Name Spellings, Initials and Sounds · Popular Names and Name Trends
Names With Many Spellings
Across 53 pages
of 53
Emory
Spelling variation of Emery, English from German
"industrious"
Less popular than Emery, this name also attributes to Emory University. Both spellings of the name lean more heavily to the girls' side, but this one is not quite as unbalanced. Emory is used about…
Rebekah
Hebrew
"to tie, bind"
Many parents prefer this spelling of Rebecca, used in some versions of the Bible. Still, it's slipped considerably since its heyday in the eighties and nineties and fell off the US Top 1000…
Kolson
Variation of Colson, English
"son of Nicholas"
Colson was made familiar by author Colson Whitehead, who helped popularize the K variation as well. Both Colson and Kolson rapidly ascended the charts in 2017, the year following the release of…
Aviana
Variation of Avis, Latin
"bird"
Aviana is a name that's like the megapopular Ava and Ariana, but not quite as popular as either. It entered into the mainstream back in 2010 however, after actress Amy Adams chose it for her…
Reuben
Hebrew
"behold, a son"
Reuben is derived from the Hebrew words ra’a , meaning "to see, to understand," and ben , "son." As a phrase it translates to "behold, a son." In the Bible, Reuben is Jacob's first-born son by Leah…
Megan
Welsh diminutive of Margaret
"pearl"
Megan originally evolved from Meg, which itself derived as a nickname for Margaret. Margaret ultimately comes from the Greek word margarites , meaning "pearl." Megan is no longer a common nickname…
Leanna
Spelling variation of Liana; Combination of Lee and Anna
A name that gained some currency through its rhyming relationship to Breanna, though it has been on a downward trend since 1989.
Lilianna
Spelling variation of Liliana
Deriving from "Lilian", as an elaborate form of the flower name, "Lily", Lilianna is a clean and polished spelling for those wanting the pronunciation Lily-Ann-uh. While the Spanish-influenced…
Shepard
Occupational name
"sheep hearder"
A phonetic variation of Shepherd, an occupational surname. Sam Shepard, the actor and playwright, is a notable figure to use this spelling for his last name. As a first name, this spelling is closely…
Lucien
French form of Lucian
"light"
Sophisticated Gallic version of Lucian, Lucien may appeal to parents attracted to this meaning over that of Lucas and Luke, which have a different root, and also looking for a more unusual choice.…
Luisa
Italian, Spanish
"renowned warrior"
This streamlined Italian and Spanish spelling of Louisa is currently very popular in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Portugal, where it's usually spelt Luísa.
Khalani
Variation of Kailani, Hawaiian
"sea and sky"
Khalani debuted on the US Top 1000 in 2020 thanks to the influence of Khalani Simon — known as Lani Love — a child model and budding star.
Kannon
English, Hindi
Kannon, the name of actor Kevin James' son born in 2011, seems at first glance to be a kre8if spelling of bad boy name Cannon. But Kannon is also the name of the Buddhist god (and sometime goddess)…
Rayne
Variation of Rain or Rayna
Rayne is the unique name used for one of the girl sextuplets on the Sweet Home TV show.
Nataly
Spelling variation of Natalie, French
"birthday of the Lord"
With Natalie and Natalia in the US Top 100, it is not a surprise for spelling variations to gain popularity. Nataly was given to nearly 300 baby girls in 2023 and was one of the fastest-rising girl…
Rey
Spanish
"king"
Sounds exactly like Ray—but with an on-trend royal vibe. The central protagonist in the newest Star Wars trilogy is a woman named Rey.
Teresa
Spanish
"to harvest"
How do you spell Teresa? Teresa, the simpler phonetic form of this name, was the most popular variation for its early life, when it was used exclusively in Spain and Portugal. Other spellings of…
Ezrah
Hebrew, variation of Ezra
"help"
Ezra (and Ezrah) is potentially an abbreviation for the Hebrew phrase Azaryahu, meaning "Yah helps." In the Bible, Ezra led a group of fifteen hundred Israelites out of slavery in Babylon and back to…
Giuliana
Italian variation of Juliana
"youthful"
Italian names like Gianna, Giovanna, Ginevra, Giulia, and Giuliana are being used increasingly by trendy baby namers — whether they have Italian roots or not. The Gi standing in for the more…
Raina
Slavic and German variation of Regina
"queen"
Strong and solid, with a touch of foreign intrigue, it's the most popular of the rain-related names, with a variety of pronunciations—RAY-na, rah-EE-na, or RY-na. Alternate spellings Reyna and Rayna…
