By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 607 pages
of 607
Variation of Genesis
Genesis, meet Jennifer. This spelling of Genesis — the first book in the Bible — is comfortably in the Top 1000.
Spanish variation of Juliet
"little Julia"
Julietta feels newly fresh and friendly thanks to the growing familiarity of Juliet and French sister Juliette.
Arabic, Hebrew
"heavens, highborn, exalted; to ascend, to rise"
Simpler and less tied to the singer in this form, Aliya is a feminine form of the Arabic name Ali, meaning "lofty, sublime, high" or "exalted." Boosted to fame by the ill-fated singer, Aaliyah, and…
French and German variation of Amelia
"work"
Amelia meets Emily, gets a Bohemian spin and a French accent when it becomes Amelie. This favorite among French girl names has been gaining notice here thanks to the charming 2001 French film Amelie…
Greek, French
"moon or heavenly"
A light and pretty pan-cultural name which can be considered a variant of either the Greek name Selene or Selena, meaning "moon", or of the French Celine, meaning "heavenly". An attractive choice…
Spelling variation of Zaniah
This variant of Zaniah debuted on the US Top 1000 in 2007.
Modern invented name, from Hebrew or Arabic
"God's ascent; lofty, exalted"
Jaliyah seems to be a variation of the popular Aliyah, which has both Hebrew and Arabic origins. From Hebrew, the name means "ascent" while the Ja- beginning often connotes God, so the meaning might…
Variation of Amaya or Amaia, Spanish, Basque, Japanese
"mother city; the end; night rain; heavenly valley"
A multicultural choice, Amayah and its variations have been rising up the charts in recent years. This particular form entered the US Top 1000 back in 2016 and a recent year saw in rank just within…
Feminine variation of Michael, Hebrew
"who is like God?"
This most proper form of the name shot up the charts in the nineties, only to sink just as precipitously, supplanted by upstarts Makayla and McKayla ad infinitum. The Michaela version retains some…
Modern variation of Alani, Eleni, Ilana, or Eliana, Hawaiian, Greek, Hebrew
"orange tree; shining light, torch; tree; my God has answered"
Melodic and stylish, Elani blends the lani ending of Hawaiian names like Alani, Kalani and Leilani, with the sounds and beginning of choices like the Hebrew Eliana, the Greek Eleni, and the classic…
Variation of Anaia, Basque, or Hebrew
"brother; God has answered"
Despite being associated with male characters in the Bible, Anaiah is much more common for girls in the US. In Puerto Rico, Anaiah ranks in the Top 100.
Greek
"Indian dye"
Indigo is one of the most appealing and evocative of the new generation of color names. Color names have joined flower and jewel names -- in a big way -- and Indigo, a deep blue-purple dye from…
Spelling variation of Madelyn, meaning "from Magdala" or "high tower"
"high tower"
This variation of Madelyn has the trendier -nn suffix and ranks lower than the single -n ending. Regardless of what spelling you use, however, when you combine all the variations together, names from…
Combination of Ariel and Elizabeth or Hispanic variation of Elizabeth, Hebrew
"lion of God + pledged to God"
Arisbeth is a name that feels poetic and fantastical like Arwen or Amoret, but equally familiar and sunny, like Marisol. It is in fact a name used primarily in Mexico and by Hispanic parents in the…
Hebrew
"bee"
Deborah has suffered from the fact that in the mid-twentieth century there were so many Debbies on the block that the beauty and meaning of the original name got lost. Deborah may no longer be among…
Persian
"Pleiades constellation"
Soraya is a Persian name made famous in the Western world by the one-time empress of Iran, who settled in Europe, primarily in France. Soraya is derived from Thurayya, the Arabic name of the…
"God is gracious"
Johanna is the version of this name used in Holland, Germany, and Scandinavia. The extra h makes Johanna a slightly more dignified version of Joanna. A notable namesake is the author of Heidi ,…
Feminine variation of Adrian
"man of Adria"
A popular spelling variation of Adriana.
Italian, Polish, English
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + grace"
While Marianna looks like a spelling variation of Mariana, the two names have different etymologies. While the one-N spelling derives from the Roman name Marianus, Marianna is a combination of two…
Spelling variation of Kehlani, Hawaiian
"sea and sky"
Hawaiian names have officially made their way to the mainland, with Leilani, Kehlani, Alani, Kailani, and Kaylani all ranking within the Top 300. Now Kahlani — one of several pseudo-Hawaiian names…
