Names That Are Variations

One of many spelling variations of Allison — a name that took off in the 60s and had a few decades of popularity.

A Scandinavian up-and-comer taken directly from Norse mythology. Iðunn was the goddess of apples, fertility, and youth. Idun is another common spelling.

You may think of this as a variation of Eilis, an Irish name that rhymes with Irish, or a mashup of Eileen and Elise.

Kamma is an appealing Danish name signifying a combination of Katherine or Karen and Maria or Margaret. It may also be a short form of Kamilla, the usual Scandinavian spelling of Camilla.

Cataleyah wins notice as one of the trendiest names of all time, rising quickly through the ranks inspired by the Zoe Saldana character in Colombiana and also the name of a genus of orchids.

The popular Aiden has spawned a legion of offshoots used mostly for boys but sometimes for girls too: Brayden, Caden, Kayden, Zaiden and so on. While it is now predominantly used on boys, back in the late 2000s and early 2010s, it was used more equally on girls. In a recent count, the name has fallen out of favor, with only 14 girls receiving the name in 2023.

Actress Hepburn made the Katharine spelling famous, which seems to be the inspiration for this spin on Catherine.

Very similar to the Celtic form, the Welsh variation of Patrick might freshen up this lovely, but familiar, boys' name.

The original Russian name is Natalia, the French say Natalie or Noel or Noelle, and the Italians use this gender-neutral name. While Natale and its international cousins is traditionally given to babies born at Christmas time, it's certainly not reserved for that.

In Poland, a Top 100 name on the rise.

Snoh is a term used in Liberia by the indigenous Kwah people to refer to God. In the US, it may also be a spelling variation of word name Snow. Snoh rose in use in 2022, likely influenced by Swedish musical artist Snoh Aalegra.

Spelling twist makes it more striking.

Most modern parents would prefer the more straightforward Ryan.

Former Top 10 choice in Slovenia, now outside of the Top 50. The unaccented version, Gasper, ranked in the US Top 1000 in 1911 and 1917. The accent over the S specifies an SH pronunciation.

A surname-style name with a contemporary spelling, Karsyn is a unisex name that has been on and off the charts for boys since 2018. As of 2023, it's back in the US Top 1000 and given to more than 200 boys every year.

An unusual name that has not ventured outside the Finnish culture.

Has diverse associations: the long-term Communist head of Yugoslavia, one of Michael Jackson's older brothers, and an animated Disney character -- none of them a very strong recommendation.