Names That Are Variations

Kardashian style transforms many traditional C names to Ks, and this is a kase in point.

Most parents would choose the more contemporary Simon.

When Gail was popular, half a century ago, Gale was a plausible choice. Gale does put a slightly more masculine spin on the name, but it's dated in any version.

Junot, which sounds like the goddess and indie movie name "Juno" and the Alaskan place name Juneau, is actually someting completely different. The literati will recognize the unusual name of writer Junot Diaz.

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

Got some notice as a Jared alternative, has musical association with pianist Keith Jarrett.

An undiscovered cousin of Garrett and Gerard. Gerrit has some merit, especially for its arty credentials as the name of several Old Master painters.

Justina was the pre-Justine feminization of Justin, now a possible alternative to Christina. Oddly, while Justine feels like a name unto itself, Justina feels like a pinned-together feminization in the mold of Richarda or Benjamina. Still, it may appeal as one of the unusual-yet-familiar girl names starting with J.

While Jairus is rare, this Spanish variation is heard in the US, having ranked in the Top 1000 for the last three decades. It currently ranks in the latter end of the charts, while similar sounding Kairo, Cairo, and Kyro rank higher.

Flavio is derived from Flavius, a surname used in Ancient Rome. These family names, or cognomens, were given to distinguish branches of the clan and were chosen based on a characteristic of an important bearer. In this case, the Flavius family patriarch was likely blond-haired.

This name found in the fantasy series Endymion/Rise of Endymion has a slightly physiological feel to it.

Lovely Irish name which has inspired many Anglicized variations, but using the original form preserves the integrity of one of the most beautiful Gaelic girls' names.

Sidonia is an international spin on the recently-trendy Sydney. Plus Sidonia has an advantage over the French Sidonie in that it sounds more distinct to the English speaker. An original way to honor grandpa Sid.

Saide is notably the middle name of actor Shia LeBeouf, from his mother's maiden name. It's typically seen as a feminine given name in Crimea among people of Crimean Tatar descent. Saide derived from the Arabic name Sa'ida, which itself comes from the masculine name Sa'id, an important name in Islam.

As a feminine name, Izel is the Turkish variation of the Yiddish name Eidel. as well as a Nahuatl name derived from the word isel, meaning "unique."

One of several Latin names starting with E that would work and play well with others in any family.

Viviane is one of a cluster of names that may or may not be related. They include the Latin Viviana, which means life, and its modern forms Vivian and the French form Vivienne. But Vivien, pronounced identically, may be a literary invention connected instead to Ninian. Some sources also connect the Viv variations to the Irish Bebinn, the name of the goddess of childbirth, or Bevin.

From obscure male biblical boy's name to unisex favorite, Jadon/Jaden, in all its variations, has had a meteoric rise in popularity, building on Jade and Jada, plus the trendy en ending.

A long-popular name, particularly among the African-American community, Keisha was first publicized by the child actress, Keshia Knight Pulliam, who starred on the old Cosby Show. It entered the US Top 1000 in 1967 and remained there for 30 years, but it hasn't featured again since 1997.

Raffaella is the Italian form of the lovely name Raphaela, the female version of the angel's name Raphael, gorgeous in any spelling or international variation. Raffaella is one of the most appealing Italian baby names for girls.