Names That Mean Form

Pronounced like Sunny, Suni is the nickname of astronaut Sunita Williams. Suni is also the nickname of US Olympic gymnast Suni Lee, whose full name is Sunisa.

This Latinized form of a name that's well used in Italy and Spain is sometimes heard, oddly enough, in Ireland.

A sweet, simple mini-name that fits into many cultures. The only drawback is the potential for confusion with Ella, Ayla, and other similar names.

Ax makes a somewhat threatening short form of the popular Axel, given to more than 3000 baby boys last year. It can also be used on its own, though it usually isn't. There were, however, seven baby boys named Axe in the US in 2015.

Popular Dutch name Gijs, which rhymes with nice, originated as a short form of Gijsbert, which itself is a Dutch and Germanic form of Gilbert. Though in the Top 100 in The Netherlands, we don't see this emigrating beyond Amsterdam and environs.

Marko is one of the many names derived from Mars, the god of war. Marco is the more usual Spanish form but Marko is a variation used in Spain along with Russia, Ukraine, and several Slavic countries.

Fans of the classic French film actor Jean Gabin might want to consider this one. Gabin is also a harmonica-playing character in the manga and anime series "Mirmo!"

Marty and Martie are old-fashioned gender-neutral nickname names, boyish nicknames not heard much since the middle of the last century. That could change, though, with the rise of vintage boyish nicknames for girls. They have a certain charm and may come back into style along with mother names such as Martha.

Seems destined to be the preferred short form of this old French name, with its brief, modern, word name feel.

One of the sweet simple unisex names balanced enough to stand on its own. Ali can either be used as a shortening of Al- beginning names and is also an Arabic name in its own right.

Alita is a girls' name threatening to break into the Top 1000. There are many possible sources of this name, but the most plausible is that it's a short form for the popular Spanish name Adelita, a relative of Adele and Adeline.

In the US, Mandy may be a common girls' name, a Bobby Soxerish nickname for Amanda, but in the Latin community, it's a popular nickname for Armando, the Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese form of Herman. Actor Mandy Pantikin was born Mandel, another (though not recommended) possibility.

Bardo has a poetic beginning and upbeat ending, with roots in several diverse cultures. It may be most familiar today via George Saunders' novel Lincoln in the Bardo, which refers to the Tibetan Buddhist state of suspension between one life and the next, resembling the Christian idea of Limbo. Bardo is also an ancient saint's name: Saint Bardo was the eleventh century bishop of Mainz, in Germany. Actress Sandra Bullock chose Bardo as her son's middle.

One way to spin grandma Helen or Ellen's name off the beaten track. The legendary Azenor was a tragic 6th century Breton princess who was mother to a saint. This personage also may be known as Senara.

A cool and straightforward Vietnamese name, which resembles the increasingly popular Hawaiian name Koa.

Veronica seems poised to rise again, along with many other V names, and with it may follow this more romantic French version.

The surname of influential French fashion designer Marc Bohan could make a modern-sounding two-syllable boy's name, though it might be confused with Bowen.

One of the few Lu- names that you've probably never heard of, Lulie could prove a good alternative for Luna, Lucy, and Lula.

It's tempting to think of Gui as the Spanish form of Guy, but it's short for Guillermo.

Cute, distinctive diminutive for this regal-sounding name.