Updated November 2023
Across 34 pages
of 34
Short form of Cabot, Cable, or Cabel
You don't need to choose the longer form of this unusual name to arrive at Cabe, brother of Gabe and Abe. This earthy, unusual, friendly nickname-name was given to a handful of boys last year and can…
Welsh pet form of Elizabeth
Betsan is little-known outside of the U.K. but it could provide an intriguing alternative to Liz, Beth, Betsy, Betty, and Libby.
Dutch short form of Gilbert or Gijsbert, Germanic
"bright pledge"
Currently in the Top 30 in the Netherland, Gijs is s short form of Gijsbert, itself the Dutch form of the Germanic Gisbert and Gilbert. Said to rhyme with nice , the G is pronounced like the end…
Dutch form of Tycho, Greek, Dutch, Old Norse
"hitting the mark; thunder"
This Dutch form of the ancient Greek saints' name Tycho is in the Top 100 in The Netherlands. While largely unknown in the English-speaking world, it's got a cool sound and ancient roots, which…
Dutch form of Pepin
"awe-inspiring"
Pepijn, with its emphasis on the second syllable pronounced with a long i to rhyme with pine, is in the Dutch Top 100. Clipped, energetic-sounding nickname names such as Pep and Pip are stylish in…
Dutch and Frisian short form of Gerard
Gerard, Gerry, and Jerry may be so far out they may never come back in the U.S., but Jerry-equivalent Jurre is a Top 100 name in The Netherlands.
Feminine form of Felinus, Latin
"cat-like"
This Top 100 girls' name in The Netherlands is unlikely to translate to the U.S., where it would undoubtedly pronounced fee-line and mistaken for the adjective that means cat-like. While the name…
Danish feminine form of Benedict
"blessed"
Bente, pronounced ben-tah, is a popular girls' name in both The Netherlands and Denmark though largely unknown in the English-speaking world. It suffers by being a near-homonym of the English word…
Dutch, shortened form of Josephine
Whereas in English, Josephine gets shortened to Jo, in Dutch it gets shortened to 'Fiene" (sounds like Feen). Fiene is now a name in its own right.
Short form of Armando
In the US, Mandy may be a common girls' name, a Bobby Soxerish nickname for Amanda, but in the Latin community, it's a popular nickname for Armando, the Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese form of…
Possible feminine form of Shelal
"petition"
Shalailah is a soft name made most familiar by journalist Shalailah Medhora. Given the popularity of Layla and all her variants, Shalailah has potential for parents looking for something off the…
Scottish, feminine form of Keith
"wood"
This Scottish name for girls has been sued since the 19th Century as a feminine given name, and has a surprisingly feminine sound for a feminization.
Scottish, feminine form of Lachlan
Unlike Lachlan, this Scottish name for girls is likely to be mispronounced. Is that...LaChina?
Dutch short form of Bonifaas or Servaas
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…
Dutch diminutive of Julia, Latin
"youthful"
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.
Dutch
"of the sun god"
Pleun is a unisex Dutch name deriving from Apollonius or Apollonia, although now it ranks far higher for girls in its native land than the original form. In 2024, it ranked in the Top 140 in The…
Word name or medieval English form of Otto, German
"a lyric poem; wealthy"
Ode could be part of the extended Otto/Otis family, or it might be a literary term, referring to an elaborate lyric poem, such as Keats's Ode to a Nightingale. .
Feminine form of Ambrose, Greek
"immortal"
This feminine form of Ambrose has not seem much use in the United States, but it does sometimes appear on the birth certificates of those from Cajun or Creole backgrounds. Ambrosine Phillpotts was a…
French form of Berengaria
"bear spear"
Berangere has never seen much usage in the US, but it has an interesting meaning of "bear spear." The name it stems from—Berengaria—was used as a common royal name during the twelfth and thirteenth…
Feminine form of Philo
Philonese is a rare name that had some usage a century or more ago among the Louisiana Creole. As such, it has ties to French and Italian ancestry. While it may not be joining the popularity charts…