Names That Are Variations
- Oleksandr
Origin:
Ukrainian variation of Alexander, GreekMeaning:
"defending men"
- Deniska
Origin:
Russian variation of Dennis, French from GreekMeaning:
"god of Nysa"
- Wouter
Origin:
Dutch, variation of WalterMeaning:
"army ruler"Description:
This Dutch variation of Walter is pronounced vow-ter, although Americans will likely default to wooter or wowter.
- Salvadora
Origin:
Spanish, feminine variation of SalvadorDescription:
Olde World Latin.
- Kajetan
Origin:
Polish variation of Gaetano, ItalianMeaning:
"from the city of Gaeta"
- Hume
Origin:
Scottish variation of HolmesDescription:
Distinguished actor Hume Cronyn (who shared his father's name) put this unusual choice in the lexicon.
- Jeannine
Origin:
French variation of JeanMeaning:
"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.
- Zabelle
Origin:
Spelling variation of Zabel, form of Isabel which is a form of Elizabeth, HebrewMeaning:
"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.
- Bligh
Origin:
English variation of BlytheDescription:
Too tightly associated with the real-life villainous Captain Bligh of The Mutiny on the Bounty.
- Austyn
Origin:
Spelling variation of AustinDescription:
Nearly 350 babies were named Austyn last year, about a quarter of them boys.
- Stef
Origin:
Diminutive of Stefanus, Dutch variation of StephenMeaning:
"garland; crown"
- Rudolf
Origin:
Spelling variation of Rudolph, GermanMeaning:
"famous wolf"Description:
You've got the red-nosed reindeer to transcend, but there are other distinguished personages named Rudolph, Rudolf, and Rudy.
- Kálmán
Origin:
Hungarian variation of ColmanDescription:
One of the few stylish names, along with Roman and Truman, that end in man.
- Ayşe
Origin:
Turkish variation of Aisha, ArabicMeaning:
"living, prosperous"
- Kyndall
Origin:
Spelling variation of KendallDescription:
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.
- Byram
Origin:
English variation of ByronDescription:
Why not stick with the original.
- Onesime
Origin:
French variation of Onesimus
- Ádám
Origin:
Hungarian variation of Adam, HebrewMeaning:
"son of the red earth"
- Catharine
Origin:
Spelling variation of Catherine, GreekMeaning:
"pure"Description:
Actress Hepburn made the Katharine spelling famous, which seems to be the inspiration for this spin on Catherine.
- Kaidyn
Origin:
Spelling variation of Kayden, modern invented nameMeaning:
"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.