Names That Mean Form
Across 34 pages
of 34
Gerallt
Welsh form of Gerald, English and Irish from German,"ruler with the spear"
"ruler with the spear"
A name that has been used in Wales for nearly a thousand years — a famous bearer was the medieval scholar Gerallt Gymro, or Gerald of Wales — but not the most intuitive spelling for non-Welsh…
Tavian
Romanian form of Octavian
A cool international name that could join the ranks of cool N-ending boy names. Americans may know it best from retired NFL player Tavian Banks.
Mihael
Slovene and Croatian form of Michael, Hebrew
"who is like God?"
A variation of Michael, most often used in Croatia, where it's in the Top 20, Bosnia and Herzegovina, where it ranks in the Top 100, and also in Slovenia. Mihael was revealed as the full name for the…
Mahama
West African form of Mohamed
Andrei
Russian form of Andrew
"manly"
Russian, Belarusian, Romanian and Bulgarian form of Andrew
Quique
Spanish nickname for Henrique, Spanish form of Henry
Cute, or maybe qute, nickname for the upstanding Enrique.
Àlex
Catalan short form of Alexander
"defending men"
Hug
Catalan form of Hugh
"mind, intellect"
A rare Catalan name that may be too cuddly for English speakers.
Ffransis
Welsh form of Francis
You'd have to be bold (or Welsh) to change the spelling of Francis like this... but it certainly stands out.
Tavo
Short form of Gustavo, Spanish variation of Gustav
"staff of the Goths"
Tavo is a stylish-sounding short form of an antique name.
Jessekiah
Romani form of Hezekiah
This biblical compound was found on a Romani man in England around 1900, but wouldn't be out of place on a boy today.
Pedr
Welsh form of Peter
A softer, less vowelly variation of Peter, that appears in the Welsh Bible but not currently in the charts there. The Welsh name for daffodils, the national flower of Wales, is cennin pedr , "Peter's…
Diogo
Portuguese form of Diego
"supplanter"
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,…
Auguste
French form of Latin Augustus
"great, magnificent"
French version of August, for both sexes. And for those who feel the spelling of August is too plain.
Tea
Short form of Dorotea or Mattea
"gift of God"
As Theo and Thea get more popular, so do Teo and Tea, short forms of the Latinate variations of Theodore and Matthew -- which include Dorotea and Mattea. But like Theo and Thea, Tea can stand…
Marian
Polish, Czech and Romanian form of Marianus/Marius
"related to Mars, Roman god of war"
An attractive and little-known member of the group of romantic, Euro-chic boys' names ending in -ian: think Julian, Fabian, Florian, Adrian. The visually identical but etymologically unrelated female…
Makaio
Hawaiian form of Matthew
"gift of God"
A refreshing variation on the Biblical classic Matthew, this Hawaiian form blends the stylish -o ending with the cool Kai sound. First appearing in the US stats in 1999, it has been climbing steadily…
Pawl
Welsh form of Paul
A Welsh biblical name that currently doesn't chart in its homeland. If you like the sound, you might also consider spelling it (the unrelated name) Powell.
Amalie
Danish, Norwegian, and German form of Amalia or Amelia
"work"
Popular in Norway and Denmark, but familiar across Europe, Amalie can be pronounced as a-MAHL-yah, much like sister Amalia. A variation of Amelia, it shares the same Germanic element, amal meaning…
Ffiona
Welsh form of Fiona; or "foxglove"
"foxglove"
A pretty halfway house between the modern name Ffion, which has been popular in Wales in recent decades, and the unrelated name Fiona.