Names That Mean Form

  1. Šimun
    • Origin:

      Croatian form of Simon, from Hebrew and Greek
    • Meaning:

      "he has heard; flat-nosed"
  2. Nathalia
    • Origin:

      Portuguese form of Natalia
    • Description:

      The more familiar spelling Natalia currently sits much further up the list and has even made two brief appearances in the Top 100 during the last decade. Nathalia on the other hand has never been a particularly popular choice. The name has floated on and off the Top 1000 charts over the last 2 decades, favored especially by Hispanic and Latin American parents.
  3. Caecilia
    • Origin:

      Feminine form of Caecilius, Latin
    • Meaning:

      "blind"
    • Description:

      The ancient Roman name that gave us Cecilia, Cecily, and related names. This spelling looks authentic, but might raise more pronunciation problems than it solves.
  4. Taffy
    • Origin:

      Welsh
    • Meaning:

      "beloved friend"
    • Description:

      Taffy, in addition to being a diminutive of Dafydd, is a slang term for Welsh people in general – probably from the River Taff. Too candy-like to be used in the US.
  5. Denys
    • Origin:

      French from Greek, vernacular form of Dionysius; "god of Nysa"
    • Meaning:

      "god of Nysa"
    • Description:

      Alternative spelling of Dennis, and the usual transliteration from Ukrainian. Used (though rarely) for both sexes.
  6. Lizeth
    • Origin:

      Hispanic and Latin American short form of Elizabeth, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "pledged to God"
    • Description:

      Familiar in Mexico and South America, this short form of classic Elizabeth is familiar among Hispanic communities and is predominantly used in Mexico, Peru, and Bolivia. Appealing to those who like the French Lisette and want a lesser-used short form of Elizabeth, it was given to 115 girls in the US in a recent year.
  7. Rise
    • Origin:

      English word name; Norwegian and Danish, short form of Regitze
    • Description:

      This name boomed in the 1940s and 50s thanks to the glamorous singer Risë (pronounced REE-sa) Stevens, who inherited her name from her Norwegian grandmother. It's rare nowadays, but when used it's more likely to be the uplifting vocabulary word, rhyming with "eyes". The latter was chosen by Nick Cannon and Brittany Bell for their son, born in September 2022.
  8. Katti
    • Origin:

      Short form of Katherine, Greek
    • Meaning:

      "pure"
    • Description:

      Katti or Kattie is a short form of Katherine, more old fashioned than Kate and more unusual than Kathy.
  9. Cristian
    • Origin:

      Spanish, Romanian and Italian form of Christian, Latin
    • Meaning:

      "follower of Christ"
    • Description:

      Both Christian and Cristian rank in the US Top 500 names for boys, and while the classic "Ch" spelling is used more than four times as often, Cristian is still given to more than 1000 boys each year, and is often used in the Hispanic community.
  10. Imagine
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "to form a mental image"
    • Description:

      If you like such uplifting New Age word names as Peace and Justice, the evocative and pretty Imagine should definitely be on your short list.
  11. Neele
    • Origin:

      German short form of Cornelia
    • Meaning:

      "horn"
    • Description:

      Cute tomboyish diminutive that's popular in Germany but has not spread far. An interesting choice for the parent who wants an elaborate feminine proper name with a modern short form.
  12. Amaranta
    • Origin:

      Spanish and Italian form of Amarantha
    • Meaning:

      "unfading"
    • Description:

      Amaranta is the unusual and intriguing Latinate form of the Greek botanical name Amarantha, which connects to an eternal mythical figure. An excellent choice for the parent who wants an A name but wishes to move beyond the usual complement of names from Amelia to Annabel.
  13. Edrie
    • Origin:

      Short form of Edris, Welsh; Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "lord; studious"
    • Description:

      Edris was used occasionally for baby girl 100 years ago, but one can't help but wonder whether those girls might really have been named Edie but with bad handwriting. Edrie is cute, though, and unusual.
  14. Jennet
    • Origin:

      Old English short form of Jean or Janet
    • Meaning:

      "God is gracious"
    • Description:

      It feels like a slenderized modern version, but Jennet actually has deep roots. Could this plucky name rescue Janet and Jenny from their datedness?
  15. Kyrie
    • Origin:

      Short form of Kyra or Greek
    • Meaning:

      "Lord"
    • Description:

      Kyrie elieson is one of the oldest religious refrains, meaning Lord, have mercy. As a first name, though, Kyrie is less a name of God and more a nickname-name that might be short for Kyra or a diminutive that stands on its own, a la Kylie. The best-known Kyrie is the male basketball player Kyrie Irving, who pronounces the first syllable to rhyme with my rather than fear. He has inspired more than 1000 baby boys to be given this name one recent year in the US, while it was given to 178 baby girls. Impressive numbers.
  16. Amelina
    • Origin:

      Old German form of Emmeline and Amelia
    • Meaning:

      "work"
    • Description:

      Now that the range of names including the modern Emmeline and Amelia -- relatives of each other, but of neither Emily nor Emma -- has become so fashionable, the original root name Amelina is also due up for reconsideration. A lovely, delicate choice, its main disadvantage is that it sounds like a modern elaboration rather than the original name. And perhaps that it will be so often misspelled and mistaken for other forms of itself. But it is a lovely name with deep roots.
  17. Keitha
    • Origin:

      Scottish, feminine form of Keith
    • Meaning:

      "wood"
    • Description:

      This Scottish name for girls has been sued since the 19th Century as a feminine given name, and has a surprisingly feminine sound for a feminization.
  18. Júlia
    • Origin:

      Portuguese, Catalan, Hungarian, and Slovak form of Julia
    • Meaning:

      "youthful or sky father"
    • Description:

      An alternative international spelling of Julia.
  19. Elya
    • Origin:

      Slavic form of Helen
    • Description:

      A Slavic variation of Helen that might make an unusual update of that classic name.
  20. Madlen
    • Origin:

      Welsh form of Madeleine
    • Description:

      Of all the names in the Magdalene/Madeleine family, this is the most sweetly simple.