Names That Mean Form

  1. Mathis
    • Origin:

      French and German form of Matthias or Matthew
    • Meaning:

      "gift of God"
    • Description:

      Very popular in France and Belgium, this name -- pronounced mat-tees, like the surname of the painter Matisse -- might make an appealing new way to say Matthew here.
  2. Cliff
    • Origin:

      Topographical name or short form of Clifford or Clifton
    • Description:

      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.
  3. Maxence
    • Origin:

      French form of Latin Maximus
    • Meaning:

      "greatest"
    • Description:

      A cute and fresh way to get to Max, this was the name of a sixth century saint. Maxence is a Top 100 boys' name in France, but largely unknown in the US where it is given to only a handful of baby boys each year.
  4. Emeline
    • Origin:

      French form of German Amelina
    • Meaning:

      "work"
    • Description:

      An old name, with a history separate from Emily and Emma and a different kind of vintage feel, that's a possible alternative to top-of-the-pops names. More common spelling is Emmeline.
  5. Leontine
    • Origin:

      French female form of Leontios, Greek
    • Meaning:

      "lion"
    • Description:

      Leontine is the French form of a name that's more familiar by its spelling variation Leontyne, the name made famous by opera diva Price. An obscure choice, Leontine nevertheless feels right for our lion-name-crazed moment.
  6. Lester
    • Origin:

      English place-name; phonetic form of Leicester
    • Description:

      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.
  7. Melisande
    • Origin:

      French form of Millicent, German
    • Meaning:

      "strong in work"
    • Description:

      This old-time fairy tale name is rarely heard in the modern English-speaking world, but it's so, well, mellifluous, that it would make a lovely choice for a twenty-first century girl--a romanticized tribute to an Aunt Melissa or Melanie.
  8. Tavo
    • Origin:

      Short form of Gustavo, Spanish variation of Gustav
    • Meaning:

      "staff of the Goths"
    • Description:

      Tavo is a stylish-sounding short form of an antique name.
  9. Zack
    • Origin:

      Short form of Zachary or Zachariah
    • Description:

      As the common short form of Zachary or, more unusually, Zachariah, Zack is less intuitive than Zach or Zac in terms of spelling but clearer in terms of pronunciations. Maybe because it rhymes with Jack and Mack, it also feels more complete as a name. Some people also use Zack and brothers as a short form of Isaac.
  10. Kenzie
    • Origin:

      Short form of Mackenzie, Scottish
    • Meaning:

      "son of Kenneth"
    • Description:

      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.
  11. Leonore
    • Origin:

      German short form of Eleanor
    • Description:

      Leonore is a melodic variation of the wide range of names related to Eleanor and, via a different root, Leonie that are so stylish throughout Europe right now and bound for greater visibility in the U.S. The name of one of the little princesses of Sweden, Leonore carries the gravity of Eleanor with more quirky charm.

      The only downside: Spelling and pronunciation confusion given so many similar variations, from Lenora to Leonie to Eleanora and onward.

  12. Xen
    • Origin:

      Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "meditation"
    • Description:

      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.
  13. Silvio
    • Origin:

      Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese form of Silvius
    • Meaning:

      "wood, forest"
    • Description:

      A shiny and sylvan choice, this sleek yet spirited name feels familiar yet is rarely used.
  14. Nica
    • Origin:

      Short form of Veronica, Latin
    • Meaning:

      "true image"
    • Description:

      More often spelled Nika, this is a well-used diminutive for the Eastern European Veronika, and there's no reason that the same principle can't apply in the West. It makes a venerated saint's name sound fresh and cute.
  15. Vince
    • Origin:

      Short form of Vincent, Latin
    • Meaning:

      "conquering"
    • Description:

      Vince is not a short form that often stands alone on the birth certificate, the way Jack or even Joe does, but it has certain credibility as the name always used for football great Vince Lombardi. And as a diminutive for Vincent, it's a far sight better than Vinnie or Vinny or even Vin.
  16. Emilie
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Emily; German and Scandinavian feminine form of Aemilius
    • Description:

      Unlike most creative spellings, this one isn't overly trendy or overdone—in fact, it's quite delicate and pretty. However, it is clearly suffering from the plethora of similar names that are flowing around right now (Emelie, Emilia, Emily, Emilee, Amelie, Amelia) and has fallen more than 300 spots since 2013. It might be time for Emilie and her sisters to be left alone for a while.
  17. Markus
    • Origin:

      German, Scandinavian, and Finnish form of Mark
    • Description:

      The K may be trendy, but this spelling variation is much less popular than Marcus.
  18. Eliska
    • Origin:

      Czech from Hebrew, pet form of Elisheva
    • Meaning:

      "pledged to God"
    • Description:

      Eliška is warm and friendly, in the Misha, Sasha mode.
  19. Lyssa
    • Origin:

      Short form of Alyssa or Greek mythological name
    • Meaning:

      "anger, fury, rage"
    • Description:

      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.
  20. Eugenie
    • Origin:

      French form of Eugenia, Greek
    • Meaning:

      "wellborn, noble"
    • Description:

      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.