Names That Are Variations

A feminine multicultural nickname name perfectly able to stand on its own.

A variation made famous by Australian Aboriginal tennis champ Evonne Goolagong.

This form got noticed as the first name of long-reigning Russian president Brezhnev; other bearers include playwright and short-story writer Andreyev, Leonid the Magnificent,a Russian performance artist on America's Got Talent, and Leonid McGill, the protagonist of a Walter Mosley private eye series. All in all, though, Leonid is not the most likely to join the pride of lion-related names here.

There are 15 times as many baby boys named Brett than Bret, but this sleeker version is used and has some merits, namely, being sleeker.

Once you get past the pronunciation hurdle, a smooth and elegant choice. In French, it's spelt with a circumflex: Benoît.

If Dayton, like Trenton and Camden, is finding favor with parents, it's more because of its popular two-syllable surname feel and -on ending than the industrial city in Ohio.

This spelling variation of the classic Evelyn gives it a trendy makeover to fit in with the surge of names ending with -lynn suffixes. Recent counts have seen it given to around 1000 girls each year and it sits with the Top 400.

Giulio is a Top 50 name in Italy, and we think Giulio is a good candidate to follow, especially now that Giovanni and Gianni are in up in the US charts. It's an interesting alternative to popular cousins Julian and Julius. And of course the most famous Giulio of all is the Emperor, Giulio Cesare.

Petronilla is an ancient saint's name that relates to the Roman family name Petronius, thought to mean yokel or woodpecker, though some connect it with Petra or Peter, meaning stone. With the resurgence of so many ancient Roman names, the elaborate and pretty Petronilla or its French form Petronille seem more usable these days than they have in centuries.

A lesser-used spelling variation of Layla, Leila et al. In Jewish mythology, Lailah is the name of an angel associated with the night and fertility.

Ayn is a nonconformist name associated with controversial Russian-born writer and philosopher Ayn Rand, (born Alisa) author of The Fountainhead, who adopted it when she moved to the US in 1926.

Swam into style and quickly out again, on Chad's fish- er, coat-tails.

Dianne, one of the many offshoots and variations of the classic Diana, had its moment in the sun in the 1940s--it was a Top 100 name from 1943 to 1952. It now would make a very unlikely choice.

Whether spelled Raffaela, Rafaela, Raffaella, or Raphaela, a euphonius name with a dark-eyed, long-flowing-haired image. Like Gabriella and Isabella, is beginning to be drawn into the American mainstream.

In Germany, Jannis outranks its parent name, Johannes. Virtually no American babies were given the name in the last year on record.

Gives a good boy name a bad boy feel.

Fine in France, but here it means vegetables sliced into thin strips.

In the currently popular solid, serious, two-syllable mold.

Widely used in the Latino community, the name gained renown in the nineties for its association with rapper Gerardo Mejía of 'Rico Suave' fame.

Zamir in its various forms is becoming more familiar in the US, thanks to its cross-cultural appeal, its zippy Z beginning and its uplifting meanings. From its Hebrew and Albanian roots, it is a musical choice, meaning "singer" or "nightingale", while following its Arabic origins gives you the meaning "heart" or "conscience."