Names That Mean Form

In European countries where it's regularly used as a form of the Amelia family of names, the pronunciation is very similar to the a-ending form, Amalia.

Has a sharp investigative quality that's not a bad thing to impart to a child.

Katerina and its near-identical twin Katarina have a pleasingly lilting European sound, though for some Americans they may be uncomfortably close to Katrina, which will be linked for a long time to the hurricane that devastated New Orleans.

Drawn from old record books, Kiah is an antiquated nickname that feels perfectly appropriate for modern times -- maybe more so than father name Hezekiah.

Once rare, this streamlined form of Jessica has been boosted by two very different television figures: the Jemima Kirke character on HBO series Girls, and reality television daughter Jessa Duggar.

Demetria is a dramatic ancient Greek earth goddess possibility with the star-studded nickname Demi. Young actor/singer/songwriter Demi Lovato was born Demetria, but contrary to common hearsay, Demi Moore was born Demi.

An even more unusual cousin name is the Cornish Demelza, made somewhat familiar via the TV series Poldark.

Sleek modern short form of a classic Scandinavian name.

Irish spelling of Eva or Ava, also spelt Eabha in Ireland.

Eugenie enjoyed a major dusting off when Fergie and Prince Andrew chose it for their daughter, restoring a patina of royal sheen it hadn't had since the time of Napoleon III's glamorous empress--who spent much of her life in England. It was also borne by Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, after whom Prince Andrew's younger daughter was named.

Ollie is used less often as a nickname for the mega-popular Olivia or the stylish Olive than Ellie is for Eleanor or Allie for Allison. That may be because Ollie has a much longer use as a nickname for boys.

One of many Irish names that, despite pronunciation challenge, are beginning to be taken into consideration here as authentic Celtic versions of familiar English names.

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.

Italian classic Luigi, though it lacks the modern style of Nico, Enzo, and Rocco, does have some notable namesakes, such as Nobel Prize winning author Luigi Pirandello and composer Cherubini..

Still one of the most appealing short forms, which goes a long way toward explaining the sustained popularity of Matthew. Matt is perennially the popular guy in high school, friendly, attractive, and comfortable with a baseball. Matty or Mattie are cute for a younger boy.

Xen and Zen, both pronounced the same way, are two hip new spiritual word names from Buddhist practice. Among the celebrity set, Corey Feldman has a Zen and Tisha Campbell Martin's son is Xen.

There's more than one reason why parents might consider this rising name for a daughter. George Eliot was the pen name of English writer Mary Ann Evans, one of the leading authors of the Victorian era. The possibility of nickname Ellie is another factor.

Lester is one of the British surname names that were popular in the US in the early decades of the twentieth century: it was in the Top 100 through 1931, reaching a high of Number 52 in 1906. But dropping of the list in the late 1990s, along with Hester and Sylvester, we don't see much hope for a return visit.

Cliff is a familiar, timeless short form -- never too popular, yet widely known -- that you might also think of as a geographical name ala Vale or Field.

Charlene is a Charlotte variation that, along with similar names like Arlene and Marlene, spiked in popularity in the 1940s and fifties, reaching a high of Number 100 in 1949. Most parents today would prefer one of the note classic versions -- or even nickname Charlie.

Mica is not the same name -- though it sounds the same -- as Micah, but the h makes it feel more masculine.