Names That Mean Form

A gentle and warm sounding choice, with an uplifting meaning, Amela is the Bosnian form of the popular Arabic name, Amal. It was a Top 100 choice in Bosnia and Herzegovina until 2015 and is occasionally used as a short of of Amelia in Scandinavia. 

Amela

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

Denys

Although the single-named singer is male, this might be a girl's nickname name or a sleek nature name that's perfect in the middle.

Beck

Bobby is a nickname-name that's long been used on its own for both girls and boys, though the Bobby spelling is more usually masculine while the girls' version is usually Bobbie. There were just over 50 baby girls named Bobbie in one recent year and only five named Bobby, compared with nearly 300 baby boys named Bobby. Robert F. Kennedy III and Amaryllis Fox named their daughter Bobby, continuing the family tradition across genders. And Millie Bobby Brown is a hot young actress.

Bobby

The Spanish version, with its -eena ending, takes the name out of the Oh My Darlin' realm, which for many American parents may be just the thing.

Clementina

Two prominent literary namesakes make Gregor a somewhat risky choice. On the highbrow side, there's Gregor Samsa, the Kafka character who woke up one day to find himself turned into a cockroach. And then there's Gregor Clegane, one of the most feared and purely evil characters in the world of Game of Thrones. It's a shame, because this earlier form of Gregory, quite common in Scotland, would otherwise make an attractive choice.

Gregor

Long popular in Scotland, this attractive name is strictly-speaking the Gaelic version of Eleanor, but is also often considered part of the Helen family of names. After the Normans introduced it into the British Isles, it was transformed into Aileen or Evelyn. It has rarely been heard in the US, but it is slowly starting to be used here too.

Eilidh

Also written as Evalee, Evalie is a sweet combination of Eva with the popular -lee/lie suffix. While both spellings have the same lovely vintage yet trendy sound, Evalie looks a little sweeter than the sunny Evalee. Either way you choose to spell the name, it's an attractive and fashionable choice, that fits perfectly next to favourites like Everly and Evelyn but still stands out.

Evalie

Cute nickname but the "gabby" synonym might prove problematic, especially is your daughter is chatty....or not.

Gabi

Gail was a mid-twentieth century favorite, which has been far surpassed by its original form, Abigail and nickname Abby. Spelling variations include Gale and Gayle, the latter represented by TV journalist and Oprah bestie Gayle King. Gail was most popular in the 1950s, when it was in the Top 40, and could rise again, possibly as a middle.

Gail

Mally actually has several possible derivations beyond being a medieval nickname, ala Molly, for Mary . It might be a diminutive of names like Mallory, derived from French meaning "unfortunate" or "unlucky," or as a nickname for Amalia, meaning "work" or "labor" in Germanic languages. 

While Mally is more distinctive than the popular Molly, it sounds the same and so will cause endless confusion.

Mally

Nela is a pretty if slight name that ranks among the Top 1000 for girls in the UK. It is commonly used throughout Europe as a short form for any range of names ending in -nela including Cornelia and Fenella, though it is widely used on its own.

Nela

Similar in feel to Nya and Nyla, Nymira is an invented name, possibly created as a spin on Namir or Namira, names relating to the Arabic word for leopard. In a recent year, 12 girls were given the name in the US. 

Nymira

Pol, pronounced as "pole," though a popular Breton name, would be an unusual form of a simple classic elsewhere.  The Breton Saint Pol Aurelian was known as a slayer of dragons and a founder of monasteries.

A traditional nickname for Richard, popular in the 60s, Richie joins Scottie and Stevie as "boyish"-nickname-names for girls. Used occasionally in the 20th-century, it re-entered the US charts in 2022 and a recent year saw it given to 12 girls. 



Richie

Rollo is a livelier, roly-poly, o-ending version of Roland. 
 Although it sounds modern, Rollo actually was seen regularly on Latin documents in the Middle Ages, though not heard in everyday speech. Historically, it's associated with a powerful Viking leader--who had a wife named Poppa. 
 Rollo May was a well known existential psychologist. There have been Rollos on screen played by Buster Keaton ("The Navigator"), Rainn Wilson ("Juno") and John Cleese ("Fierce Creatures").
 Rollo has also been used over the years as a pet form of Roland, Rudolph and Ralph.

Rollo

Sebastiana is not often heard in the US, but as Sebastian in all its forms becomes more popular, so might this feminine version.

Sebastiana

Derived from the language of the Nahua people of Mexico and Central America, Xitlalli is a variation on Citalli, a sparkly name meaning "star".

Xitlalli

A multicultural name with two quite different meanings, Afina is the Russian and Ukrainian form of Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom and war, and a Romanian name, derived from afin meaning "bilberry". It may also be associated with the Azerbaijan name for the city of Athens and to the French affiner meaning "purify, refine".

Afina

Jason is the better known name and the more familiar mythological figure, but if you're wanting something rare, Aison (or Aeson) could make an interesting choice. Borne by the father of Jason (and a king of Thessaly), there are two varying myths around Aison, one being that he was imprisoned by his half-brother Pelias, and the other that he was killed by Jason's wife Medea and brought back to life again as a young man. 
 
This particular form is notably associated with the red-figure vase painter and is traditionally pronounced as EE-sohn. The exact meaning is unknown, though there is a chance that it may relate to Iason, the source of Jason, which means "to heal". 
 
Aison has been appearing in the US stats since 2005, though whether it's being used because of its Greek origins or whether parents are choosing it as a mix of Aiden, Kaison, Mason, and similar, is hard to know. As such, you may hear it said as AY-suhn or EYE-suhn too.