Names That Are Variations

Skandar is a shortened form of Iskandar, an Arabic form of Alexander. It is most familiar as the name of Skandar Keynes, the actor who played Edmund Pevensie in the Chronicles of Narnia. Skandar is a descendent of Charles Darwin.

As Ezra becomes more popular, so is Esdras being rediscovered. Los Angeles chef Esdras Ochoa was recently named one of the top chefs in the US.

A more feminine version of Devin.

An undiscovered cousin of Garrett and Gerard. Gerrit has some merit, especially for its arty credentials as the name of several Old Master painters.

Destry rides again, this time as a Western flavored baby name. Derived from the French surname Destrier, from an Anglo-Norman word meaning "warhorse", this rugged name was popularized by the 1930 novel Destry Rides Again by Max Brand, subsequently adapted for the big screen.

Used quietly on boys in the US since the early 20th century, Mckenzie was abruptly overtaken by the Mackenzie spelling back in 1973 when actress Mackenzie Phillips introduced the name as a possibility for girls. While Mckenzie has never matched its sibling spelling in popularity, it nevertheless climbed the charts in its wake, peaking in 2000 at #133.

Jeffery is common enough to be an accepted variation but not common enough to be the one you should choose. Nonetheless, this spelling has charted since the early-twentieth century, much like its brother name.

This name found in the fantasy series Endymion/Rise of Endymion has a slightly physiological feel to it.

Preferable to its parent name, Arnoud, in the Netherlands.

Viviane is one of a cluster of names that may or may not be related. They include the Latin Viviana, which means life, and its modern forms Vivian and the French form Vivienne. But Vivien, pronounced identically, may be a literary invention connected instead to Ninian. Some sources also connect the Viv variations to the Irish Bebinn, the name of the goddess of childbirth, or Bevin.

Sidonia is an international spin on the recently-trendy Sydney. Plus Sidonia has an advantage over the French Sidonie in that it sounds more distinct to the English speaker. An original way to honor grandpa Sid.

A grandfather name in Norway, where it was a Top 5 name through the 1940s and '50s.

A patriotic spin on Armie, with roughly the same meaning whether you consider it a variation or a totally separate word name.

Lovely Irish name which has inspired many Anglicized variations, but using the original form preserves the integrity of one of the most beautiful Gaelic girls' names.

Photographer Diane Arbus named her daughter Doon, inspired by the sand dunes she walked among when pregnant. Used this way, Doon might be considered a nature name, a refashioning of the word dune. But Doon might also stem from the familiar Scottish surname Dunn or Dunne, which means brown or dark, originally used for a dark-haired person.

Kalindi is a lovely, rhythmic name refers to one of the seven sacred rivers of India.

Gorgeous name in any form, though the c may muddy the pronunciation.

Avaline emerged as a full-fledged name when Cameron Diaz used it as the name of her wine brand. Only a dozen or two baby girls are given the name each year in the US, a surprise given the dramatically increased popularity of Adeline and Evelyn, which have spawned an abundant number of variations.

A more romantic form of old school Clement, which ranks in the Top 100 boy names in Chile. Clemente, like Clement, derives from the Late Latin name Clemens, the name of 14 popes and several saints.

When used in English-speaking countries--it's heard occasionally in the UK--it's more often spelled ALARIC. Unusual, but usable.