Names That Mean Form

Somewhat awkward feminization of Peter. Try Petra, Petronia, or Petronilla, an early saint's name.

Affable and creative and perfectly able to stand alone; nothing Scroogish about it.

Santes Ffraid is the traditional Welsh name for St Bridget, the Irish national saint and legendary miracle worker. The connection becomes clearer through the Scottish form of the name, Bride. It's worth noting that it sounds like the English word "fried".

Actress Kirstie Alley popularized this short form that's been off the popularity register for a decade.

This unusual boys' name ending in O survives thanks to the missionary priest who founded the first of the California missions. With Juniper becoming a more popular name, especially for girls, Junipero may actually become fashionable.

A jaunty, traditional name in Sweden's Top 100. Famous bearers include actor Svante Thunberg (Greta's father) and the father of physical chemistry Svante August Arrhenius. The name Svante is short for Svantepolk, the name of a Slavic nobleman who settled in Sweden in the 14th century.

A saint's name that was bestowed on a gorgeous island in the Caribbean.

Katti or Kattie is a short form of Katherine, more old fashioned than Kate and more unusual than Kathy.

An intriguing way to spin an old standard. Pronounced with a hard G: gee-yem.

Elizabeth is a name of hundreds of variations, but this German name for girls, redolent of the Olde Country, is unfamiliar in the U.S. and likely to remain so.

The Steen, Steena, and Stina nicknames for Christina are much more common in Scandinavia than in the English-speaking world, which prefers the Chris variations.

Natalino is the jaunty Italian male nickname for the gender-neutral Natale. And it has that fashionable o ending. Natalino might work as a nickname for Nathaniel too.

Variant of Bevan

Berangere has never seen much usage in the US, but it has an interesting meaning of "bear spear." The name it stems from—Berengaria—was used as a common royal name during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.

Definitely a far stretch for any child.

Cornelia is the feminine form of the Ancient Roman Cornelius. Both names were popular in the US in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but have dropped off the Top 1000. In the most recent year counted, there were about 40 baby girls named Cornelia and 80 boys named Cornelius. But we doubt many of those would be nicknamed Corny.

A classic from the Welsh Bible, but parents outside Wales would probably need a good reason to use the extra E.