Names That Mean Form

Ante is the equivalent to Antony in Croatia, Bosnia, and other Balkan countries. Antea is the feminine equivalent, and would make a sweet, modern-sounding alternative to dusty Antonia.

It feels like a slenderized modern version, but Jennet actually has deep roots. Could this plucky name rescue Janet and Jenny from their datedness?

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

Sometimes used a 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).

Marsailidh, which can also be styled Marsaili, is one of the most unique Scottish names for girls, still rarely heard outside its native land.

Amaranta is the unusual and intriguing Latinate form of the Greek botanical name Amarantha, which connects to an eternal mythical figure. An excellent choice for the parent who wants an A name but wishes to move beyond the usual complement of names from Amelia to Annabel.

This unusual (to the American ear) unisex name is used throughout Scandinavia and Germany.

When the once-popular Barbara makes a comeback, so might Baba.

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

Sydney may be by far the more popular spelling of this name for girls, but it's also predominantly female. Over 1200 baby girls were named Sydney in 2021 vs. 37 baby boys. Contrast that with Sidney, a spelling used for about 150 babies of each gender. That makes Syd the more common spelling for girls of this cute short form.

Once you get past thinking of it as a red-painted building where they keep cows and hay, has a nice plainspoken country-like feel and may make a cooler diminutive than the still-purple Barney.

The onetime star of "Northern Exposure" named his daughter Tu Morrow. Think about it.

The Galician form of George; an extravagant option for lovers of the letter X.

Spelt with a fada in Gaelic – Sibéal – this is a soft and strong-sounding name, reminiscent of Siobhan and Sinead.

If you're looking for a girl's name that honors an ancestral Arthur, try Artis.

Whereas in English, Josephine gets shortened to Jo, in Dutch it gets shortened to 'Fiene" (sounds like Feen). Fiene is now a name in its own right.

The Dutch love using short forms as full names, and so the popular name here is Faas -- who knows or cares what it was originally short for. In the US, this would be a very original name indeed -- it doesn't show up at all on the Social Security records. Pronunciation is like fast with the t at the end.