Usual Nickname, Unexpected Name--Izzy

Combined, Isabella & Isabelle are easily the most popular girls' name. Chances are many were named to get that to that cool Bella, but just as many likely go by Izzy (to preemptively avoid Bella).

• Aliza (ah-lee-ZAH, Hebrew)--"joyful"
• Isabeau (ee-sah-BOH, French)--Archaic variant of Isabel/Elizabeth.
• Isadora (iz-ah-DOH-rah, English)--from Greek, "gift of Isis". Also spelled Isidora.
• Isaura (ee-SOW-rah, Spanish)
• Iscah (IS-kah, Hebrew)--original form of Jessica
• Iseul (ee-sul, Korean)--"dew"
• Isis (EYE-sis, Greek)--from Egyptian. Egyptian goddess of nature and the sky. Also written as Iset.
• Iskra (EES-krah, Slavic)--"spark"
• Ismene (is-MAY-nee, Greek)--"knowledge"
• Isolde (ee-ZOL-deh, English)--from Celtic, meaning uncertain. Variants include Isotta & Iseult.
• Isra (IS-rah, Arabic)
• Izar (ee-sar [r is trilled/rolled], Basque)--"star"
• Izdihar (is-dee-HAR, Arabic)--"blossoming"
• Izumi (ee-zoo-mee, Japanese)--"fountain"
• Mizuki (mee-zoo-kee, Japanese)

Bi-Cultural Names--Spanish/English (girls)

Spelled the same, but (usually) with slight pronunciation difference:

• Abigail--English, AB-ih-gayl; Abigaíl--Spanish, ah-bee-gah-EEL
• Adela--English, ah-DEL-ah; Spanish, ah-DEH-lah
• Adriana--English, ay-dree-AN-ah; Spanish, ah-dree-AH-nah
• Alicia--English, ah-LEE-shah; Spanish, ah-LEE-see-ah
• Amanda--English, ah-MAN-dah; Spanish, ah-MAHN-dah
• Anastasia--English, an-ah-STAY-zhah; Spanish, ahn-nah-STAHS-yah
• Angela--English, AN-jeh-lah; Ángela--Spanish, AHN-gel-ah or AHN-heh-lah
• Angelica--English, an-JEL-ih-kah; Angélica--Spanish, ahn-GEL-ee-kah
• Anita--English, an-EE-tah; Spanish--ah-NEE-tah
• Antonia--English, an-TOH-nee-ah; Spanish, ahn-TOH-nyah
• Aurora--English, aw-ROHR-ah; Spanish, ow-ROH-rah
• Calista--English, kah-LIS-tah; Spanish, kah-LEES-tah
• Carla--English & Spanish, KAHR-lah
• Carmen--English & Spanish, KAHR-men
• Carolina--English, kayr-oh-LYE-nah; Spanish, kah-roh-LEE-nah
• Cecilia--English, seh-SIL-yah; Spanish, seh-SEEL-yah
• Clara--English, KLAYR-ah; Spanish, KLAH-rah
• Diana--English, dye-AN-ah; Spanish, dee-AH-nah
• Dolores--English, dol-OR-ez; Spanish, doh-LOH-rehs
• Esmeralda--English, ez-mer-AL-dah; Spanish, es-meh-RAHL-dah
• Felicia--English, feh-LEE-shah; Spanish, feh-LEE-see-ah
• Gloria--English & Spanish, GLOH-ree-ah
• Isabel--English, IZ-ah-bel; Spanish, ees-ah-BEL
• Julia--English, JOO-lee-ah; Spanish, HOOL-yah
• Laura--English, LOHR-ah; Spanish, LOUR-ah
• Liliana--English, lil-ee-AH-nah; Spanish, leel-YAH-nah
• Lucia--English, LOO-shah or loo-SEE-ah; Lucía--Spanish, loo-SEE-ah
• Marcia--English, MAR-shah or MAHR-see-ah; Spanish, MAHR-syah
• Maria--English, mar-EE-ah, María--Spanish, mah-REE-ah
• Monica--English, MON-ih-kah; Mónica--Spanish, MOH-nee-kah
• Olivia--English, oh-LIV-ee-ah; Olívia--Spanish, oh-LEEV-yah
• Patricia--English, pah-TRISH-ah; Spanish, pah-TREES-yah
• Paula--English, PAW-lah; Spanish, POW-lah
• Ramona--English & Spanish, rah-MOH-nah
• Roberta--English, rob-ER-tah; Spanish, roh-BEHR-tah
• Sara--English, SAYR-ah; Spanish, SAH-rah
• Selena--English, sel-EE-nah; Spanish, seh-LEH-nah
• Sonia--English & Spanish, SOHN-yah
• Tatiana--English & Spanish, tah-TYAH-nah
• Ursula--English, UR-sul-ah; Spanish, oor-SOO-lah
• Veronica--English, ver-ON-ih-kah; Verónica--Spanish, vehr-OH-nee-kah
• Victoria--English, vik-TOR-ee-ah; Spanish, veek-TOHR-yah
• Yolanda--English & Spanish, yoh-LAHN-dah

