Names That Are Variations

This could be a fresh way to honor an ancestral Walter.

Alda's brother name Aldo has been a mainstay of the U.S. popularity chart for decades now, and the related Alden is soaring up as well. This version has never really caught on. (Maybe it's the association with Alan Alda: great actor, unlikely namesake for a little girl.) However, there is possible hope now that Alba and Alma are on the rise. Aida and Arden are more familiar alternatives.

This Spanish month name has been quietly used for several years now in the US.

András is the form of Andrew used in Hungary, where it is a Top 50 boy name.

While Corey and its variations are losing fashion steam, the sound-alike Kori has new appeal as a name with a trendy animal meaning from the Kikuyu culture.

Makes Jane anything but plain.

Variation of Valentina with the same pared-down appeal as Maren.

Shaun might be thought of by some as a more feminine spelling of Sean, but in fact in the most recent year counted there were only six baby girls called Shaun and five called Sean, which makes this a no longer a unisex name by any reckoning. In its heyday in the early 70s, though, Shaun and Shawn were given much more frequently to baby girls. In all spellings, this is one of the rare names that's become more masculine over time.

This spelling variation hasn't followed cousins Zoe and Zoey up the charts. Even though there are a number of feasible spellings, Zoie along with Zooey might cause some unwanted confusion.

The form of Faruq most common in Turkey. Ömer Faruk is a popular double-barreled first name for Turkish boys.

While this spelling makes sense phonetically, it will inevitably cause confusion when nine out of ten people assume the traditional Zachary spelling.

Variant of Hortensia, an unusual floral name and the name of a secondary character in Roald Dahl's Matilda.

Actress Milla Jovovich chose this uncommon but usable Welsh boy name for her daughter in 2020.

Short form of the Russian Varvara, a feistier version of Barbara.

A Latinate name with a lot of dash and bravado.

Hyman was commonly used by first-generation Jewish immigrants to Anglicize Chaim, but similarities to terms like heinie and hymen have taken it out of the realm of modern possibility. The original Chaim would be preferable to Hyman.

Though it sounds like Karen, this spelling makes the name more distinctive.

Though it lends itself well to the pleasant nickname Ty, it's also the name of an antibiotic powder for animals.

Has the fusty charm of recently excavated ancient Roman male names like Augustus and Magnus, which might just appeal to the fearless baby namer.

Cameron is starting to fall slightly since its peak in the early 2000s, but is still comfortable in the Top 100. The Camryn spelling has historically been more popular on the girls' side.