Name Spellings, Initials and Sounds
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 5 pages
of 5
German
"barrel maker; pine"
Kiefer is a strong occupational surname associated with "24" star Kiefer Sutherland, but one that could well join the other 'er' surnames currently in favor. Keifer is a German surname transferred to…
Word name
"fate"
The next Destiny? Kismet seems like it might be fated for increased use.
Scottish
"someone who lived near wet ground"
When actress Deborah Kerr entered the scene, there was a great debate over her name's pronunciation. Car or Ker. Your choice.
Variation of Kaleva, Finnish
"ancestor of the Finns"
Kalevi is a variant form of Kaleva, the name of a character from Finnish legend — the ancestor of all Finns. Although both are masculine names, Kalevi may be better suited for non-Finnish boys, since…
Hindi, variation of Kalinda
"sun"
Kalindi is a lovely, rhythmic name refers to one of the seven sacred rivers of India.
Finnish variation of Caro, English
"free man"
Seen in Nordic countries as a nickname for Karolina or Karl.
Literary name
"hope"
Karou is the blue-haired, tattooed protagonist of Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy; her name means "hope" in the language of the chimaera who raised her. Reminiscent of sweet…
Japanese
"beautiful peace"
Kazumi can be used both as a masculine and feminine name. It is related to names like Kazuko, Kazuo and Kazuki.
English literary name
"kite"
Poetic and easy to pronounce (it's keets), this is one of many poets' names to consider, such as Auden, Eliot, Frost, Byron, Lorca, Marlowe, Blake, Emerson and Tennyson. Likely meaning "kite", in…
Yoruba
"second-born of twins or one who falls behind"
This African name, which derives from the Yoruba tribe of Nigeria, is used for both girls and boys -- but in the US, its most notable bearer is (male) artist Kehinde Wiley. Wiley, who paints brown-…
Cornish
"great chief"
Kenver is derived from the ancient British name Cunmorus, meaning "great chief." We much prefer this newer iteration. A pronunciation note: the R in Kenver is not enunciated.
African hero name
Used to honor Jomo Kenyatta, the first president of the independent Kenyan republic. The problem: with the name Kenya now used largely for girls, along with the vowel ending, Kenyatta sounds fairly…
"love"
Kerensa, forever romantic, is a rare Cornish name spelled with an ' s ' or ' z ', the most modern of the Karen family. Kerensa (or Kerenza) has ties to the Welsh Cerys. Kerensa is a name favored by…
Breton literary name
Kerouac could make for a meaningful possible modern literary inspiration, via On the Road author Jack. The writer's baptism certificate read Jean Louis Kirouac, though he later claimed his full name…
"bald"
Contrary to popular belief, the name Kahlo has German origins, rather than Spanish. It derives from kahl , a German word meaning "bald." Mexican Artist Frida Kahlo was born to a German father,…
Aboriginal, Australian
"tree bark or leaf"
Kirrily, which rhymes with cheerily, is a name that's uniquely popular in Australia. It originated in recent decades as an elaboration of several similar names – the European Kyra or Keira, the Maori…
Variation of Keziah
"cassia tree"
Kizzy was a character in Alex Haley's Roots ; this and other Keziah variations were widely used among enslaved people. In Roots the name is explained by the hero Kunta as 'you sit down' or 'you stay…
Greek
"maiden"
Kore is the original Greek form of the modern Cora, a name that's heading straight for the top of the charts in the English-speaking world. Kore was an alternate name for Persephone, goddess of the…
Dutch
"cooper"
While this may be the Dutch version of Cooper, English-speaking parents are likely to choose this with reference to the Kuiper Belt, a band of small space rocks near Neptune thought to be where many…
"mirror"
One of the most familiar and attractive Japanese names, though rarely heard outside that culture.
