Names That Are Variations

This much less popular variation draws more from Karin.

Central European form of Matthew.

Pronounced YAH-nosh, has a serious, violin-playing air. Perhaps that's why it has so many nicknames: JANCKZI, JANCSI, JANI, JANKIA, JANKO.

Incredibly handsome and super smooth, Duarte sounds like it came straight out of a romance novel. You almost wouldn’t believe it’s derived from Edward.

Most parents would choose the more contemporary Simon.

Pleasant modernization of dated original.

Isidore and variants are remarkably underused and ripe for revival, a la Theodore and company.

As a Top 600 name for girls for more than 20 years, Kamryn has become a widely-accepted version of the original Cameron. It also ranks just below the Top 1000 for boys too, though it is used three times more often on girls.

This name is unusual enough that the spelling variation won't be too much of a further complication. While the Biblical cognate Cain may be more classic, this removes the name from any negative associations.

This is a straightforward choice for parents looking to honor their Greek ancestry.

Londyn is now a more popular name than the original London for girls. Some parents feel that varying the spelling nudges the name away from over-identification with the British capitol. Substituting a y for another vowel is also seen by some as more feminine. For boys, London is five times as popular as Londyn -- though both variations are far more popular for girls.

Unlikely to catch on in the Anglophone world, where parent name Ludwig still conjures up images of Beethoven. But Ludvig actually ranks among the top boy names in Norway and Sweden, while German form Ludwig ranks among the Top 100 boy names in Germany and Ludovico is cool in Italty.

Like many spelling variations of popular names, Jonathon's star rose and is now falling along with that of the original Jonathan. Jonathon occupied the very last spot on the boys' US Top 1000 in 2016, at Number 1000. Parents in search of an Old Testament boys’ name today tend to look for more original choices, from Ezra to Abraham to Moses.

More streamlined – and more authentic – than Shawna.

Sounds like and is often confused with Asia, though it has an air of retro cool via the seminal Steely Dan album. Or, pronounced eye-ah, it can be an alternate spelling of the international favorite Aya.

Keon, a mashup of Kevin and Leon, has been in the Top 900 for a decade and a half, following in the wake of female cousin Kiana.

Merve is derived from Marwa, a significant name in the Muslim community, as it the name of a mountain in Mecca.

The romantic fairy tale-like name has come to modern attention via the beautiful but terrifying sorceress in Game of Thrones. The character may look as lovely as her name sounds, but it's hard to imagine a parent familiar with the book wanting to use the name for their child. Two alternate directions: Millicent or Melisande.

Aapo has been a common Finnish name for decades and is now declining in popularity.

In the US Amber is stuck in the '80s, while Ambre is a fresh choice in France.