Relative Variations

  1. Arla
    • Origin:

      Swedish
    • Meaning:

      "early"
    • Description:

      While Arla has a literal meaning in Swedish, its roots as a name are probably more closely related to such names as Arlene or Orla. Arla is among the girls' Top 1000 names in the UK.
  2. Arlo
    • Origin:

      Irish or English
    • Meaning:

      "between two hills"
    • Description:

      Quirky cool Arlo is now well and truly back. Last year it broke into the US Top 200 boy names and consistently ranks among the most popular boy names on Nameberry.
  3. Caro
    • Origin:

      Diminuitve of Carol or Caroline, English, French ,"free man"
    • Meaning:

      "free man"
    • Description:

      Upper-crusty nickname occasionally used in Britain, particularly in 1930s novels featuring significant garden party scenes, but eclipsed here by Carrie et al.
  4. Elouisa
    • Elouise
      • Origin:

        Variant of Eloise
      • Description:

        Mononymed English singer Elouise put this Eloise variant on the map; now Elouise is making it to the mainstream, having joined the US Top 1000 for the first time in 2023.
    • Grace
      • Origin:

        English, virtue name
      • Description:

        Grace, a simple and pure virtue name which originally referred to divine grace, is a fashionable classic. In the early 2000s, it seemed headed for the Top 10 but pulled back from the upward trajectory, which you may consider a very good thing.
    • Jana
      • Origin:

        International feminine variation of Jan
      • Description:

        A sweet name with many cross-cultural ties: it's an equivalent of Jane in languages including Czech, Slovak, Dutch, German, Slovene, Catalan, Estonian, and Latvian.
    • Johanna
      • Origin:

        Hebrew
      • Meaning:

        "God is gracious"
      • Description:

        Johanna is the version of this name used in Holland, Germany, and Scandinavia. The extra h makes Johanna a slightly more dignified version of Joanna.
    • Karo
      • Origin:

        Finnish variation of Caro, English
      • Meaning:

        "free man"
      • Description:

        Seen in Nordic countries as a nickname for Karolina or Karl.
    • Kent
      • Origin:

        English surname and place-name
      • Meaning:

        "edge"
      • Description:

        Kent is a no-nonsense, brief, brisk one-syllable name, almost as curt as Kurt.
    • Lelia
      • Origin:

        Italian form of Laelia, meaning unknown
      • Description:

        A rare and delicate choice, Lelia is a modern variation of an ancient Roman family name. It came to Britain in the mid-nineteenth century, following the publication of George Sand's popular romantic novel titled Lelia in 1833.
    • Lou
      • Origin:

        Short form of Louise
      • Meaning:

        "renowned warrior"
      • Description:

        Lou is usually a short form of Louise, Louisa, or Lucy in English-speaking countries, when Lou is used for girls at all. But in France and Germany, it's a fashionable choice all on its own, sure to gain even more widespread style credibility since Heidi Klum and Seal chose it for their daughter.
    • Mercy
      • Origin:

        English word name
      • Meaning:

        "compassion"
      • Description:

        The quality of mercy makes this lovely Puritan virtue name a quiet favorite today. Although it was most popular in the late nineteenth century, Mercy is on its way to a comeback -- it rose 143 spots between 2012 and 2013, making it one of the year's fastest-rising names. Right now, it's still stylish and distinctive, a rare and wonderful combination.
    • Micah
      • Origin:

        Hebrew
      • Meaning:

        "who is like the Lord"
      • Description:

        The bright, playful Micah feels like the middle ground between the safe, solid qualities of Michael and the flair and energy of Luca. Both Biblical and stylish, Micah is proving popular among parents today.
    • Micah
      • Origin:

        Hebrew
      • Meaning:

        "who is like the Lord"
      • Description:

        Traditionally a boys’ name, now increasingly used for girls too, Micah has the potential to be an alternative for Michaela, Mia, or Maia. If you'd prefer something more established as a feminine name, you could try Micaiah, a unisex name from which Micah derives, or the German variant of Mary, Meike, which is pronounced the same. Micah had been in the US Top 1000 since the 1980s, but recently dropped off in 2022. Nevertheless, over 200 girls are still called Micah each year and with increased interest in gender neutral names, it could well be back in 2023. Notable namesakes include Canadian ice hockey player Micah Zandee-Hart, singer Micah Marah, and Olympic swimmer Micah Lawrence Sumrall.
    • Mila
      • Origin:

        Slavic, Russian
      • Meaning:

        "gracious; dear"
      • Description:

        Mila is a popular name that took a 125 year nap, ranking in the Top 1000 in 1881 and then not ranking again until 2006, after actress Mila Kunis appeared on That 70s Show.
    • Miles
      • Origin:

        English form of Milo
      • Meaning:

        "soldier or merciful"
      • Description:

        Miles, which has a permanent veneer of cool thanks to jazz great Miles Davis, is a confident and polished boys' name that's an American classic. Always ranking in the US Top 1000, it's been drifting up the charts for the past half century but has never been TOO popular.
    • Reina
      • Origin:

        Spanish, Yiddish or Japanese
      • Meaning:

        "queen; pure; wise"
      • Description:

        An appellation for the Virgin Mary, "Queen of the apostles." After three years off the US popularity charts, Reina rejoined the list in 2014, though it lags behind alternate spellings Raina, Rayna, and Reyna. It is also used in Yiddish and in Japanese.
    • Reyna
      • Origin:

        Spelling variation of Reina
      • Description:

        This variation is actually more popular in the United States than the original Spanish Reina.