Names That Mean Variant
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- Dane
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"from Denmark"Description:
Dane is a more masculine Dana alternative, with added style edge. Dane has been on the US Top 1000 for more than seventy years, having entered the list in 1945.
- Aleksander
Origin:
Polish, Slovene, Estonian, Norwegian, and Danish form Alexander, GreekMeaning:
"defending man"Description:
An international variation of classic Alexander, this form has slightly softer sounds, yet feels just as strong. Popular in Poland, the Netherlands, Norway and Slovenia, but familiar in the UK too, short forms include Aleks, Sander, Sandi, and Sašo (Sasho).
- Kermit
Origin:
Irish, variant of Diarmaid/DermotMeaning:
"without injunction, without envy"Description:
Kermit was a Top 500 name until the 1960s, not coincidentally the decade in which Kermit the Frog made it a one-person (well, one-frog) name.
- Marvin
Origin:
Welsh, variant of MervynMeaning:
"sea hill"Description:
Marvin has been neglected for so long that it's hard to believe that it has windswept Welsh roots. It also has some strong namesakes going for it -- singer Marvin Gaye, composer Marvin Hamlisch and boxer Marvin Hagler. It's the real name of both Neil Simon and Meatloaf. And let's not forget mention Marvin Gardens on Monopoly.
- Ozymandias
Origin:
Greek variant of Ramses, EgyptianMeaning:
"begotten by Ra, the Sun God"Description:
Percy Bysshe Shelley got the name for one of his most famous poems -- a sonnet about the insignificance of man's labors in the vastness of time -- from the Greek name for Ancient Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses II.
- Ruslan
Origin:
Slavic from TurkicMeaning:
"lion"Description:
A fairly common name in many Slavic countries, especially Russia – perhaps in part because it sounds close to the name of the country, although the two words are unrelated etymologically. The name Ruslan was used by Russian poet Alexander Pushkin for the hero of his epic poem Ruslan and Ludmila, based on Russian and Tatar folktales about the hero Yeruslan Lazarevich. Yeruslan or Uruslan is a Tatar name likely deriving from Turkic arslan "lion".
- Akiva
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"to protect, shelter"Description:
Akiva has a distinguished scholarly pedigree and a lovely meaning. Its softer sound is very on trend for masculine names at the moment and is in line with more familiar monikers like Ezra, Elijah and Theo.
- Pola
Origin:
Short form of Amapola, ArabicMeaning:
"poppy"Description:
Pola is an international name that still bears the femme fatalish air of Polish-born silent screen vamp Pola Negri, whole birth name was Apolonia. Rarely used, she could join sisters Lola and Nola.
- Monserrat
Origin:
Spelling variant of Montserrat, Catalan place-name meaning "serrated mountain"Meaning:
"serrated mountain"Description:
Monserrat is a variant spelling of the Catalan name Montserrat. It is likely the better spelling in English-speaking countries given the correct pronunciation of the name.
- Basha
Origin:
Yiddish, variant of BATYAMeaning:
"foreign woman"Description:
Basha bears a family resemblance to other newly popular Slavic names Sasha and Mischa, all of them hearty, warm and welcoming.
- Kiva
Origin:
Hebrew, variant of AkivaMeaning:
"protect"Description:
The spiritual sounding Kiva has a number of other-worldly associations. Kiva is a "Stargate" character who becomes a commander in the Lucian Alliance, as well as a planet in "Star Wars." Kiva is also the name of a room used by the Hopi for spiritual ceremonies.
- Jory
Origin:
Cornish variant of George, or diminutive of JordanDescription:
A rarely-used name even in its native Cornwall, Jory nevertheless feels very wearable, thanks to its similarity to familiar picks like Rory, Corey and Joey. Jory Cassel is a minor character in the first season of Game of Thrones.
- Liva
Origin:
DanishMeaning:
"variant of Lifa"Description:
In old Norse mythology Lifa/Liva is one of only two people that are destined to survive Ragnarok (Nordic armageddon) and will therefore be the parents of a new race of man.
- Pau
Origin:
Catalan variant of PaulMeaning:
"small; peace"Description:
A very common name in Catalonia, in the northeast of Spain, in no small part because it translates as "peace" in the Catalan tongue. Alec and HIlaria Baldwin used it as one of the middle names for their son Eduardo.
- Sommer
Origin:
German and Danish variant of SummerDescription:
You occasionally see the German and Danish word for "summer" pop up as a first name -- 16 girls were given it in 2016 -- and that trend may continue, now that the original has risen to Number 202 on the American popularity list.
- Zerline
Origin:
French variant of Zerlin and ZerlinaMeaning:
"beautiful dawn"Description:
Although a variant of the operatic Zerlina, Zerline has her own theatrical tale. She is the star character of the opera Fra Diavolo by Daniel Auber. Zerline, daughter of the innkeeper of Terracina, is in love with an impoverished soldier, Lorenzo, but her father wants her to marry the rich old Francesco. Various tragedies and events occur. In the end, Zerline is free to marry her beloved Lorenzo.
- Elikai
Origin:
Hawaiian variant of ElishaDescription:
A well-established (if rare) Hawaiian name that combines two trendy names: Elijah and Kai.
- Thibaut
Origin:
French variant of TheobaldDescription:
A common first and last name in France and, especially, Belgium, more often spelled Thibault.
- Ahman
Origin:
American, possible variant of Arabic AhmedMeaning:
"commendable, praiseworthy"Description:
Football fans just might want to honor star footballer Ahman Green, whose name can be seen as a variation of AHMED or AHMAD.
- Kimo
Origin:
Hawaiian variant of JamesDescription:
An upbeat Hawaiian name with the fashionable -o ending, Kimo would theoretically be an appealing choice... were it not for its homophony with the grim word "chemo."