Names That Mean Form
Across 34 pages
of 34
Henriette
French, feminine form of Henri
Henriette is to Henri (or Henry) what Charlotte is to Charles. Yet this elegant French name is surprisingly rare in the States.
Rosana
Portuguese form of Roxana
"bright, dawn"
This elegant, minimally-spelled name could be a variant of Rosanna/Roseanna. But it's also the Portuguese version of Roxana, with all the meaning and history of the name, but none of the "Roxanne"…
Finja
German, short form of Josephine
Finja Is a Josephine nickname that ranks among the Top 100 girl names in Germany.
Kina
Hawaiian, Swedish
"short form"
The Hawaiian form of Gina or Tina (as well as the word for the country China), or in Swedish, a short form of Katharina or Kristina.
Iu
Catalan form of Yves
"yew wood"
This mini-member of the Ivo-Yves family of names is unlikely to appeal to English speakers, as it sounds like "ew".
Ellar
Variation of Ealar, Scottish form of Hilary
"cheerful"
Ellar Coltrane, the star of Richard Linklater's acclaimed 2014 movie "Boyhood," is an outlier, namewise. Most others with his first name are girls, and there aren't even many of them -- the last time…
Ynyr
Welsh form of Honorius
"honorable"
Ynyr is still quietly used in Wales, though the alternative modern form of ancient Roman Honorius is the simple Honor. The name is used in the 1983 sci-fi movie, Krull , which follows the adventures…
Mariet
Dutch form of Margaret or Marie
"pearl; drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"
Sometimes used a Dutch diminutive of Marie, the meaning of which is uncertain. Theories include "drop of the sea" (from Hebrew roots mar "drop" and yam "sea"); "bitter" (from Hebrew marah…
Aniko
Hungarian form of Anna or Annika
"grace"
Aniko has the feel and rhythm of a Japanese name but in fact it's an Eastern European spin on Anna.
Sibeal
Irish form of Isabel
Spelt with a fada in Gaelic – Sibéal – this is a soft and strong-sounding name, reminiscent of Siobhan and Sinead.
Roc
Arabic mythical name; Catalan form of Rocco
"rest"
An earthy rock'n'roll name with multiple origins. The Roc was a giant bird in Middle Eastern legend.
Costas
Short form of Constantine
"steadfast"
Costas is a much better nickname than Connie for the somewhat-forbidding Constantine. Kostas is the Greek form.
Ela
Turkish
"terebinth tree"
A sweet, simple mini-name that fits into many cultures. The only drawback is the potential for confusion with Ella, Ayla, and other similar names.
Peternella
Feminine form of Peter
"rock, stone"
Somewhat awkward feminization of Peter. Try Petra, Petronia, or Petronilla, an early saint's name.
Annest
Welsh form of Agnes
A sweet variation on Agnes, that perhaps looks a little more complete than the Anest spelling. Both are used for a few girls in Wales each year.
Ot
Catalan form of Otto
"wealthy"
This unusual Catalan name demonstrates just how short mini-names can get.
Petras
Lithuanian form of Peter
"rock, stone"
Petras is one of the lesser known variations of the classic Peter.
Tomos
Welsh form of Thomas, Aramaic
"twin"
Tomos is the standard Welsh version of Thomas, both in the Bible and secular texts like Thomas the Tank Engine. It is an enduring classic in the Welsh charts, with diminutives including Twm and Tomi.…
Pompeia
Feminine form of Pompeius, Roman
"five"
Josep
Catalan form of Joseph
A Catalan classic that runs the risk of looking like a typo for those not in the know.