Names That Mean Form

There are almost the exact same number of female and male Sidneys born in the US these days, which makes Sid a perfect gender-neutral nickname. And cute for boys or girls.

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.

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

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".

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

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.

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

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 in Eastern Europe and Russia Vasily. This uncommon name would make an interesting and rare V-starting choice.

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.

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

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

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.

Bartholomew is one vintage name with Biblical antecedents that hasn't risen again in the modern world, perhaps because short form Bart, as in Simpson, would be too difficult for a contemporary boy to bear. But antique nickname Bat might work better. Might.

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

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.

Dutch diminutive of Marie, the meaning of which is uncertain. Theories include "drop of the sea" (from Hebrew roots mar "drop" and yam "sea"); "bitter" (from Hebrew marah "bitterness"); and "beloved" (from the Egyptian root mr).

Gwenora teeters on the line between unique gem and modern invention. But it's not a smoosh name fashioned from Gwen and Nora but an old Cornish form of Guinevere, like its much more famous sister Jennifer.

Pierrette is the French feminine form of Peter or Pierre, an antiquated if charming feminization in the style of Albertine.

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