Names That Mean Form
Across 34 pages
of 34
Rolf
Abbreviated form of Rudolf, German
"famous wolf"
Like Papa name Rudolf, Rolf never quite emigrated from the Bavarian Alps. You might want to move on to Rollo or Wolf.
Richie
Short form of Richard, English, German
"dominant ruler"
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…
Darya
Russian or Persian, variation of Daria or feminine form of Darius
"kingly; possessing goodness; the sea"
The beguiling Darya is the name of a character in Tolstoy's Anna Karenina. As a Russian name, it's a spelling variation of Daria, while in Iran, it's a girl's name that means "the sea".
Sylvain
French
"wood, forest"
Doesn't everything sound better with a French accent? Sylvain, the French variation of the Roman wood god's name, sounds somehow cooler and more sophisticated than Sylvan.
Silvano
Italian form of Silvanus
"wood, forest"
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.
Silvio
Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese form of Silvius
"wood, forest"
A shiny and sylvan choice, this sleek yet spirited name feels familiar yet is rarely used.
Skeet
English
"swift"
Kind of a combination of scoot and fleet, brought into public domain by actor Skeet (born Brian) Ulrich. We would recommend looking into the unsavory slang meaning of this name before choosing it for…
Thad
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.
Tybalt
Medieval form of Theobald
"from bold people"
Similar in sound to the French "Thibault", which is far more popular, Tybalt is best known as the bloodlustful and brawling cousin of Juliet in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet . Perhaps this…
Theodoric
German
"people's ruler"
Theodoric feels prehistoric, though with short form Theo one of the hottest names around, this old German names for boys may soon feel new again.
Nelly
Variation of Nellie and Nell
"light"
Nelly or Nellie is an adorable nickname name that can be short for a wide range of more formal appellations or that can stand on its own, and is typical of the vintage nickname genre that is growing…
Vince
Short form of Vincent, Latin
"conquering"
Vince is not a short form that often stands alone on the birth certificate, the way Jack or even Joe does, but it has certain credibility as the name always used for football great Vince Lombardi.…
Kleo
Variation of Cleo, Greek
"glory"
Khloe : Chloe :: Kleo : Cleo
Zeno
Anglicized form of Greek Zenon, related to Zeus, king of the gods
Zeno, the name of two ancient philosophers, has a muscular dynamism that's lightened by its cheerful final vowel, resulting in a kind of offbeat sci-fi feel. Zeno of Citium was the founder of the…
Maja
German, Slovene, and Scandinavian form of Maya; also, Arabic
"splendid"
Whether you pronounce it my-a, ma-zha or ma-ha, Maja is an intriguing choice. Sometimes associated with Goya's famous painting "The Naked Maja." As a cognate of Maya, it's a Top 10 name in Slovenia…
Zenon
Ancient Greek and Polish form of Zeno and Zeus
"sky, shine; gift of Zeus"
Zenon is a relative of Zeno, which is a form of Zeus, used in both ancient Greece and modern Poland. With the new rise of all names mythological, this one may deserve a fresh look.
Madelina
Latinate form of Madeline
Madelina is the Madeline equivalent used in many European cultures. While it's a simple and melodic name, like its mother name it can lead to lots of spelling and pronunciation problems. The first…
Cory
English variation of Corey, Irish, or diminutive of any Cor-beginning name
"from the hollow"
This Corey variation is getting a fresh shot of style juice thanks to young It Girl Cory Kennedy (not to be confused with RFK daughter, filmmaker Rory Kennedy).
Zen
Japanese
"meditation"
A spiritual word name used by actor Zoe Saldana for her son as well as more recently Nick Cannon and Alyssa Scott for their late son. Zen has been trending in recent years along with other spiritual…
Zacharias
Greek form of Hebrew Zachariah
"the Lord has remembered"
One of several more venerable names that get to the nickname Zack if you're tired of Zachary. In the New Testament, Zacharias was the husband of Elizabeth and father of John the Baptist.