Names That Mean Form
Across 34 pages
of 34
Spuria
Feminine form of Spuria, Latin, meaning unknown
Marisela
Spanish and Italian form of Maria
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + famous battle"
An elaboration of Marisa, a combination of Maria and Louisa. The meaning of Maria is uncertain, but theories include "drop of the sea" (from Hebrew roots mar "drop" and yam "sea"); "bitter" (from…
Maarah
Romani form of Mara
From the biblical name Mara, meaning "bitter".
Éabha
Irish form of Eve
"life"
Irish spelling of Eva or Ava, also spelt Eabha in Ireland.
Rise
English, Norwegia, Danish, Japanese
"move upward, ascend; mighty, distinguished; lapis lazuli + celestial"
A multicultural choice with a range of meanings, this name boomed in the 1940s and 50s thanks to the glamorous singer Risë (pronounced REE-sa) Stevens, who inherited her name from her Norwegian…
Cosy
Short form of Cosette or Cosima; Variation of Cozy; English word name
Cosy is a, well, cozy name, whose only downside is people forever making that dumb joke. Cosy can be short for Cosima or Cosette but can certainly stand on its own as a word name. Another plus:…
Appia
Feminine form of Appius, Latin, meaning unknown
A name from ancient Roman, now rare.
Ro
Short form of Rose, Rosemary, Rowena, Rory et al
Ro is a casual short form that doesn't usually appear on the birth certificate on its own. But it makes a friendly nickname for any girls' name starting with Ro-.
Iben
Norwegian, Danish, Frisian
"ebony; supplanter; yew wood"
This unisex name ranks among the most popular girl names in Norway, though it has a number of different roots. On one hand, it can be derived from the Danish ibenholt meaning "ebony", making it a…
Ollie
Short form of Olive or Olivia, Latin
"olive tree"
Less used than Liv or Livvy, Ollie is a boyish nickname for girls, sometimes used for Olivia and Olive. Currently out of the US charts, you might be surprised to learn that Ollie actually ranked more…
Numeria
Latin, feminine form of Numerius
Numeria was a feminine forename in ancient Rome, said to derive from Numeria, the goddess of childbirth.
Mania
Feminine form of Manius, Latin
"born in the morning"
A pretty Roman name, but unfortunately also the English vocabulary word mania. Spelling it Manya would avoid the issue.
Aula
Latin, feminine form of Aula
"little grandfather"
A Roman name that's unused by English speakers today, but might appeal as a shorter, lighter alternative to Aurelia. The Latin vocabulary word aula also meant "hall".
Eilidh
Gaelic form of Eleanor
Long popular in Scotland, this attractive name is strictly-speaking the Gaelic version of Eleanor, but is also often considered part of the Helen family of names. After the Normans introduced it into…
Ffinian
Welsh form of Finnian
Like currently-stylish Finnian, but as a native Welsh speaker would spell it.
Carme
Catalan and Galician form of Carmel, Hebrew
"garden"
Currently considered a grandma name in Catalonia, but fresh and unusual (though easily confused with Karma) elsewhere.
Gal·la
Catalan feminine form of Gallus, Latin
"rooster"
Light and cheerful, Gal·la is used for girls in its native Catalonia. The Spanish form Gala is even more popular both there and throughout Spain, and this spelling travels more easily around the…
Ireneu
Catalan form of Irenaeus, Greek
"peace"
Abbey
English word name or short form of Abigail
Abbey might sound exactly like the popular Abigail nickname Abby or Abbie, but spelled this way it is also a churchy word name with a Gothic feel. But hearing it, no one will know the difference.
Gail
Hebrew, short form of Abigail
"my father rejoices"
Gail was a mid-twentieth century favorite, which has been far surpassed by its original form, Abigail and nickname Abby. Spelling variations include Gale and Gayle, the latter represented by TV…