Names That Mean Form

Ludo

German

"famous"

This cool and quirky short form of the suave Ludovic could be an even-more-adventurous spin on Nico and Hugo.

Naum

Russian, Bulgarian, and Macedonian form of Nahum, Hebrew

"comfort"

Naum is a Biblical name, rarely heard outside Russia, Bulgaria and surrounding areas, though alternative form Nahum is beginning to receive more attention in the US. Derived from the Hebrew naham ,…

Octave

French form of Octavius, Latin, or English word name

"eighth; musical and poetry term"

Octave shortens Octavius to a more manageable length, keeping the "eighth" meaning. In English speaking countries, however, people could easily confuse this with the musical and poetrry term octave .…

Panya

Short form of Pavel

"small"

Panya is a Russian diminutive that sounds a tad feminine to the Western sensibility.

Skeet

English

"swift"

Kind of a combination of scoot and fleet, brought into public domain by actor Skeet (born Brian) Ulrich. We would recommend looking into the unsavory slang meaning of this name before choosing it for…

Tybalt

Medieval form of Theobald

"from bold people"

Similar in sound to the French "Thibault", which is far more popular, Tybalt is best known as the bloodlustful and brawling cousin of Juliet in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet . Perhaps this…

Theodoric

German

"people's ruler"

Theodoric feels prehistoric, though with short form Theo one of the hottest names around, this old German names for boys may soon feel new again.

Tullio

Modern form of Roman Tullius, meaning unknown

Both Tullio and Tulio are modern forms of the ancient Roman family name Tullius. Though its meaning is unknown, Tullius has an illustrious history with many noble bearers, including a sixth century…

Amedeo

Italian form of Amadeus

"lover of God"

This euphonious Italian Italian name for boys , often associated with the painter Modigliani, makes a recommended creative choice. The Spanish tend to spell it Amadeo.

Kester

Scottish form of Christopher

"one who carries Christ"

Nearly unknown outside the British Isles, this old Scottish variation has a sleek surname feel that can make an excellent update of the flagging Christopher.

Farquahar

Anglicized form of Irish and Scottish Fearchar

"dear man"

Definitely a far stretch for any child.

Simm

Short form of Simon or Simeon, Hebrew

"the listener"

You might want to abbreviate this from one of the Biblical originals or use it as a name all on its own, an update of Sam or Finn. Sim is a Scottish Gaelic form of Simon.

Aurélien

French form of Aurelius, Latin

"golden"

A glowing and sophisticated choice, Aurélien is the French form of the Roman Aurelius, ultimately from aureus meaning "gold, gilded". This form ranked in the French Top 30 back in the 80s and…

Emilien

French form of Emil

"friendly"

Might make a worthy masculine spin on either of the uber popular Emma or Emily.

Gabin

French form of the Latin Gabinus

"of Gabium"

Fans of the classic French film actor Jean Gabin might want to consider this one. Gabin is also a harmonica-playing character in the manga and anime series "Mirmo!"

Guillem

Catalan form of William

An intriguing way to spin an old standard. Pronounced with a hard G: gee-yem.