Feminizations of Male Names

Rolande

Rolande is a feminine name of French origin, representing the female form of Roland. The name derives from Germanic elements meaning 'fame' and 'land,' suggesting someone of renowned courage or a…

Raymonde

Raymonde is a feminine name of French origin, derived from the Germanic elements 'ragin' (counsel) and 'mund' (protection). It represents the female counterpart to Raymond. Particularly popular in…

Stavra

Feminine variation of Stavros, Greek

"cross"

Stavra is the female version of the classic Greek name Stavros, sometimes erroneously anglified as Stephanie (which means crown) or Stella (star).

Severina

Latin, feminine variation of Severino

"stern, serious"

Not only stern and serious, but a little too severe.

Gilberte

French, feminine variation of Gilbert

You might be able to make this work if you pronounce it the sophisticated French way: zhil-bare.

Samuela

Italian, feminine variation of Samuel

"told by God"

An Italian feminization of Samuel that comes off as dated, we can't imagine many parents choosing Samuela over Samantha.

Placida

Italian and Spanish

"serene"

A name that's more familiar in its male form, Placido, but this can be a similar-feeling alternative to Serena.

Philippa

Greek, feminine variation of Philip

"lover of horses"

Philippa is a prime example of a boy's name adapted for girls that was common as crumpets in Cornwall, but rarely heard stateside. That was before the advent of royal sister-in-law Philippa…

Hermione

Feminine version of Hermes, Greek

"messenger, earthly"

Hermione's costarring role in Harry Potter has made this previously ignored, once stodgy name suddenly viable. Hermione could really take off once today's children start having kids of their own. In…

Horatia

Latin feminine variation of Horatio

Has the fusty charm of recently excavated ancient Roman male names like Augustus and Magnus, which might just appeal to the fearless baby namer.

Jacoba

Hebrew, feminine variation of Jacob

Now that Jacob has been the top boys' name for several years, this may come to the fore, the way Michaela did after Michael's long reign at Number One. For now, it's one of the more unusual girl…

Jacobine

Feminine variation of Jacob, Hebrew

"supplanter"

Jacobine is a rare -- no baby girls received the name in the US last year -- feminine form of the popular Jacob. But Jacobine has a quirky appeal. The Jacobins were a radical political club formed…

Petronilla

Roman and Italian feminine variation of Petronius

"yokel, woodpecker, stone"

Petronilla is an ancient saint's name that relates to the Roman family name Petronius, thought to mean yokel or woodpecker, though some connect it with Petra or Peter, meaning stone. With the…

Nigella

Feminine variation of Nigel; botanical name from Latin

"black"

A name that sounded unthinkably priggish until it became attached to Domestic Goddess British TV chef Nigella Lawson (named for her father), who gave it a big dollop of glamour.

Nicandra

Botanical name and feminine variation of Nicander, Greek

"man of victory"

Nicandra is the name of a plant known as apple-of-peru and also shoo-fly plant. It's also the feminine form of Nicander, an ancient Greek poet, physician, and grammarian. Nicandra is the name of the…

Josepha

Feminine variation of Joseph, Hebrew

"Jehovah increases"

Josepha is less heard in this country than in other parts of the world, seen as a slightly awkward feminization a la Ricarda and Benjamina. In the U.S., Josephine or Joanna is the more usual feminine…

Maxima

Latin, feminine variation of Maximus

Max names were one of the hottest trends for boys in the mid-2010s, and are still very popular. The girl versions haven't seen so much love, unfortunately. (Or fortunately, if you love them and want…

Jožica

Slovene, Croatian

"Jehovah increases"

A zippy feminine form of Joseph used in Slovenia and Croatia, based on the regional variant Jožef.

Mattea

Italian, from Hebrew

"gift of God"

This pretty, international feminization of Matthew was chosen by Mira Sorvino for her daughter, Mattea Angel. As the Spanish Mateo and the Italian Matteo become more popular for baby boys throughout…

Malina

Feminine form of Malcolm or spelling variation of Melina or Polish, Bulgarian, Serbian

"raspberry"

Malina is a synthetic-feeling name that may be a feminization of the Scottish Malcolm or a spelling twist on the Greek Melina and that also has a fruit meaning in several Eastern European languages.…