Names That Are Variations

A patriotic spin on Armie, with roughly the same meaning whether you consider it a variation or a totally separate word name.

Still heard today in religious Jewish circles.

Fien is a popular enough girls' name to make the Top 100 in The Netherlands. Dutch parents love nickname-names taken from the last vs. the first syllable of a name, like Sanne for Susanne or Lotte for Charlotte.

Both Jair and Yair have been in and out of the US Top 1000 since the 2000s, and while both are currently taking a break from the charts, Yair in particular is quietly gathering attention. Given to 182 babies in 2023, Yair is simple and distinctive and fits in with the recent interest in off-beat Biblical names.

In addition to being the appellation of an ancient grain goddess, this name was also borne by two mythic Irish figures, one of whom was betrothed to legendary chieftain Finn MacCool, the other the brave sixteenth century pirate Grainne Ni Mhaille— known in English as Grace O'Malley-- whose name passed into poetry as a symbol of Ireland.

Has lost all trace of its French accent.

A Welsh diminutive of Tomos/Thomas, or just a simplified spelling of Tommy.

Spelling Camden with a K makes it less of a place name—Camden is a downmarket city in New Jersey and an upmarket area of London—and more of a Kardashian-era confection, or maybe konfection. Both Kamden and Camden are in the Top 500 boys’ names.

Amori puts a feminine, nickname-y spin on the unisex Amory -- though the amiable name does not really need lightening up.

Breccan may be the original saints' name, but in the modern U.S., the spelling Brecken is the most popular form, followed by Breckin. A winner by any spelling.

Pronounced MY-keh, this German form of Mary was very popular a few decades ago. Might make a fresh alternative to Mikayla and sisters. The Frisian version is Maike, and the Biblical male Micah sounds the same.

Aiden has spawned a legion of offshoots used mostly for boys but sometimes for girls too, and Kaidyn is one such name. Though it has been predominantly used on boys in recent years, it was given to girls almost equally in the late 2000s and early 2010s.

Plausible name for parents with Slavic roots, known as the wife of Alexander the Great.

This form of the stylish Old Testament name is too close to the feminine Yona.

The nickname of Mrs. Al Gore (born Mary Elizabeth), bestowed because her favorite childhood lullaby was "Tippy Tippy Tin," should remain her exclusive property.

This unusual offshoot of Page is one of the undiscovered unique baby names, with lots of energy and charm. Actress Paget Brewster, star of Criminal Minds, presents another spelling possibility. She comes from a family of unique names--her mother is Hathaway, her father Galen.

Variation of Gertrude.

Actress Jada Pinkett Smith propelled her name into the limelight during the 1990s and early 2000s. Alongside this rise, variant spelling Jaida entered the US Top 1000 in 1998 and peaked at Number 516 in 2008. In the last five years, however, Jaida has dropped dramatically, drawing ever closer to the bottom of the charts.

Jac is one of the new "creative" variations of Jack, a name on the rise in its own right and not just as a short form of John. But why, when Jack is so simple and so familiar, make it Jac and invite people to guess whether it's pronounced like Jake, or maybe like the French Jacques.

Goodwin — which is mostly seen as a last name — comes from the long-forgotten given name Godwine. Godwine was a relatively common name in medieval England. It later traveled to Germanic regions in the form of Godwin.