Names That Mean Form
Across 34 pages
of 34
Scilla
Botanical name and short form of Priscilla
"ancient"
Scilla are little woodland flowers in a beautiful bright blue color. Scilla can also be a short form of Priscilla, from Prisca "ancient".
Sylfesta
Romani form of Sylvester
Arnallt
Welsh form of Arnold
As this name is essentially Arnold, it is out of fashion in Wales currently. The Welsh "LL" sound is likely to prove a challenge elsewhere in the world.
Ostyn
Variation of Austin, English, shortened form of Augustine
"great, magnificent"
An alternative spelling of Austin that is occasionally given to boys in the US.
Alastriona
Irish: feminine form of Alasdar
Spelled Alastríona in its native language, this Irish cousin of Alexandra is little-known but fairly intuitive.
Ambrosia
Latin, feminine form of Ambrose
"Immortal"
Ambrosia combines some of the more whimsical qualities of more popular Aurora and Isabella, with a heavenly meaning. In Greek mythology, Ambrosia was not a goddess or other figure but literally the…
Jóhann
Icelandic form of John, Hebrew
"God is gracious"
The second-most-common variation of John in Iceland, behind Jón. Jóhann has had more steady rankings over the years.
Ffraid
Welsh form of Bridget
Santes Ffraid is the traditional Welsh name for St Bridget, the Irish national saint and legendary miracle worker. The connection becomes clearer through the Scottish form of the name, Bride. It's…
Marios
Greek form of Marius
"Mars"
Cateline
Medieval French form of Catherine
"pure"
Wat
English antiquated short form of Walter, German
"army ruler"
Walter is an old school boys' name that is gently on the rise again. Short forms include Walt (as in Disney) and Wally, but Wat was once commonly used in England as a diminutive of Walter.
Seimon
Welsh form of Simon
A classic from the Welsh Bible, but parents outside Wales would probably need a good reason to use the extra E.
Wiliam
Welsh form of William
No, it's not a typo: it's William as a Welsh speaker would spell it. Gwilym is the more traditional Welsh version, though.
Antea
Slavic form of Antonia
Ante is the equivalent to Antony in Croatia, Bosnia, and other Balkan countries. Antea is the feminine equivalent, and would make a sweet, modern-sounding alternative to dusty Antonia.
Jahja
Slavic and Albanian form of Yochanan
This spelling of the Arabic name Yahya (equivalent to John) is popular in Balkan nations such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, which have large Muslim populations.
Marçal
Catalan form of Marshall, French
"one who looks after horses"
Similar yet different to Marcel, and the cedilla spelling adds extra Catalan charm.
Isidro
Spanish form of Isidoros, Greek
"gift of Isis"
Another Spanish boys' name that relates to a goddess, the Egyptian Isis. San Isidro is the patron saint of Madrid.
Cyrielle
French feminine form of Cyril
"lordly"
Cyril has several attractive femaie forms, including the French Cyrielle as well as Cyrilla. The one downside of this unique name is that many English speakers will pronounce it like cereal, so…
Cyriel
Dutch form of Cyril, Greek
"lordly"
This European version of Cyril (pronounced like French Cyrille) makes the Top 100 in Belgium.
Kari
Norwegian diminutive of Katarina or variation of Carrie, English
"pure; free man"
Kari and all her many sisters, from Carrie to Carey to Kerry and onward, originated for the most part as short forms of either Catherine Katherine or one of the Charles feminizations such as Carol or…