Names That Mean Form

Lenia is part Lena and part Leni, a full name that started life as a short form of most any name ending or beginning with a Len sound. While Lena was used for more than 1000 baby girls in the US last year and Leni was used for nearly 100, Lenia was given to fewer than five. But Lenia is one of the most popular baby girl names in Switzerland.

Lenia

Ninfa is a form of Nympha occasionally found in modern Italy and Spanish-speaking countries. There is a Garden of Ninfa in the Latina province of Italy.

Ninfa

A tuneful Arabic name, Shadia is a variant of Shadi, with the musical meaning of "singer". With an appealing international sound, it may also be spelled as Shadya and Shadiah, while the Turkish form is Sadiye. A notable bearer is Egyptian model and actress Shadia (born as Fatma Ahmad Kamal Shaker).

Shadia

A diminutive of Theresa, with a sweet, sassy sound, Tressie loses out to Tess, Tessie, and Terri, perhaps because it rhymes with stressy, or because it reminds English speakers at least of a word for long hair (as in, "long tresses"). While it recent years have seen it given to very small handful of girls, it did appear in the US Top 1000 from 1880 to 1939. Notable bearers include Tressie Souders, the first (known) African American woman to direct a feature film, and Tressie McMillan Cottom, a sociologist, writer, and professor.

Tressie

The unusual and intriguing Tullia has been used since Roman times and may appeal to parents who like Tallulah, Julia, and Lillia but want something that's very rarely heard.
 
A feminine form the illustrious family name Tullius, as borne by philosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero, the exact meaning of the name is unknown, though it is speculated it comes from Tullus which possibly means "one who supports". The aforementioned Cicero names his daughter Tullia, while other bearers include 16th century poet Tullia d'Aragona and journalist Tullia Zevi.
 
Tullia could be shortened to Tully, which is also an unrelated Irish surname meaning "flood."

Tullia

Derived from a spirited Roman name, Valeriya is the bright, elegant  Ukrainian, Russian, and occasionally Belarusian, form of Valeria or Valerie. It's a popular choice in Russia, and a familiar one in Kazakhstan. 

Valeriya

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 not translate for English speakers, who may not be able to wrap their tongues around the subtleties of its pronunciation.

Mahé

This saintly choice is an example of the Catalan trend for short, streamlined names.

Blai

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 goddess Lyssa could not control her rage. Choose this otherwise soft and pretty name at your own peril.

Lyssa

Another international member of the Isabel family.

Izabelė

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 king and the philosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero.  Tullio can be shortened to Tully, more properly an Irish surname with a tangled history of its own, while Tulio can be a substitute for Julio.

Tullio

One of the few Lu- names that you've probably never heard of, Lulie could prove a good alternative for Luna, Lucy, and Lula.

Lulie

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, a spelling used for about 150 babies of each gender. That makes Syd the more common spelling for girls of this cute short form. 

Theodoric feels prehistoric, though with short form Theo one of the hottest names around, this old <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/805/german-names-for-boys">German names for boys</a> may soon feel new again.

Theodoric

Marged is to Margaret what Elspeth is to Elizabeth, and Karen to Katherine.

Marged

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, there is great potential for confusion with the name Mae.

Maé

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 connotation has kept parents from using Tybalt. However, given the recent fad for all things Theo, Tybalt might offer a familiar yet unusual option for parents who like the meaning but want to swim against the current. Cute nicknames Ty and Tibby might also appeal.

Tybalt

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 charm and is boosted by the funky clunky Bernadette long form. 
 
Politician Bernie Sanders (temporarily) boosted this name for boys but Bernie has not been used as a given name for girls since 1975.

Bernie

A pretty halfway house between the modern name Ffion, which has been popular in Wales in recent decades, and the unrelated name Fiona.

Ffiona

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 your child.