Names That Are Variations

Not as familiar and easy as Christopher, not as unusual and interesting as Christoph or Krzysztof.

The German, Scandinavian and Czech variant of Joseph, borne by several notable European artists and athletes, as well as the brutal Soviet dictator Josef (or Iosif) Stalin.

Supermodel Karlie Kloss lends this spelling variation some style. Having appeared in the US Top 1000 since 1991, it was in trouble of dropping off completely when it ranked Number 992 in 2009. Since then, however, it has made modest strides back up the list.

The prefix La- was historically used by the Free Blacks of New Orleans in the nineteenth century to indicate paternity. Thus, someone named Lashawn was the son of Shawn, a phonetic spelling of Sean, the Irish variation of John.

A more authentic -- and difficult -- version of Sean.

Ieuan is a Scrabble-rack full of impossible vowels. Consider Ewan, Ian, or Owen instead.

Ahsen is derived from the masculine Arabic name Ahsan and is used on both sexes in Turkey, however, it is more popular among baby girls.

Chavelle is used both as a variation of Chevelle, an American name created by Chevrolet for a 1964 car model, and as a variation of Elizabeth.

This inventive spelling is part cowboy and part Kardashian.

Classic Scandinavian form of Bridget. Saint Birgitta of Sweden is the patron saint of Europe.

Gala makes the name more festive.

Although Ashanti is a much better known name via the female hip-hop singer, Asante is also an appealing way to honor Asante or Ashanti heritage. It's the name of a people and language based in Ghana.

As Kinsley rises in the ranks, so do its variations. Kinslee broke into the Top 1000 for the first time in 2014.

As with many other names, the y seems to make this name more girl-appropriate for some parents. About three-quarters of the babies named Austyn are female.

Jadon is the original Biblical form of this name, but Jayden is by far the most popular spelling, currently in the Top 20. Jaydon is borrowing from both versions, but not improving the name in the process. At Number 999 in 2015, it's in danger of dropping of the charts for good.

Stick with the original.

Peadair is one way to reinvent a classic, though insisting on the authentic pronunciation could cause problems.

Tine is an undisputably masculine name in Slovenia, but with the same sound as Tina, wouldn't translate as well in English-speaking countries.

As the French Esme becomes more popular, it will inevitably spawn spelling variations. This one, like Zoey or Layla, clarifies pronunciation, so while we prefer the original, that's not a bad thing.