Names That Mean Form

This pretty female form of Laurence originated in ancient Rome and is still sometimes heard in the Latino community. It is one of the many intriguing Latin names for girls worth consideration by modern parents, as a more distinctive spin on Laura or Lauren. The name's rhythm also makes it perfect for Ren or Wren as a nickname.

While Barthelemy does not garner much attention these days, it has a storied history in French-speaking countries. Notable bearers include geologist and explorer Barthélemy Faujas de Saint-Fond, philosopher Jules Barthélemy-Saint-Hilaire, and historian and writer Jean-Barthélemy Hauréau, to name a few.

Omero lifts Homer out of both The Simpsons and The Odyssey, making it a romantic name ala Romeo. Some sources give the meaning of Omero and Homer as "hostage".

A condensed version of Elizabeth made more familiar by The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo's Lisbeth Salander.

A delicate name with strong roots, Aniceta is most often used in contemporary Spain. Saint Anicetus was an ancient pope and martyr.

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

It's unusual, but that may be its best feature.

Ada, yes. Ida, maybe. But Oda, a Scandinavian version of Odelia, not really. To English speakers, it sounds too much like "odor".

Aileas is one of those Scottish names that is at once familiar and unusual, a spin on the internationally-popular Alice that is all but unknown outside of its native Scotland. It might overcomplicate things in the US, though, given that most Americans would pronounce it like the word alias and would find it difficult to get from those vowel combinations to ah-lus or eh-lus.

This Dutch version of Jules is used for both girls and boys. The association with the vaping product of the same name (but different pronunciation) makes this one a no-go in the US.

The Dutch love using short forms as full names, and so the popular name here is Faas -- who knows or cares what it was originally short for. In the US, this would be a very original name indeed -- it doesn't show up at all on the Social Security records. Pronunciation is like fast with the t at the end.

Spence is occasionally used as a name all on its own and it has more of a sense of completeness than many nickname-names.

Cay is a rare respelling of the retro nickname Kay but one that may gain ground as a name that's both simple and unique. Like Kay, it can be a diminutive for any of the hundreds of Catherine variations that start with a C or of more modern names such as Caylee or Cadence. Or it can stand on its own as a sleek contemporary nickname-name.

With the growing popularity of Celia and Cecilia, this vintage canasta-playing nickname name could be due for a comeback.

Thad is a tad too slight to stand alone as a name, though as a short form of the imposing Thaddeus it's as serviceable as Ted or Ed.

An alternative spelling of Austin that is occasionally given to boys in the US.

Costas is a much better nickname than Connie for the somewhat-forbidding Constantine. Kostas is the Greek form.

Vasily is one of many forms of the Greek Basil, all rare in the US.

Minda is a simle, even familiar-sounding name that is nevertheless completely unknown. It might be a contraction of Melinda but it is a genuine Indian name with an appealing meaning.

This unusual (to the American ear) unisex name is used throughout Scandinavia and Germany. It can be a Frisian and German variation of Ivo, derived from the elementiwa element, meaning "yew". It is also related to the Danish word ibenholt which means "ebony".