Spelled nearly the same, but with Spanish version ending in '-a' or '-ia':

• Adelaide--English, AD-el-ayd; Adelaida--Spanish, ah-deh-lah-EE-dah
• Ariadne--English, ahr-ee-AHD-nee, air-ee-AD-nee; Ariadna--Spanish, ahr-YAHD-nah
• Bethany--English, BETH-ah-nee; Bethania--Spanish, bet-AHN-yah
• Clementine--English, KLEM-en-tine; Clementina--Spanish, klem-en-TEE-nah
• Emily--English, EM-il-ee; Emilia--Spanish, eh-MEEL-yah
• Gabrielle--English, gab-ree-EL; Gabriela--Spanish, gah-bree-EH-lah
• Giselle--English, jih-ZEL; Gisela--Spanish, gee-SEH-lah
• Grace--English, GRAYS; Gracia--Spanish, GRAH-syah
• Hilary--English, HIL-ah-ree; Hilaria--Spanish, ee-LAHR-yah
• Melanie--English, MEL-an-ee; Melania--Spanish, mel-AHN-yah
• Natalie--English, NAT-ah-lee; Natalia--Spanish, nah-TAHL-yah
• Noelle--English, noh-EL; Noelia--Spanish, noh-EHL-yah
• Rosalind--English, ROZ-ah-lind; Rosalinda--Spanish, roh-sah-LEEN-dah
• Rose--English, ROHZ; Rosa--Spanish, ROH-sah
• Roxanne--English, roks-AN; Roxana--Spanish, rohks-AHN-ah
• Valerie--English, VAL-er-ee; Valeria--Spanish, vah-LEHR-yah
• Violet--English, VYE-oh-let; Violeta--Spanish, vee-oh-LEH-tah
• Vivian--English, VIV-ee-an; Viviana--Spanish, vee-vee-AH-nah

Some other difference, but still recognizable:

