Names That Mean Form

Emiliia

Ukrainian form of Emilia, from Latin

"rival"

An alternative transcription of the Ukrainian name Емілія. It is usually spelled Emiliya, but some may find this spelling — all sitting above the line — more aesthetically pleasing.

Dervla

Anglicized form of Irish Dearbhla or Deirbhile

"daughter of the poet"

Tongue twister of a name common in Ireland in both its Gaelic and its Anglicized forms. American or British parents looking for an Irish name that's still largely unknown in the outside world might…

Coretta

English, elaborated form of Cora

Famous as the name of the widow of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Mehi̇n

Azerbaijani form of Mehin

"related to the moon"

A Top 100 choice in Azerbaijan, this name comes from the Persian Mahin.

Jerry

Short feminine form of Gerald or Jerome, German or Greek

"ruler with the spear or sacred name"

The J spelling of this nickname name has always skewed more masculine, perhaps because it relates directly to Jerome but not to Geraldine. But supermodel Jerry Hall, whose full name is Jerry and who…

Kez

Short form of Keziah

"cassia tree"

Quirky mini name given by Nia Long to her daughter in 2011. Could be short for Keziah.

Birgitta

Scandinavian variation of Bridget, Gaelic, or feminine form of Birger

"strength or exalted one; help, rescue"

Not to be confused with the Hungarian and German Brigitta, Birgitta is often considered the classic Scandinavian form of the Irish Bridget, used in Iceland, Denmark, The Netherlands, Sweden, and…

Fate

Short form of Lafayette, French, English word name

"faith; predestined, destiny, chance"

Fate was in the US Top 1000 for boys in the late 19th century, not as a word name but as a short form of the old French name, Lafayette. In the contemporary landscape however, it may well be…

Sasa

Hungarian or Slavic short form of Alexandra or Sarah; Cherokee

"goose"

Sasa is a simple name with complex origins. In the Cherokee language, it means goose. It might also be a Hungarian or other Easterm European short form of Sarah or Alexandra, ala Sasha. Some sources…

Harri

Short form of Harriet, English

"estate ruler"

Harri and Harrie are two underused short forms of the under-appreciated classic Harriet. Another adorable nickname, Hattie, is used more than three times as much as Harriet.

Christiane

German and French feminine form of Christian

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…

Freddy

Short form of Alfreda, Frederica, or Winifred, English

"wise counselor, peaceful ruler, blessed peacemaking"

Freddy is a quintessential boys name across the pond, but with tomboy nicknames like Charlie and Leni rising for girls -- Freddy may very well make a splash for girls next!

Gert

Short form of Gertrude, German

"strength of a spear"

Gert is an old school nickname for one of the oldest school names, Gertrude. Only the most adventurous, so-far-out-it's-in baby namers will choose Gertrude or Gert today, but it's definitely geek…

Sal

Short form of Sally, diminutive of Sarah, Hebrew

"princess"

Sal is a cute spin on the trend of boyish nicknames for girls, rarer than Sam or Ali.