Names That Are Variations

This charming Breton name runs the risk of being poorly pronounced outside of France. If you're looking for an alternative take on Jack, the standard French version Jacques or the Cornish version Jacca are safer bets.

This is a variation of Cheyenne that is slipping in the popularity list toward obscurity..

Common Slovene spelling of Olivia, pronounced the same way.

Despite sounding like Kate, the double E is likely to trip up English speakers who will want to pronounce this "Keat" instead of "Kate".

Elegant Italian translation.

One of many now-downscale names that begin with Da- or De-, a prefix that originally indicated patrimony.

Borne by many Ottoman sultans.

With roots in both Polish and Low German, Gerik is a blank slate of a name that has never made the charts. It's a possibility as a fresh twist on Eric or Derek.

Doss is Doris's cute, spunky, younger cousin. If Doris is wearing tan stockings and curling her hair, Doss is wearing skinny jeans and using a flat iron.

The most common form of Natalia in Estonia, where there is a strong Russian influence on baby names.

The Slovene form of Andrew, currently falling in popularity in its home country.

One case where the English version -- Josephine -- is far preferable.

The Icelandic form of Olaf — significantly less snowman-like.

Particularly popular in its native land, but here just getting over Zsa Zsa and her sisters.

Elzie was given to 16 baby girls in the US last year, almost certainly as a spelling variation of the increasingly popular sweet nickname Elsie, a diminutive of Elizabeth.

Thurston Howell was the snooty millionaire on Gilligan's Island, but these days such surname names don't have the same elitist air.

Like Ulysses, Ulixes is a Latin variation of Odysseus. This spelling has never appeared on the US popularity charts, perhaps in part due to Ulysses's presidential ties.

Simmons is one of the S-ending popular American last names that are starting to be used as firsts.