Names That Mean Form

Isabetta is a charming spin on both the Elizabeth and Isabella families and a new way to go if you love the originals but want something more, well, original. Isabetta Rose is the name chosen by Amber and Rob Mariano for their daughter. If you're searching for Italian names for girls that make an easy transition to the English-speaking world, this should be high on your list.

A variation of Michael, most often used in Croatia, where it's in the Top 20, Bosnia and Herzegovina, where it ranks in the Top 100, and also in Slovenia.

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).

Kind of a combination of scoot and fleet, brought into public domain by actor Skeet (born Brian) Ulrich. We would recommend looking into the unsavory slang meaning of this name before choosing it for your child.

Pleun is a unisex Dutch name deriving from Apollonius or Apollonia, although now it ranks far higher for girls in its native land than the original form.

John is a name that's widely translated around the world, and this is one of the more unusual options.

Cute tomboyish diminutive that's popular in Germany but has not spread far. An interesting choice for the parent who wants an elaborate feminine proper name with a modern short form.

Aliz, traditionally spelt Alíz, is a Top 50 name in Hungary and puts a zippy spin, thanks to that final z, on the classic Alice. Its similarity to names such as Elise may cause some confusion, but its simplicity makes it a winner.

Gerard, Gerry, and Jerry may be so far out they may never come back in the U.S., but Jerry-equivalent Jurre is a Top 100 name in The Netherlands.

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

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.

This unusual spelling of a simple name is notable as the name of dancer Cyd Charisse, whose given name was Tula Ellice but whose brother's mispronunciation of Sis begat Sid. Famed dance teacher Arthur Freed varied it to Cyd.

A stylish member of the Matthew family that's currently popular in Belgium — more so than traditional Mathieu.

Cyril has several attractive femaie forms, including the French Cyrielle as well as Cyrilla. The one downside of this unique name is that many English speakers will pronounce it like cereal, so you'll constantly be explaining, "No, it's siri-ELLE."

Javiera, pronounced ha-vee-AIR-a, is not as well used as twin brother JAVIER, but makes an attractive Latina choice.

This feminine form of Ambrose has not seem much use in the United States, but it does sometimes appear on the birth certificates of those from Cajun or Creole backgrounds.

Edris was used occasionally for baby girl 100 years ago, but one can't help but wonder whether those girls might really have been named Edie but with bad handwriting. Edrie is cute, though, and unusual.

Adrian is an ancient gender-neutral name and Adri is its pan-European short form. Adriana is the most popular feminine form of the name in the US, followed by Adrianna, Adrienne, and then the unisex spelling Adrian. Adri works as a nickname for any of them.

A name from ancient Roman, now rare.

This unusual Catalan name demonstrates just how short mini-names can get.