Names That Are Variations

Ahmet is known outside its native land largely thanks to Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun. The original crazy celebrity baby namer Frank Zappa named one of his sons Ahmet, after the influential music executive. Ahmad is a variation of Muhammad.

Madalyn is a variant of the French name Madeleine — one of several which have graced the US top 1000 in recent years.

Coby enjoyed a spike of popularity in the late 90s and early 2000s, along with similar names like Cody and Corey. The unrelated name Kobe, however, enjoyed a spike of its own in 2020, the year the basketball legend Kobe Bryant passed away. Kobi also rose that year for both boys and girls, and today is given to both in equal numbers.

Nicknames ending in o are invariably cute, though this one is a boys' name in its own right. And not just any boy name, but a saint's name no less. Saint Hanno, aka Saint Anno, was an 10th century archbishop of Cologne, He is also known as, less attractively, Hanno of Worms, which is one of the oldest cities in Germany.

Sanni derives from Sanna, a variation of Susanna used in Scandinavia.

The Italian form of Hilda is rarer but sweeter than its mother name, which still isn't ready for revival in the US.

Quirky form of Ishmael found in Nordic countries.

Whether spelled Raffaela, Rafaela, Raffaella, or Raphaela, a euphonius name with a dark-eyed, long-flowing-haired image. Like Gabriella and Isabella, is beginning to be drawn into the American mainstream.

With a meaning like "elf power," Alfreda could find some appeal among fantasy enthusiasts. "Freda" makes for a pleasant nickname.

For lovers of that romantic city.

An intuitive and attractive Finnish choice.

In Germany, Jannis outranks its parent name, Johannes. Virtually no American babies were given the name in the last year on record.

Dianne, one of the many offshoots and variations of the classic Diana, had its moment in the sun in the 1940s--it was a Top 100 name from 1943 to 1952. It now would make a very unlikely choice.

Adds some thorns to the smooth texture of Lily.

Fatou and its long form Fatoumata are variations of the popular Muslim name Fatima, who was one of four perfect women cited by the Quran.

In the currently popular solid, serious, two-syllable mold.

The soignée French member of this family of names.

Fine in France, but here it means vegetables sliced into thin strips.

This common name in Finland, which is also a diminutive for Jan in Sweden, might feel a bit feminine in the English-speaking world, too close to girls' names Jan and Jane.

Zamir in its various forms is becoming more familiar in the US, thanks to its cross-cultural appeal, its zippy Z beginning and its uplifting meanings. From its Hebrew and Albanian roots, it is a musical choice, meaning "singer" or "nightingale", while following its Arabic origins gives you the meaning "heart" or "conscience."