Names That Are Variations

A handful of baby girls are still named Carlene every year, but today other feminizations of Charles or Carl, from Carly to Charlotte, are much more popular.

Tamar is a feminine Hebrew name, but this variation is used on girls and boys in the US. Tamari is also the name of a Japanese condiment similar to soy sauce.

A common name in many cultures, sometimes spelled Margarethe.

Typically spelled with an accent over the I, as Martí, this name is a popular choice in the Catalan region of Spain. The I-ending spelling reads as feminine in many Anglophone countries — indeed, Marti was only used for baby girls in US in the last year on record.

A Scandinavian short form of Johanna, properly pronounced with a Y sound at the start, but would likely be read as the more prosaic "John-a" in an English-speaking context.

Germans spell Stephanie with an f though the i ending is not traditional. Lady Gaga dropped the Stefani and No Doubt's Gwen sports is as a surname. Despite the celebrity connections, we say if you want to name your daughter Stephanie, name her Stephanie.

Eetu is a perennial favorite in Finland, but is rarely if ever used in the States - probably because of the unfamiliar (to most people) spelling and pronunciation.

This is one you will get tired of explaining.

We like all forms of this name—Annabel, Anabel, Annabelle, Anabela, and Annabella—so you decide how elaborate you want to get. Actress Sela Ward chose the Anabella spelling.

The ie ending injects this late 20th century favorite with a bit of late 19th century charm. But not quite enough to make it a good 21st century choice.

Variation of Jans.

If for whatever reason you're wed to the whole Zachary concept, this variation -- either as a proper name or a nickname -- is one way to make it new.

Thayer sounds like a modern update '90s success-story Taylor — although it's much rarer and will likely never reach Taylor's heights. It is also reminiscent of currently trendy Thea, which could also be used as a nickname.

A lovely variation of classic Margaret, worn by two Olympic medal winners — Marharyta Makhneva and Marharyta Dorozhon.

Phar-phetched.

Faunia is more often rendered as Fauna, who was a Roman goddess of fertility, women and healing. Faunia was the downtrodden yet loving heroine of Philip Roth's Human Stain. Faunia and Fauna have more gravitas than the doe-like Fawn.

If you want people to pronounce Andrea with an Ah sound beginning, this spelling would guide the way.