Names That Mean Form

Andrina is best-known as an older sister of The Little Mermaid.

Meeri is kind of like Siri with an M. This unusual name is certainly cute and intriguing but would forever be mistaken for Mary.

One high-fashion brand that's actually a legitimate first name, though still linked to the tainted Adolph.

A Roman name that's unused by English speakers today, but might appeal as a shorter, lighter alternative to Aurelia. The Latin vocabulary word aula also meant "hall".

Spence is occasionally used as a name all on its own and it has more of a sense of completeness than many nickname-names.

There are several better Cal- names that don't simply echo a male form.

If you are looking for an unusual way to honor an ancestral Mary or Miriam, Mirja might make a good choice. Zero baby girls were given this name in the US in 2014. The rising popularity of Anja has schooled English speakers that the j is pronounced like a y.

Angie was an accepted nickname for boys at the same time that Patsy was, meaning, too long ago to be relevant now.

Pronounced 'breed', this is among the common Irish names for girls in the Emerald Isle, but would have major pronunciation problems in the US. Better to stick with Bridget.

Many old-school girl names are feminine forms of male names. This one gets an exotic twist from being the female version not of Basil but the form used very commonly in Greece, Vasilios. This uncommon name would make an interesting and rare V-starting choice.

The S may confuse English speakers, but it's a French classic.

The dashing Zabel -- or its Frenchified variation Zabelle -- was the name of a 13th century ruling queen of Armenia. In this modern era ruled again by the name Isabella and Isabel, Zabel provides a fresh and lively spin.

Galsworthy used this for "The Forsyte Saga," but in modern real life Julian would work better.

Pepijn, with its emphasis on the second syllable pronounced with a long i to rhyme with pine, is in the Dutch Top 100. Clipped, energetic-sounding nickname names such as Pep and Pip are stylish in The Netherlands. Could that translate to the English speaking world? Stay tuned.

Katy, or more popularly Katie, stood fashionably on their own two feet for several years there, during the Katelyn boom. But now both Katy and Katie are fading in favor of grownup Kate or buttoned-up Katherine.

This Corey variation is getting a fresh shot of style juice thanks to young It Girl Cory Kennedy (not to be confused with RFK daughter, filmmaker Rory Kennedy).

While some might assume this to be a variation on Theodore, Theodule's etymolgy actually stems from Theodulus. Though neither of these forms have attraction much attention recently, both Theodore and nickname Theo are rising up the US popularity charts. This could create an alternate path to the desirable nickname.

Glyn is a pretty, glimmery name that is heard much less often than Welsh sisters Gwen and Bryn. It is also used for boys and might make a good honor name for an ancestral Glenn.

Musician Ry Cooder brought this short form into the lexicon -- his full name is Ryland -- and it feels more familiar now that more Ry- beginning names such as Ryder and Riley are, ahem, riding up the ranks. The Rye spelling makes it more of a word or a nature name and less of a nickname.