Names That Are Variations

The French spin on the name of the great Homeric hero with the vulnerable heel seems somewhat more portable into the modern world.

Y is a very rare initial, and this feisty mini-name packs a double punch with its spiky final Z. Inez or Inez are the more familiar spellings of this chic name, which is related to Agnes and could be an interesting way to honor a relative with that name.

The lovely Shakespearean Juliet is finding renewed interest as a baby name today, and Julieta is along for the ride, especially among Spanish families.

Haris is in the top 50 in Bosnia and Herzegovina and makes a good choice for the globetrotting child. It would make for an excellent and not overused Arabic-English crossover choice.

The chic Euro spelling of Henry is rising along with the original form.

This variant of Gianna has been in the US Top 1000 for most of the 21st century and hit a peak in 2010 at Number 568. The original spelling outranks the trimmed down version by far.

Yusuf is the Arabic form of Joseph, used in the Middle East, as well as internationally from France and the US, to the UK, Turkey and Azerbaijan - where, as of 2023, it ranked in the Top 100.

With Angelina becoming so popular thanks to Ms. Jolie, this could be a new twist—but everyone will always misunderstand it as Angelina. While it currently ranks at Number 951 in the US, it's Number 352 in France.

Consistently popular Latina gem name; good choice for those who can't shake Pearl's grandmotherly vibe.

Anglicized variant of Niamh.

A multicultural unisex choice that peaked for girls at the same time as Amy. Ami is also the French word for "friend."

Agathe is a hugely popular name in contemporary France, even if it's English-speaking counterparts have not yet warmed to the usual English version, Agatha. The French pronunciation is sure to trip up non-French speakers.

A definite improvement over the English Humbert, Umberto has nevertheless been rarely heard outside the Italian community.

Although Gracia is the literal Spanish translation of Grace and is used as the Grace equivalent in Spanish-speaking countries, where it's pronounced grah-see-a, it's also a long-time if unusual Grace variation pronounced gray-sha. You might consider Gracia if Grace is getting too commonplace for you.

Moshe is the original Hebrew form of Moses, also spelled Mosheh. In the past it was changed to names like Morris, Moe and Maurice.

Possibly a derivative variation of Yara, a popular name in Spanish-speaking countries meaning butterfly, Yareli was given to more than 400 baby girls in the US last year.

Alain gives the midcentury Alan a bit of gallic dash.

Letizia is a pretty Latin variation of Letitia; it's one of those Italian names for girls that makes the more familiar version feel less prissy and more appealing. Letizia was the first name of Napoleon's mother.

Taron and its twin Taran may both be variations of Taranis, the name of the Celtic thunder god. Taranis is thought to be a counterpart to the better-known Norse god Thor. There was also a 7th century King of the Picts named Taran mac Ainftech. Both Taron and Taran were used for about 30 baby boys in the US last year. Two notable modern bearers: Welsh actor Taron Egerton and South African-born filmmaker Taron Lexton.

Animated Gaelic name popularized by singer Sheena Easton, also brings to mind Sheena, Queen of the Jungle, the Amazonian comic book and TV series heroine. Sine is considered to be and English equivalent of Jane or Jean.