By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 409 pages
of 409
Variation of Alice or Elizabeth
The Elissa version of a long-popular name is fading in favor of Alyssa, Eliza and other variants. The legion of other forms and spellings includes Alissa, Allissa, Allyssa, Alyssa, Elissah, Ellisa,…
Latin
"life"
Vivien (Scarlett O'Hara) Leigh was born Vivian. Some sources give Vivien as a relative of the Irish goddess name Bebinn and a literary name invented by Tennyson. Others say it's related to the…
Spanish
"white"
More colorful than Blanche, but blanker than Bianca.
Inayah is a feminine name with Arabic origins, derived from the word meaning "care," "concern," or "providential care." More specifically, it refers to God's care and protection over humanity in…
Jazlin is a contemporary feminine name with a melodic quality. It appears to be a modern variation of Jasmine or Jazmine, combining the 'Jaz' sound with the popular '-lin' ending found in names like…
Spelling variation of Payton
Payton and Peyton are both very popular names for girls as well as boys, but Paityn is a spelling variations used almost exclusively for girls.
English variation of Emily, Latin
"rival"
Again, we see the trendy -ee suffix.
Khalia is a feminine name with Arabic and African origins. It's a variant of the name Khalila, which means 'beloved' in Arabic. In some African contexts, particularly in East Africa, it may be…
Italian
"defender of men"
Italian form of Alexa, sometimes short for Alessandra, which sidesteps the Amazon Alexa issue.
Slovenian, Croatian and Estonian variation of Carmen
"garden, song"
Derived from a place name and a musical word, Karmen is the Slovenian, Croatian, and Estonian form of Carmen, though it might just be used as a contemporary, English spelling a la Kadence and Karter.
English from French
"Saint Denis"
While Sidney in this spelling has a long history as a girls' name, it fell off the Top 1000 from the early 50s until 1990. Then it reemerged as one of the newly chic androgynous names for girls,…
Diminutive of Valentina or Valerie or word name, English, Latin
"strength, health; valley"
Vallie is one of those names that doubles up as a sweet, stylish nickname for several well-established choices and as a modern, nature-connected word name. A Top 1000 choice in the late 19th- and…
Sanskrit, Hindi
"blessed and victorious; little mare"
This beautiful name used in India is one of the many names of the Hindu goddess Saraswati. Aashvi, along with several other Hindu names, is currently on the rise.
Dalani is a feminine name with multiple possible origins. It may be derived from Hawaiian roots, where it could be connected to the concept of 'heavenly' or 'from the sky.' Some sources suggest…
Hindi
"courage"
Dhriti is a Hindi name used especially in Nepal for both girls and boys. English speakers have trouble with three consonants (or three vowels, for that matter) in a row, so this may prove challenging.
Word name
Divine seems more proper a name with the rise of Heaven and its turned-around twin Nevaeh. Though superlative names like Divine -- Unique, say, or Precious -- sometimes seems as if they're trying to…
Eilany is a modern feminine name with possible roots in Irish and Hebrew origins. It may be a creative variation of names like Eileen (Irish for 'bright, shining one') or Eliana (Hebrew for 'God has…
Variation of Carly, English
"free man"
This nouveau spelling peaked at Number 583 in 2004. In spite of its trend-making K and "ee" ending, Karlee is much less popular than the original Carly.
African
"gentle, humane"
This Swahili and Muslim female name referring to the Prophet Muhammed's nurse. It is a popular name in Egypt and Somalia.
Kolbie is a feminine name that originated as a gender-neutral variant of Colby. The name Colby has English origins meaning "dark-haired" or refers to someone from a "coal town" or a "farm by the coal…
