Names That Mean Form

Kenzie

Short form of Mackenzie, Scottish

"son of Kenneth"

Take away the Mac and what do you have? Rather than "son of Kenneth," the meaning becomes simply Kenneth, which in itself means son of fire or handsome. In the US, the name Kenzie peaked for girls…

Kenna

Scottish, feminine form of Kenneth

Kenna is the Scottish version of Kendra, both of which are feminine versions of Kenneth. Used in the TV show Reign for one of the supporting characters.

Indy

Short form of Indiana

Indie — as in indie films — is the more girlish version of the name, but earthy, gender-neutral Indy is catching up slowly and steadily. Indy entered the Top 1000 for girls for the first time in 2023…

Belen

Spanish place name and form of Bethlehem, Hebrew, Turkish

"house of bread; mountainside"

A fast rising choice in the US, Belen is a name with two possible origins. On one hand, it could be a variation — or an anglicization — of Belén, the Spanish form of Bethlehem. This would make it a…

Nola

Gaelic

"white shoulder"

Nola, a name with a sleek, enigmatic quality, was used for the much-pursued heroine of Spike Lee's 1986 breakout film, She's Gotta Have It , and again by Woody Allen in Match Point . It's a short…

Jessie

Anglicized form of Teasagh or diminutive of Jessica, Hebrew

"behold or wealthy"

Jessie has never been used as much as Jennie/Jenny, partly because it's a boys’ name as well (spelled Jesse), but it does have a friendly and unpretentious pioneer feel. In Scotland, it's found as an…

Eleanora

Latinate form of Eleanor, meaning unknown

Eleanor is back, Nora is back, and, as predicted, Eleanora is back too. Having left the charts in the 1930s, this elaboration of Eleanor has returned and blends the elements of its two more popular…

Siya

American variation of Sia, short form of names ending -siya, Sanskrit, South African; "victory; furrow; white moonlight; thank you"

"victory; furrow; white moonlight; thank you"

Siya is a sweet and simple looking choice with a variety of origins. In South Africa, it derives from the Zulu and Ndebele Siyabonga, meaning "we thank you", and is predominantly used as a masculine…

Anais

Catalan and Provencal pet form of Hebrew Anna

"grace"

Anais is an unusual, alluring name forever attached to the daring French-born American novelist and diarist Anais Nin (born Angela, with Anais as one of her middle names), who became the inspiration…

Luisa

Italian, Spanish, Germanic

"renowned warrior"

Sleek, classic and streamlined, this is the Italian and Spanish form of Louisa, ultimately from the Louis, the French variant of Germanic Ludwig. Slightly airier in sound than the English form, Luisa…

Bennett

English medieval form of Benedict, Latin

"blessed"

Bennett, with its 'ett' ending, has a softer feel compared to some other Ben- names, and with celebrity style Benny and Beni catching attention, this variation of Benedict with its gentle meaning has…

Emmeline

Old French form of archaic German Amal

"work"

Emmeline is an Emma relative and Emily cousin that is destined for greater use in the wake of the megapopularity of those two names. A recommended Nameberry fave, Emmeline hopped onto the US Top 1000…