Names That Are Variations

Malea, for familiar to Americans spelled Malia as in Malia Obama, is a Top 100 name in Germany and Switzerland. In the US, only about 40 baby girls were named Malea last year, versus 1100 named Malia.

This spelling variation of the Biblical place-name Sela is found on early American census roles, but Sela is more usual today. Cela is another early variation. Cella may also be a variation of Cilla, short for Priscilla, or Celia.

A warm, sunny, and extremely rare name, even within its native France. Idalie would be especially perfect to honor an Ida.

Also related to the word for wolf, this name has a first syllable that's not appealing to the American ear. Better ic-ending choices: Dominic, Frederic, Eric.

Pronounced as the English word joy, rather than as the French phrase joie de vivre, Joie might produce more complications than joy.

A nouveau elaboration of Arya that may have also been influenced by the rise of -ani ending names such as Leilani.

The popularity of Aiden has sparked many creative spellings - this one is understandably towards the bottom of the Top 1000.

There are so many variations of this name in circulation, it makes it hard for any of them to feel as special as they might.

Albertine and Alberta are old-fashioned feminizations ala Geraldine and Roberta. This is the kind of name that sounds very dowdy until a hip celebrity chooses it, at which point we don't know how we missed its coolness all this time.

An entrancing, beguiling name that goes far to freshen up Sarah.

Chosen primarily by coveters of the sleek and spiffy German sports car, which is actually spelled Porsche. The Shakespearean version of the name is Portia. The one advantage of the Porsha spelling, popularized by Real Housewife Porsha Williams, is that is clarifies pronunciation.

This version of Tristan, known to English Lit students from the novel Tristram Shandy, is rarely used in this country, but, though its similarity to the popular Tristan could prove confusing, still makes an interesting literary choice.

This once-cool nickname-y name now belongs to the grandma generation.

Jacinth is a gemstone of the Zircon variety. The name is related to the floral Hyacinth.

An international possibility, heard from England and Israel to Poland, Latvia, and Albania. It is a name with a vast range of possible meanings and origins, including: a Polish variation of Jane, meaning "God is Gracious"; a Croatian, Bosnian, and Serbian short form of Susanna, meaning "lily"; a Persian name meaning "woman"; a Mongolian name meaning "bullfinch"; and a Shona name from Zimbabwe meaning "a hundred".

While Amorie might be strictly a feminizing way to spell the unisex Amory, it also relates to the word Amore and the name Amoris, which mean love,

Vanya is much more familiar.

An interesting and unusual member of the "Nic" family--far more distinctive than NICOLE or NICOLA.

Patrice is a more modern-sounding and polished unisex alternative to Patricia.

This variation of Marley is gaining momentum due to the popular -leigh suffix, which is all over the US popularity lists. This name in particular reentered the US Top 1000 in 2013.