Names That Are Variations

Both Ariana and Arianna sit comfortably in the US Top 100, so it makes sense that Aryana with the trendy y would join the fray. However, due to its inevitable confusion with the other spellings and the word "aryan" prominently displayed, it might be best to consider an alternative.

This classic Italian Samuel variation is just as compelling as the original, especially if you have Italian heritage.

An attractive, one-of-a-kind girl name with the covetable X initial.

Olde World Latin.

As Joaquin enters the American mainstream, his sister might just follow.

Greek variation of Candace used in the Bible.

Now that Jacob has been the top boys' name for several years, this may come to the fore, the way Michaela did after Michael's long reign at Number One. For now, it's one of the more unusual girl names starting with J.

This trendy spelling of Emily may be benefiting from the rise of Emery.

Zabelle and Zabel are fresh (to us) and ancient forms of Isabel, making zippy variations for modern lovers of that ancient name who feel the original is overexposed.

Derived from an ancient Roman name, this is best known in its male form Placido, thanks to the tenor.

Once a diminutive for Arthur, now used in its own right. Tuur is a Top 100 name in Belgium and a Top 300 name in the Netherlands.

Jacob meets Jakob meets Kobe -- and apparently, parents in 2013 are fans. It rose 153 spots to break into the Top 1000, making it one of the year's fastest-rising names.

Even more Olde World, especially with that accent.

The family of Kaylin names includes a wide variety of spellings—Kaylen, Kaelyn, and Kaylynn are a few—that enjoy varying degrees of popularity. This particular spelling plays on a couple contemporary trends, namely the ae vowel combination and the -lynn ending. While it's definitely a distinct spelling, it's likely to be misspelled more often than not.

The popular Aiden has spawned a legion of offshoots used mostly for boys but sometimes for girls too: Brayden, Caden, Kayden, Zaiden and so on. While it is now predominantly used on boys, back in the late 2000s and early 2010s, it was used more equally on girls. In a recent count, the name has fallen out of favor, with only 14 girls receiving the name in 2023.

Actress Hepburn made the Katharine spelling famous, which seems to be the inspiration for this spin on Catherine.