Names That Mean Form

Ajeet is the more contemporary form of Ajita, a name used in across India, with connections to both Buddhism and Hinduism. Derived for Sanskrit, it means "unconquerable", and is used as an alternative name for the gods Shiva and Vishnu, and for future Buddha, Maitreya.
 
Also spelled Ajit and Ajith, it is familiar in Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka and has been notably borne by adventurer Ajeet Bajaj, politician Ajeet Singh Kharkhari, writer and critic Ajeet Bharti, and cricketer Ajeet Singh Dale.

Ajeet

Variant transcription of Andrei, as well as the South Slavic, Czech, and Slovak form.

Andrej

An alternative to Gabriella, Briella, Bella, or Ella, Riella may also appeal to those who like Rhianna, Reese, and Aurelia. It was chosen by YouTubers Savannah Jean and Josh Alexander for their daughter in 2022, while in a recent year, 24 American girls were also given the name. 

Riella

As Huxley and Huck become more popular and accepted, so does Hux, either as a full name or a diminutive.

Pronounced like Sunny, Suni is the nickname of astronaut Sunita Williams.

Suni is also the nickname of US Olympic gymnast Suni Lee, whose full name is Sunisa. 

Suni

Zenovia makes Zenobia even more unusual. This mythology-adjacent name is worth a look.

Zenovia

Abbey might sound exactly like the popular Abigail nickname Abby or Abbie, but spelled this way it is also a churchy word name with a Gothic feel. But hearing it, no one will know the difference.

Abbey

Jeanie is a midcentury bobby soxer kind of nickname that might almost be so old it's new again.

Jeanie

Popular in Azerbaijan, Yusif - or Yusi̇f as it is often spelled - derives from the Arabic form of the Hebrew name Joseph. In Islamic tradition, Yusuf or Yusi̇f is a prophet, who can receive prophecy through his dreams.

Yusif

A short, snappy form of Zavier (or Xavier).  

Zavi

Vincenza makes romance of Vincent. Vincenza Gerosa was one of the founders of the Sisters of Charity of Lovere and was later made a saint.

Vincenza

Davy (or Davey) is a little-used member of the trendy new group of boyish nicknames for girls, which includes Stevie, Scottie, and Billie. Maybe that's because there's no good feminine form of David -- we have heard Davette and Davida, but don't recommend them. But Davy could be cute for girl.

Davy

Much fresher and more energetic than Dominique.

Domenica

A bright, musical name, Gisella is the Italian form of the French Giselle. With its zippy "Zella" sound and potential nickname Gigi too, it could make an underused and appealing choice.
 
Associated with the first queen of Hungary and the wife of King Stephen through its similar sounding Hungarian form, Gizella, Gisella has also been borne by the composer Gisella Delle Grazie, the actress Gisella Sofio and the author and Holocaust survivor Gisella Perl.

Gisella

Part nature name, part mid-century favorite, Glenda came into use in the 20th century as a feminine form of Scottish Glenn, likely inspired by Linda and Wanda too. While Glenn would give it the meaning "valley", if you do consider it a smoosh name with Linda, Wanda, or Brenda, you get means such as "beautiful valley", "tender valley", "Wend's valley", "sword valley" or "fire valley".
 
Could Glenda rise back up the charts as a clunky cool option? Perhaps one day, but with around 20 girls called Glenda in each recent year, it hasn't yet begun to climb.

Glenda

The Bosnian form of the Arabic classic, Muhammad, Mehmed is also considered an older form of the Turkish and Albanian Mehmet. Borne by a number of Ottoman sultans, including Mehmed II (known as the conqueror of Constantinople), and Mehmed VI, (the last sultan before the Ottoman empire became the Republic of Turkey), more recent bearers include footballer Mehmed Malkoč, football manager Mehmed Kodro, and writer Mehmed Uzun. 

Mehmed

In the contemporary US, Minka attracted notice via actress Minka Kelly, who played the gorgeous Lyla on Friday Night Lights.

This cute and lively nickname name can (and does) certainly stand on its own, but it can also be a diminutive of the diminutive Mina, short for Wilhelmina or any name ending in -mina. 

While Minka has never charted on the US Top 1000 and was given to only a few dozen baby girls last year, Mina is staging a comeback after several decades off the list following World War II, when many German names fell out of fashion.

Minka

Ocie is antiquated ie-ending nickname that was popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s and has seen a slight uptake in interest in recent years. 
 
What's Ocie short for? Ocean in all its forms is the most likely long form, though some sources say Octavia or Octavio, meaning eighth. An alternative source could be the Spanish Ocielle, meaning "from the sky". Given to 15 girls and 8 boys in a recent count, it might rise alongside Ozzie and Ocean itself.

Ocie

Teodora is an extremely attractive and international choice, with several equally attractive, user-friendly nicknames. Appealing short forms might include Tea, Dora, or Dory for English speakers, however, classic diminutives include the Spanish, Italian, Serbian and Portuguese Dora, the Bulgarian Todorka, and the Swedish Thea.

Teodora

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.