Names That Are Variations

Krista may be past its peak -- along with all similar C-starting sisters and their K variations -- yet it's still a pretty name.

What a difference one letter makes - the somewhat tired, though still heavenly Angela, gets a makeover as sweet and subtle Aniela. Definitely worth considering.

Juana with an X factor.

A rarely used play on Amber, making it more feminine and both more modern and old-fashioned at the same time.

Cooler and rarer than Pedro, but also has a slightly industrial sound.

The advantage of Orsa over the arguably-more-attractive Ursula is that it breaks the tie to the hideous she-witch of The Little Mermaid. Orsa definitely feels more ready for modern life now that brother name Orson is on the rise.

Pavlo has more energy than the Russian Pavel, perhaps because it sounds like the Spanish Pablo.

The Portuguese word for sapphire was formerly a Top 100 name in Portugal.

Variant of Caelan

A name that sounded unthinkably priggish until it became attached to Domestic Goddess British TV chef Nigella Lawson (named for her father), who gave it a big dollop of glamour.

A Top 50 choice in the Netherlands.

This Italian saint's name is one of the most unusual of the o-ending names.

Latin variation of Eli used in the Old and New Testament.

The Dutch spelling of Emil, a European classic that awaits resurrection in the US. Emiel is a Top 100 name in Belgium.

A Top 10 name in Turkey, seen again in the Top 100 in the double-barreled combination Kerem Ali.

Though you might have been a fan of tennis star Chris Evert, stick with EVERETT, which everyone will think you're saying anyway.

You lose the zippy Z with the Nordic form of Zebulon, but the softer nickname Seb is nice.

The water, period.

Teasagh or Teasag, which can be Anglicized as Jessie, is a Scottish form of Jean, which itself originated as a Scottish feminine form of John. Scotswomen called Jessie are more likely to be properly named Teasagh than Jessica.