Names That Are Variations

While Faust, who sold his soul to the devil, was anything but fortunate, this Latinate variation is more commonly heard and accepted.

Well used in northern Europe, almost unknown here.

Gorgeous name in any form, though the c may muddy the pronunciation.

Preferable to its parent name, Arnoud, in the Netherlands.

Anabel is the sleekest version of this lovely name with so many variations, all of them correct. But Anabel and all her sisters -- Annabel, Annabelle, Anabella etc. -- took a downward turn after the 2014 horror film Annabelle.

Avaline emerged as a full-fledged name when Cameron Diaz used it as the name of her wine brand. Only a dozen or two baby girls are given the name each year in the US, a surprise given the dramatically increased popularity of Adeline and Evelyn, which have spawned an abundant number of variations.

After breaking into the Top 400 in 2011, this name has lost ground.

Jeffery is common enough to be an accepted variation but not common enough to be the one you should choose. Nonetheless, this spelling has charted since the early-twentieth century, much like its brother name.

Unconventional nickname option that's best kept as a nickname.

If you loved Nicole growing up but now are looking for a new spin, Nicoletta may interest you. The slightly sleeker French version is Nicolette. A shorter form is Coletta, or you could shorten it even further to Nico or Etta.

This Dutch version of Eleanora, related also to the other Dutch name Noor, is one of the more common girls' names in the Netherlands.

A more feminine version of Devin.

Kalindi is a lovely, rhythmic name refers to one of the seven sacred rivers of India.

This spelling variation of Cason isn't quite as widely used as the original.

Photographer Diane Arbus named her daughter Doon, inspired by the sand dunes she walked among when pregnant. Used this way, Doon might be considered a nature name, a refashioning of the word dune. But Doon might also stem from the familiar Scottish surname Dunn or Dunne, which means brown or dark, originally used for a dark-haired person.

Has a nice flamenco flavor.

This unusual variation of Margaret is the real first name of actress Maggie Gyllenhaal. It can make a distinctive way to honor an ancestral Margaret or a different long form for such nicknames as Maggie, Meg, or Margo.

Makes the intriguing Olga even more so.

Rolando, along with brother name Orlando, are among the most attractive and appealing of Latinate names. It has been in the US Top 1000 every year since 1946.

The first name of famed designer Balenciaga, was also the birth name of Christopher Columbus--aka Cristobal Colon. A name still well used in the Hispanic community.