Names That Are Variations

  1. Oleksandr
    • Origin:

      Ukrainian variation of Alexander, Greek
    • Meaning:

      "defending men"
  2. Deniska
    • Origin:

      Russian variation of Dennis, French from Greek
    • Meaning:

      "god of Nysa"
  3. Wouter
    • Origin:

      Dutch, variation of Walter
    • Meaning:

      "army ruler"
    • Description:

      This Dutch variation of Walter is pronounced vow-ter, although Americans will likely default to wooter or wowter.
  4. Salvadora
    • Origin:

      Spanish, feminine variation of Salvador
    • Description:

      Olde World Latin.
  5. Kajetan
    • Origin:

      Polish variation of Gaetano, Italian
    • Meaning:

      "from the city of Gaeta"
  6. Hume
    • Origin:

      Scottish variation of Holmes
    • Description:

      Distinguished actor Hume Cronyn (who shared his father's name) put this unusual choice in the lexicon.
  7. Jeannine
    • Origin:

      French variation of Jean
    • Meaning:

      "God is gracious"
    • Description:

      This feminine form of Jean was most popular in the 1930s in its home country, and in the 1960s in the US. It's fallen off the Top 1000 list since, but perhaps cute retro nickname Jeannie could tempt some vintage-loving parents back.
  8. Zabelle
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Zabel, form of Isabel which is a form of Elizabeth, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "pledged to God"
    • Description:

      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.
  9. Bligh
    • Origin:

      English variation of Blythe
    • Description:

      Too tightly associated with the real-life villainous Captain Bligh of The Mutiny on the Bounty.
  10. Austyn
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Austin
    • Description:

      Nearly 350 babies were named Austyn last year, about a quarter of them boys.
  11. Stef
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Stefanus, Dutch variation of Stephen
    • Meaning:

      "garland; crown"
  12. Rudolf
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Rudolph, German
    • Meaning:

      "famous wolf"
    • Description:

      You've got the red-nosed reindeer to transcend, but there are other distinguished personages named Rudolph, Rudolf, and Rudy.
  13. Kálmán
    • Origin:

      Hungarian variation of Colman
    • Description:

      One of the few stylish names, along with Roman and Truman, that end in man.
  14. Ayşe
    • Origin:

      Turkish variation of Aisha, Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "living, prosperous"
  15. Kyndall
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Kendall
    • Description:

      As with many popular names these days, Kendall has inspired several spelling variations, many of them popular in their own right. While Kyndall fell off the Top 1000 in 2015, supermodel and reality TV star Kendall Jenner is sure to keep this name in all its versions in the public eye for years to come.
  16. Byram
    • Origin:

      English variation of Byron
    • Description:

      Why not stick with the original.
  17. Onesime
    • Origin:

      French variation of Onesimus
  18. Ádám
    • Origin:

      Hungarian variation of Adam, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "son of the red earth"
  19. Catharine
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Catherine, Greek
    • Meaning:

      "pure"
    • Description:

      Actress Hepburn made the Katharine spelling famous, which seems to be the inspiration for this spin on Catherine.
  20. Kaidyn
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Kayden, modern invented name
    • Meaning:

      "round or barrel"
    • Description:

      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.