Names That Mean Form

Freddie, especially with the ie ending, is one of the old-school boy-names-for-girls that came into vogue at the turn of the last century. Freddie, all on its own, ranked among the Top 1000 girl names until 1958, but in 2021 it was given to just 8 baby girls. Maybe that makes it prime for a comeback, ala Billie?

Freddie

The Hawaiian form of Gina or Tina (as well as the word for the country China), or in Swedish, a short form of Katharina or Kristina.

Kina

More traditionally spelled as Aurélien, this is the elegant French form of the golden Aurelius. Ultimately derived from aureus meaning "gold, gilded", this form is in the French Top 500, albeit near the latter end. Hugely popular in the 80s and 90s, ranking at #26 in 1986, it has now declined, with Aurèle slightly preferred.
 
Given to just 10 boys in the US in a recent year, it lags behind Aurelio and Aurelius — both of which feature in the Top 1000.
 
Footballer Aurélien Tchouaméni is a notable bearer.

Aurelien

Rarely heard outside the Jewish community; another form is Minda.

Mindel

A multicultural femininization of two similar but separate names, Nazara could make a spiritual choice that may appeal to fans of Azariah, Neriah, Nadira, and Zahra. 
 
From its Russian, Ukrainian, and Armenian origins, Nazara is a variation of Nazar, itself derived from the Latin Nazarius, meaning "from Nazareth". A Biblical place name, notable for being the town where Jesus lived, it would be pronounced as nu-ZAR-uh in Russian and the Ukrainian, and nah-ZAHR-uh in Armenian.
 
Alternatively, from its Arabic roots, Nazara in a feminine form of either the Arabic Nazr or the Urdu Nazar, meaning "to see, to look" and "to vow, to pledge". In Islamic tradition, nazr is an important concept, used to describe a commitment to carry out an act.

Nazara

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. 

That's a lot of variations for one name. In Diogo's case, Americans will forever mistake it for Diego, which was used for nearly 3000 baby boys in the US last year, while Diogo was given to fewer than five.

Diogo

Ivor, a favorite choice for upscale characters in Brit Lit novels by authors like P.G. Wodehouse and Evelyn Waugh, is an interesting and unusual name just waiting to be discovered by parents in this country. 
 Ivor Novello was the stage name of a popular Welsh actor and songwriter of the recent past who brought it to prominence in England.
 An equally appealing name is the related Ivo, which has the energetic impact of all names ending in 'o'.

Ivor

Aaralyn is a modern creation, blending Aaron with the feminine suffix -lynn to make an airy sounding choice. Sometimes spelled as Aralyn, in keeping with Arabella and Aria, Aaralyn has a trendy yet slightly fantasy-esque feel. It was given to 62 babies in 2024 compared to 12 the year before. 

Aaralyn

Star Wars fans may know the lore behind the origin of the word and the concept Jedi well enough to confidently choose their name for their child. It has to do with balancing the forces of the universe.

Also makes a cute short form for the somewhat forbidding Jedidiah.

Jedi

Succinct and punchy, Cova is a name of Spanish origin, most often used as a diminutive form of Covadonga. The longform is a place name, roughly translated as "Cave of Our Lady" (though "cave of the spring" might be more accurate). Covadonga's use as a given name is due to it being a site of a shrine to the Virgin Mary.
 
By itself, Cova is simply the Spanish word for cave and may have more international appeal than its longform. It could also be interpreted as an elaboration of the rising English word name, Cove, meaning "small inlet on the coast", or a spin on the Italian word covo meaning "nest, den".

Cova

Davi as a girls' name might be considered a way to honor an ancestral David. 

Davi

Gentle and easy going, but with an undertone of edginess, Lemmy could be a diminutive of the Hebrew Lemuel or borrowed from musician, songwriter, and founder of the band Motorhead, Lemmy (Ian Fraser) Kilmister. From the Hebrew, it means "for God", while from its pop cultural origins, it is supposedly derived from the phase "lemmy (lend me) a quid 'til Friday".

Lemmy

A cute and fresh way to get to Max, this was the name of a sixth century saint. Maxence is a Top 100 boys' name in France, but largely unknown in the US where it is given to only a handful of baby boys each year. 

Maxence

Also written as Otávio, this streamlined form of the Ancient Roman Octavius is notably borne by the Brazilian football players Otávio da Silva Monteiro and Otávio Ataide, both known more commonly as just Otávio. In recent years it has begun to see very subtle shifts up the US charts, with 10 boys receiving the name in 2024.

Otavio

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 syllable may be "may" or rhyme with dad; last two syllables pronounce lee-na, though of course some will inevitably say lye-na. Only a handful of girls received this name in the US last year, making it a distinctive and pretty classic, but don't choose it ignoring its very real down side.

Madelina

Marty and Martie are old-fashioned gender-neutral nickname names, boyish nicknames not heard much since the middle of the last century. That could change, though, with the rise of vintage boyish nicknames for girls. They have a certain charm and may come back into style along with mother names such as Martha.

Marty

Although usually seen as a masculine name, Miles is sometimes seen as a feminine name in Australia, due to its literary association with female author Stella "Miles" Franklin. The s ending makes it especially trendy.

Miles

Bright and friendly, Ajdin is a popular choice in Bosnia and Herzegovina, having been in the Top 50 since the 2000s. It reached #3 in the charts in 2011, but has now declined slightly in use. It derives from the Turkish name Aydın, which has been anglicized to Aydin.

Ajdin

A popular masculine name in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Amel is a bright and hopeful choice. Figure skater Amel Bureković, retired footballer Amel Mujčinović, and World Championships runner Amel Tuka are notable bearers.
 
 Elsewhere, it may also be used as a feminine name, notably in France where it is the Top 500 and in Algeria and Tunisia.

Amel

Cute, distinctive diminutive for this regal-sounding name.