• Agatha--English, AG-ah-thah; Agata--Spanish, ah-GAH-tah
• Alexandra--English, al-eks-AN-dra; Alejandra--Spanish, ah-leh-HAHN-drah
• Annabelle--English, AN-nah-bel; Anabel--Spanish, AHN-ah-bel
• Beatrice--English, BEE-ah-tris; Beatriz--Spanish, beh-ah-TREES
• Camilla--English, kah-MIL-lah; Camila--Spanish, kah-MEE-lah
• Clarissa--English, klayr-IS-sah; Clarisa--Spanish, klah-REE-sah
• Chloe--English, KLOH-ee; Cloe--Spanish, KLOH-eh
• Constance--English, KON-stants; Constanza--Spanish, kohn-STAHN-sah
• Christina--English, kris-TEE-nah; Cristina--Spanish, krees-TEE-nah
• Dahlia--English, DAHL-yah or DAYL-yah; Dalia--Spanish, DAHL-yah
• Daniella--English, dan-YEL-lah; Daniela--Spanish, dahn-YEH-lah
• Deborah--English, DEB-or-ah; Débora--Spanish, DEH-boh-rah
• Dorothy--English, DOR-o-thee; Dorotea--Spanish, doh-roh-TEH-ah
• Eleanor--English, EL-en-or; Leonor--Spanish, LEH-on-ohr
• Ellen--English, EL-len; Elena--Spanish, el-EH-nah
• Emmeline--English, EM-el-een; Emelina--Spanish, eh-meh-LEE-nah
• Estelle--English, es-TEL; Estela--Spanish, es-TEH-lah
• Esther--English, ES-ter; Ester--Spanish, ES-tehr
• Frances--English, FRAN-ses; Francisca--Spanish, frahn-SEES-kah
• Genevieve--English, JEN-eh-veev; Genoveva--Spanish, heh-noh-VEH-vah
• Josephine--English, JOH-sef-een; Josefina--Spanish, hoh-seh-FEE-nah
• Lorraine--English, lor-AYN; Lorena--Spanish, loh-REH-nah
• Louisa--English, loo-EEZ-ah; Luisa--Spanish, loo-EE-sah
• Lydia--English, LID-ee-ah; Lidia--Spanish, LEED-yah
• Margaret--English, MAR-gah-ret; Margarita--Spanish, mar-gah-REE-tah
• Marissa--English, mah-RIS-sah; Marisa--Spanish, mah-REE-sah
• Martha--English, MAR-thah; Marta--Spanish, MAHR-tah
• Matilda--English, mah-TIL-dah; Matilde--Spanish, mah-TEEL-day
• Melissa--English, mel-IS-sah; Melisa--Spanish, meh-LEE-sah
• Michaela--English, mih-KAY-lah; Micaela--Spanish, mee-KYE-lah
• Myra--English, MYE-rah; Mayra--Spanish, MYE-rah
• Naomi--English, nay-OH-mee or nye-OH-mee; Noemí--Spanish, no-eh-MEE
• Ophelia--English, oh-FEE-lee-ah; Ofelia--Spanish, oh-FEHL-yah
• Pearl--English, PERL; Perla--Spanish, PEHR-lah
• Priscilla--English, pris-SIL-lah; Priscila--Spanish, pree-SEE-lah
• Prudence--English, PROO-dens; Prudencia--Spanish, proo-DEN-syah
• Rebecca--English, reh-BEK-kah; Rebeca--Spanish, reh-BEH-kah
• Sophia--English, soh-FEE-ah; Sofía--Spanish, soh-FEE-ah
• Stephanie--English, STEF-an-ee; Estefanía--Spanish, es-teh-fah-NEE-ah
• Susanna--English, soo-ZAN-nah; Susana--Spanish, soo-SAH-nah
• Sylvia--English, SIL-vee-ah; Silvia--Spanish, SEEL-vyah
• Theodora--English, thee-oh-DOHR-ah; Teodora--Spanish, teh-oh-DOH-rah
• Theresa--English, ter-EE-sah; Teresa--Spanish, teh-REH-sah

For the boys' list, go here. 

Usual Name, Unexpected Nickname--Alexander

For such a long time, Alex was the favored nickname for Alexander, but in recent years, you're just as likely to hear Xander. Thanks to Alexander the Great, his name spread throughout Europe and the Middle East, and while the variants of Alexander all bear strong resemblance to the original (Eskandar, Alistair, Oleksander, to name a few), the nicknames have surprising variety.

• Ace (AYS)--English
• Ace/Atse (ATS-eh)--Macedonian
• Aleš (AH-lesh)--Czech & Slovak
• Lekso (LEK-so)--Serbian
• Sandy (SAN-dee)--English
• Santeri (SAHN-teh-ree)--Finnish
• Sasha (SAH-shah)--Russian
• Sawney (SAW-nee)--Scottish
• Shurik (SHOOR-eek)--Russian
• Skender (SKEN-der)--Albanian

Although it's technically a full name in its own right, the related Alexis and variant forms are sometimes used as a nickname for Alexander and company. While Alexander means "defender of man", Alexis is simply "defender". 

• Aleix (ah-LAYSH)--Catalan
• Alejo (ah-LEH-hoh)--Spanish
• Aleksei (ah-lyek-SAY)--Russian
• Alessio (ah-LES-syoh)--Italian

If you saw this post when it first went up, I apologize! I'm not sure how I managed to only publish part of it, but I've added in the missing Alexis segment. :)