Updated September 2026
Across 9 pages
of 9
French diminutive of Joséphine, Hebrew
"Jehovah increases"
A sweet and zippy short form of Joséphine, also used as a Picard and Walloon form. Fifine appears as a character in Charlotte Brontë's 1853 novel Villette .
Literary diminutive of Tam, Scottish
"twin; son of Thomas"
A gentle name with a playful and spirited air, Tamlin appears in a traditional Anglo-Scottish ballad that tells the story of Tamlin who is abducted by the Queen of Faeries and later rescued by his…
English diminutive of Gerard, Gerald, or Gethin, German
"spear strength; ruler with the spear; dark, swarthy complexion"
An oldy-world feeling nickname-name, used for a number of names such as Gerard (said with a sound G) and Gethin (said with a hard first consonant). In the US, it may be associated with the General…
Finnish, variation of Sampson
"sun"
Also spelled Sampsa, in the traditional Finnish epic poem Kalevala , Sampsa is a mythical person who sows all the forests of the land. It is also considered a variation of Biblical Sampson, taken…
Bulgarian, Serbian, Croatian
"honest, devoted"
A name associated with qualities many would hope their baby will possess: honesty, sincerity, truthfulness, and devotion. Notable bearers include footballer Iskren Pisarov and politician Iskren Mitev.
Serbian, Croatian
"to look, glance"
Not to be confused with the Hebrew Ozran, this is a Serbian and Croatian name, derived from the old Slavic word ozreti se meaning "to look", though other sources suggest it comes from ozariti meaning…
Literary name
"wandering as water"
The name of the (male) otter protagonist of Henry Williamson’s 1927 novel Tarka the Otter . It is in rare use as a male and female name in England, especially among the Telegraph-reading classes. A…
Flower name, from Greek
"corn grinder"
The bell-shaped flower Aletris is also known as Colic Root, Blazing Star, Unicorn Root, and Stargrass. Its roots have medicinal properties and are used to aid digestive and muscle problems. Its name…
Irish, Albanian, or Faroese
"little bear; golden; little father"
With stylish and approachable sounds, Artan is a charming multicultural choice that could work as an unusual alternative to Arthur, Aidan, Nathan, or Arlo. A name with three origins, it is…
Welsh or place name
"hawk of summer; heap of witness"
The son of Lancelot and Elaine in Arthurian legend, Galahad is the purest and most chivalrous of the Knights of the Round Table, and one of the three achievers of the Holy Grail. The derivation of…
English, elaborated form of Cora
Famous as the name of the widow of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Romanian
"order, beauty, universe"
Romanian form of Cosmas
French, diminutive of Amanda
"much-loved"
This fragrant, almond-scented name has hardly been heard in this country, which is a pity--we've loved it since John Malkovich used it for his now grown daughter. A French diminutive of Amanda, it…
English
"bird name"
Obsolete Swanhild gives way to oh-so-modern Swan, joining the flock of newly fashionable bird names such as Wren and Lark. In France, the Swann spelling is fashionable for both sexes. But Swan…
Phoenician
"serpent lady"
Name of the Phoenician deity who was the patron of Carthage, goddess of the moon, and a fertility figure. Variations include Tanit, Tanis, and Tanitha. The name is frequently misinterpreted to be an…
Welsh
"silver + yellow; silver + shining"
This early Welsh saint's name is unusual and lovely, waiting to be discovered. Saint Arianell was a member of the Welsh royal family who was possessed by a spirit which was exorcised by Saint Dyfrig,…
Bulgarian diminutive of Aleksandra, Greek
"defending men"
Like Sasha, but with an extra kick, Sashka is a Bulgarian nickname for Aleksandra. It may occasionally be used as a spelling variant of the Macedonian Saška, and in Russia as a unisex name.
Finnish
"bear"
A common animal name in Finland, it could work as an alternative to Otto or Otis.
English diminutive of names ending in deen, dene or dine, or short form of Deanna
"valley; divine"
Best associated with the Judy Blume novel of the same name, Deenie is a retro feeling nickname choice. Deenie is gaining fresh style traction along with similar boyish nickname-names for girls:…
Place name
"ravine under the mill"
Combining the sounds of familiar Ellie with the spark of contemporary Clover, Clovelly has a hint of Everly, Chloe, and Romilly about it too. Currently a very rare choice, and likely to remain so for…