Name Spellings, Initials and Sounds
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 8 pages
of 8
Scottish variation of Mary
"bitter"
Why does Mairi (rhymes with Harry) seem so much cooler than Mary? This Irish form of Mary was not used before the seventeenth century, as it was considered too sacred. The vocative case of the name,…
Sanskrit
"the daughter of the mountain"
This Hindu goddess name is very popular in India. The goddess of love, fertility and devotion, representing female force, Parvati is the wife of Shiva and the mother of Ganesh. There is a Harry…
Estonian
May derive from Estonian "sirel", meaning "lilac flower".
Swedish, Finnish, Germanic
"holy, healthy war"
With a hint of myth and ancient poetry about it, this spirited name ultimately comes from the Germanic Heilwig or Helwig, but feels as if it could fit into a modern setting. Pronounced HIL-leh-vee in…
Variation of Agatha, Greek
"good woman"
Agatha is an ancient name that hasn't quite joined the fashionable ranks of old lady names....yet. Agathi may be intriguing but it will also surely be confusing.
Italian place-name
This name, from the picturesque town on the Italian Riviera, borrows a bit from Amelia and a bit from Emily.
Georgian; Russian; Ukrainian, from Greek
"from the east, rising sun"
A sweet and gentle-sounding name with a sunny meaning, typically nicknamed Tolya in Russia. Depending on the country of origin, it can also be written as Anatoli or Anatoliy.
This lovely Umbrian hill town became a striking first name for the young daughter of Jade Jagger.
Astri is a feminine name with Scandinavian origins, particularly popular in Norway and Sweden. It's a shortened form of Astrid, which derives from Old Norse elements meaning 'divinely beautiful' or…
Afrikaans version of Beate or Beata
"blessed"
Namibian supermodel Behati Prinsloo, who has walked the runway for every designer from Prada to Versace to Vera Wang, has introduced us to this Afrikaans version of Beata and relative of Beatrice.…
Icelandic
"drake, male duck"
A cute-sounding name from Iceland with an equally cute animal meaning: "bliki" is the Icelandic word for "drake", a male duck.
Irish, Gaelic
"swiftness, nimbleness"
An Irish mythology name belonging to a semi-legendary high king of Ireland, often equated with English David though not etymologically related.
Greek place name
"of Delphi; womb"
An interesting unisex possibility, with an air of mystery connected to the Delphic Oracle, the most important oracle in ancient Greece; it was also a major site for the worship of the god Apollo.…
Welsh, river name
The striking name of a Welsh river, Eleri feels as mystical as it does modern. A recent year saw it feature in the England and Wales Top 1000, with 49 babies given the name: of them, 29 were born in…
Hebrew
"gloomy"
Ephai may have a sad meaning but it's an interesting Biblical alternative to such widely-used names as Eli and Elijah.
Yoruba
A short form of the masculine name Olufemi, which means "the Lord loves me". Femi is also used as a standalone name for both genders, meaning "love me".
Gemali is a masculine name with multicultural resonances, potentially drawing from various language traditions. It may relate to the Swahili word 'jamali' meaning 'beauty' or 'handsome,' or could be…
"strength of a spear + pledged to God or woman from Lydia"
A lively variant of the Estonian name Kerli, a combination of Kertu — the Estonian form of Gertrude — and either Eliisabet or Liidia — the Estonian forms of Elizabeth and Lydia. A notable namesake is…
Finnish
"pearl"
A punchy alternative to Pearl as it gains popularity, it may also be used as a short form of Vilhelmina or Wilhelmina.
Hawaiian
"bright, polished, gleaming, unsullied"
Evocative of hulas, leis, and luaus.
