Names That Mean Form

Similar yet different to Marcel, and the cedilla spelling adds extra Catalan charm.

Marçal

This spelling of the Arabic name Yahya (equivalent to John) is popular in Balkan nations such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, which have large Muslim populations.

Jahja

Ante is the equivalent to Antony in Croatia, Bosnia, and other Balkan countries. Antea is the feminine equivalent, and would make a sweet, modern-sounding alternative to dusty Antonia.

Antea

A classic from the Welsh Bible, but parents outside Wales would probably need a good reason to use the extra E.

Seimon

Walter is an old school boys' name that is gently on the rise again. Short forms include Walt (as in Disney) and Wally, but Wat was once commonly used in England as a diminutive of Walter.

Cait, pronounced like more popular sister Kate, is the form used when shortening Caitlin or any of the other Irish and Gaelic Cait-starting variations of Catherine.

Cait

There are not one but two notable modern women with this name: journalist Christiane Amanpour and physician/author Christiane Northrup. In Germany, the pronunciation is kris-tee-AH-na while in France, it's kris-tee-AHN — and in the U.S., there's sure to be confusion. While Christiane is not stylish, it's a strong, attractive, unusual-though-familiar name.

Christiane

If you're looking for a girl's name that honors an ancestral Arthur, try Artis.

Arthurina

Cateline

Marios

Santes Ffraid is the traditional Welsh name for St Bridget, the Irish national saint and legendary miracle worker. The connection becomes clearer through the Scottish form of the name, Bride. It's worth noting that it sounds like the English word "fried".

Ffraid

The second-most-common variation of John in Iceland, behind Jón. Jóhann has had more steady rankings over the years.

Jóhann

Spelled Alastríona in its native language, this Irish cousin of Alexandra is little-known but fairly intuitive.

Alastriona

An alternative spelling of Austin that is occasionally given to boys in the US.

Ostyn

As this name is essentially Arnold, it is out of fashion in Wales currently. The Welsh "LL" sound is likely to prove a challenge elsewhere in the world.

Arnallt

Galsworthy used this for "The Forsyte Saga," but in modern real life Julian would work better.

Jolyon

Sylfesta

Scilla are little woodland flowers in a beautiful bright blue color. Scilla can also be a short form of Priscilla, from Prisca "ancient".

Scilla

A humorous rhyme, named for English humourist and novelist Edmund Clerihew Bentley (1875–1956), who invented the form.

Clerihew

If you're looking for an honor name for grandpa Tom, this could be a good choice. It's also used as a male short form of the name in Eastern Europe.