Names That Are Variations

An old royal name in England and Scotland that's also spelled Marjorie. Popular in the Middle Ages and Tudor period, it was revived at the end of the 19th century, peaked in 1921 and dropped off the list in 1958, enough time to be reconsidered as a Margaret alternative. The name Margery Daw is familiar via the seesaw nursery rhyme and Margery Williams wrote the children's classic The Velveteen Rabbit..

Somewhat flat-footed form; go for the original.

Julissa is a Spanish version of Julia used mostly in Latin America. It peaked in the 1990s and early 2000s and now hovers near the bottom of the Top 1000.

Francois is the ultimate sophisticated French name.

This poor lad will spend his life saying, "No, it's Aric, not Eric. Aaric, Arick, Arik Arric, Arrick.

Faustine has a positive meaning, although the association with the character who sold his soul to the devil may be off-putting. This name is among the Top 100 girls' names in France, but was given to fewer than five baby girls in the US last year.

Ilsa is remembered as the radiant but tragic heroine of "Casablanca," and it's having something of a European resurgence.

More modern options: Shaw, Shay, or even Sean.

Now that Lily has become hugely popular, parents in love with this flower name are looking further afield for substitutes such as Liliane and Liliana.

A variation of Lileas and Lilian.

What's the difference between Alexander, the usual English spelling of this deeply classical name, and Alexandre, the French version? English speakers might find the proper French pronunciation challenging: a-lehk-SAHN-dreh, but that last syllable is barely pronounced. Americans might an an a or an ee on the end of the name, or simply pronounce it as Alexander, for better or worse.

Phonetic spelling of the British Ian that has earned a share of its own popularity; chosen by Bo Bice for his son.

With Journey becoming increasingly popular, it's no surprise that this alternative spelling is not far behind. However, you may be surprised to learn that in recent years, the Journee spelling has actually passed the original spelling in popularity — Journee is currently in the Top 200. This word name may be appealing to parents attracted to the idea of a spiritual -- or even an actual -- voyage.

As a boy's name, Shane is related more directly to the 50s movie cowboy and the Irish name Sean; for a girl, it might be a variation on Shannon, Shana, or Shawn. Parenthood star Erika Christensen named her daughter Shane. Another spin, used by Eddie Murphy, is Shayne.

An interesting vowel combination lightens up Graham.

What works for Paige just doesn’t work for Sage. The added i will likely create a lifetime of spelling mistakes.

Evanna is the name of a Harry Potter actress who pronounces it ee-vah-na. This might be considered another international feminine form of the many variations of John; Ivana, Giovanna, and even Joan are cousins of Evanna. It could also be a compound name, combining Eva and Anna.

Screen legend Marlon's surname has loads more swagger than his first. But little Brando will forever have to endure jokes connected with the actor.

An increasingly popular spelling of Carson, Karson feels at home with Kayden, Kieran, and Kai. While the Carson spelling sits just outside the Top 100 and is used three times more often, Karson is still given to around 980 babies each year.

A highly usable Central and Eastern European name with spiritual overtones. Nazar was among the Top 50 baby boy names in Turkey in 2004 and 2005.