Names That Are Variations

Like Vladimir, but more rad.

Ganiz, sometimes spelled Ganix, is a Basque name which is e variation of John. Virtually unknown in the US, this may be a creative way to honor an ancestral John (and there are so many of them!).

Rarely heard outside the Slavic community.

You mean like Timothee Chalomet? Yes, like Timothee Chalomet.

Brixton is a once-tough now-gentrifying-and-cool area of London that has also become one of the hottest boys' names in the US, entering the Top 1000 names list in 2015. Spelling variation Brixten was used for less than 10 percent of the babies given the name,. Names with an x in the middle tend to sound cool and modern even when their roots are anything but. Another reason Brixton and Brixten are hot is its similarity to the increasingly popular Braxton.

Layke is one of the names of the Waldrop sextuplets: Layke Bryars. Though this Layke happens to be a boy, the nature name works equally well for girls.

Australian olympic champion Giann Rooney brought this modern take on the traditional Italian name Gianna or Giovanna into many households.

Nickname Tõnu is now more common as an independent name.

The translation of Katarina and Katherine used in Finland and Estonia.

Sounds too much like the name of a hotel.

Richeza was a name that had its heyday in the Middle Ages but has since fallen into disuse. Richeza, and its variation Richenza, were used by the Swedish and Polish royal families. In a modern context, Richeza could be used to honor an important Richard in the family.

A short and simple name used by Jewish Italian families.

Soft, gentle, and non-Germanic, but the final s almost makes it sound plural.

Variation of Suhail.

Turning Paul or Paol -- whether it's as Paolo, Paolina, or even Paola -- instantly makes it more romantic and appealing.

Jaap is a common if not exactly fashionable first name for boys' in The Netherlands. For more on Dutch names and their pronunciation, check out this specialty website: http://www.heardutchhere.net/names.html

Whether you spell it with or without the final h, this is a name with international possibilities.