in style in the UK where a recent year saw it rank at the latter end of the charts, alongside Drew, Wilf, and Bobbie.

Silvanus was the Roman god of the forests and is also an alternate name in the New Testament for Silas. Relatives include Silvio, Silvius, and Sylvia.

The dashing Zabel -- or its Frenchified variation Zabelle -- was the name of a 13th century ruling queen of Armenia. In this modern era ruled again by the name Isabella and Isabel, Zabel provides a fresh and lively spin.

If you have an aversion to Briella, you can shorten it even further to this.

There's more than one reason why parents might consider this rising name for a daughter. George Eliot was the pen name of English writer Mary Ann Evans, one of the leading authors of the Victorian era. The possibility of nickname Ellie is another factor.

Yahya is an Islamic name derived from the Hebrew Yochanan, making it both an honor for the prophet John the Baptist, and one of many international forms of John. In Islamic tradition, Yahya is celebrated for his gentleness, his goodness, and his dedication to and understanding of scriptures from a young age.
Currently popular in Tunisia, and Belgium, Yahya has also been on and off of the US Top 1000 charts since 2015. In a recent year, however, it was one of the fastest rising names, climbing 175 places and given to nearly 380 boys. It also made the England and Wales Top 100 for the first time in the same year.

Diogo is the much-less-known brother of Diego, both forms of James, which is itself a form of the Biblical Jacob. And Diego itself probably started life as a short form of Santiago, aka Saint Jago, aka Saint James.

Unlike most creative spellings, this one isn't overly trendy or overdone—in fact, it's quite delicate and pretty. However, it is clearly suffering from the plethora of similar names that are flowing around right now (Emelie, Emilia, Emily, Emilee, Amelie, Amelia) and has fallen more than 300 spots since 2013. It might be time for Emilie and her sisters to be left alone for a while.

Audie as a boys' name was made famous by Audie Murphy, the most decorated hero of World War II. Murphy was born one of ten children of a poor Texas sharecropper's family and the origins of his unusual first name are unknown. But there were 29 boys named Audie in 2013, more than twice the number of girls given the name, which can be a diminutive of Audrey.

Charlene is a Charlotte variation that, along with similar names like Arlene and Marlene, spiked in popularity in the 1940s and fifties, reaching a high of Number 100 in 1949. Most parents today would prefer one of the note classic versions -- or even nickname Charlie.

The Spanish form of Andrew is popular enough in the US to rank near the Top 200. As Andrew, Andy, and Drew feel less fresh, Andres is still up-and-coming, with a global feel that could travel well anywhere. Andres has been used in the US dating all the way back to when name data began to be kept, and has never fallen out of the Top 1000. Despite this, it has only been since the 90s that Andres has cracked the Top 200. Andre is a similar-sounding alternative that has French and Portuguese roots.

Leonore is a melodic variation of the wide range of names related to Eleanor and, via a different root, Leonie that are so stylish throughout Europe right now and bound for greater visibility in the U.S. The name of one of the little princesses of Sweden, Leonore carries the gravity of Eleanor with more quirky charm.

The only downside: Spelling and pronunciation confusion given so many similar variations, from Lenora to Leonie to Eleanora and onward.