Names That Are Variations

Graca, typically written in Portuguese as Graça, is a stylish virtue name that has never made the charts in the US. The pronunciation rhymes with the Spanish word "casa."

Like Ulysses, Ulixes is a Latin variation of Odysseus. This spelling has never appeared on the US popularity charts, perhaps in part due to Ulysses's presidential ties.

Somewhat flat-footed spelling variation.

Marginally better than Richardette or Richardina.

Particularly popular in its native land, but here just getting over Zsa Zsa and her sisters.

With roots in both Polish and Low German, Gerik is a blank slate of a name that has never made the charts. It's a possibility as a fresh twist on Eric or Derek.

Borne by many Ottoman sultans.

This charming Breton name runs the risk of being poorly pronounced outside of France. If you're looking for an alternative take on Jack, the standard French version Jacques or the Cornish version Jacca are safer bets.

Z names have been popular in recent years, and here's an obscure option for achieving the initial, though Zelina may be a little more successful in the US with its feminine -a ending.

A city name that sounds more legit than most because of its similarity to Peyton and other such names in circulation.

Layke is one of the names of the Waldrop sextuplets: Layke Bryars. Though this Layke happens to be a boy, the nature name works equally well for girls.

Brixton is a once-tough now-gentrifying-and-cool area of London that has also become one of the hottest boys' names in the US, entering the Top 1000 names list in 2015. Spelling variation Brixten was used for less than 10 percent of the babies given the name,. Names with an x in the middle tend to sound cool and modern even when their roots are anything but. Another reason Brixton and Brixten are hot is its similarity to the increasingly popular Braxton.

This variation of the English word "blessing" is on the rise, while the original Blessing actually fell in use in 2022. This may soon become a Journee/Journey type of situation, where the misspelled version becomes more popular than the original. The name Blessyn was given to 149 baby girls in 2022, and Blessing to 236.

Ganiz, sometimes spelled Ganix, is a Basque name which is e variation of John. Virtually unknown in the US, this may be a creative way to honor an ancestral John (and there are so many of them!).

Like Vladimir, but more rad.

Ilisa is a spelling variant that's less appealing than the original.

Gianna and Gia are both red-hot in recent years, so it is only natural that alternative spellings will begin popping up as well. This leads us to Ghia — still short and sweet, but may cause some more confusion.

Wishy-washy, and too similar to Colleen.

Genesis — the name of the first book of the Bible — is already a Top 100 name for girls. Add in the "Jen" component of this spelling and it feels particularly feminine.