Names That Mean Form
Across 34 pages
of 34
Bernie
English diminutive of Bernadette, Bernadine, or Bernice, German
"brave as a bear"
Bernie is an old school unisex nickname name, on the order of Bobbie or Willie. But with Billie and her tomboyish crew coming back, it's time to get Bernie on your radar! Bernie has a certain vintage…
Esti
Hebrew diminutive of Esther, Persian, or Basque
"star; sweet honey"
Esti is most commonly a short form of Esther and Estelle, both making the big move from old lady name to cool young name. It's also a popular short form of the Basque names Estitxu and Estibalitz, or…
Maé
French/Breton form of Matthew
"gift of God"
A gallicized spelling of Mazhe, itself a Breton version of Matthew, which is currently popular for baby boys in France. In the English-speaking world, where the é accent is not always recognized,…
Marged
Welsh form of Margaret
Marged is to Margaret what Elspeth is to Elizabeth, and Karen to Katherine.
Syd
Short form of Sydney, French
"Saint-Denis"
Sydney may be by far the more popular spelling of this name for girls, but it's also predominantly female. Over 1200 baby girls were named Sydney in 2021 vs. 37 baby boys. Contrast that with Sidney,…
Davi
English diminutive of David, Hebrew
"beloved"
Davi as a girls' name might be considered a way to honor an ancestral David.
Izabelė
Lithuanian form of Isabella
Another international member of the Isabel family.
Lyssa
Short form of Alyssa or Greek mythological name
"anger, fury, rage"
Most contemporary English speakers will hear the name Lyssa as short for the long-popular Alyssa or Melissa. But Lyssa is a bona fide Greek mythology name, though not a very appealing one. The…
Casimiro
Spanish form of Casimir, Polish and Slavic
"destroyer of peace"
All names Cas are cool right night, from Cassius to Cassian to Caspian to, yes, Casimir and its Latin form Casimiro. An attractive possibility in this appealing group.
Sid
Short form of Sidney, French
"Saint-Denis"
Sid originated as a nickname for Sidney, but we like it on its own, a la Sara Quin's and Jason Biggs and Jenny Mollen's sons. Sid Vicious, member of the band the Sex Pistols, gives this name a punk…
Blai
Catalan form of Blaise
"to lisp, stammer"
This saintly choice is an example of the Catalan trend for short, streamlined names.
Mahé
French/Breton form of Matthew
"gift of God"
This gallicized spelling of Mazhe, itself a Breton version of Matthew, is currently popular for baby boys in France, where it ranks in the Top 100. But this is one European name that probably will…
Teddi
Short form of Theodora, Greek
"gift of God"
Now that Theodora (and Dorothea) are back, the adorable Teddi might work again for a baby girl. Teddi fits the rising trend of boyish nicknames for girls - alongside picks like Leni and Charlie.…
Freddie
Short form of Alfreda or Frederica
Freddie, especially with the ie ending, is one of the old-school boy-names-for-girls that came into vogue at the turn of the last century. Freddie, all on its own, ranked among the Top 1000 girl…
Marty
Short form of Martha or Martina, Aramaic or Latin
"lady or warlike"
Marty and Martie are old-fashioned gender-neutral nickname names, boyish nicknames not heard much since the middle of the last century. That could change, though, with the rise of vintage boyish…
Edmwnd
Welsh form of Edmund
Like Edmund, but with a double-take. (W is a vowel in Welsh.)
Andrej
Russian; Czech; Slovak; Slovene; Croatian; Serbian, form of Andrew
"manly"
Variant transcription of Andrei, as well as the South Slavic, Czech, and Slovak form.
Vicenç
Catalan form of Vincent, Latin
"conquering"
Kasper
Polish variation of Casper, form of Jasper, Persian
"bringer of treasure"
Jasper and its many international variations, from Kasper to Casper to Gaspard, is finding new popularity.
Raf
Short form of Rafael, Spanish variation of Raphael
Raf is a raffish short form that many a cool boy would love to call his own.