Usual Nickname, Unexpected Name--Rose

Rose, of course, is perfectly fine on its own. But, as Rosalie regains popularity, it may pave the way for other Rose-names. Everyone knows the usual English picks--Rosalind/Rosalyn, Rosamund, Rosemary--but there's so much more!

• Rocío (roh-SEE-oh, Spanish)--"dew"
• Rosabel (ROHZ-ah-bel, English)--Italian is Rosabella.
• Rosalba (roh-ZAHL-bah, Italian)--"white rose"
• Rosalia (roh-zah-LEE-ah, Italian, Spanish)--Other forms include Rosália (roh-SAHL-yah, Portuguese) & Rozalia (roh-zah-LEE-ah, German; roh-ZAHL-yah, Polish)
• Rosaria (roh-ZAHR-yah, Italian)--"rosary". Other forms include Rosario (Spanish) & Rosaire (French).
• Rosaura (roh-SOW-rah, Spanish)--from Latin, "golden rose" 
• Rosella (roh-ZEL-lah, Italian)--French form is Roselle.
• Roselore (roh-zeh-LOH-reh, German)--combination of Rosa & Eleonore.
• Rosenda (roh-SEN-dah, Spanish)--from Germanic, "famous path"
• Rosette (roh-ZET, French)--Italian is Rosetta.
• Rosilda (roh-ZEEL-dah, Italian)
• Rósinkara (ROH-seen-kah-rah, Icelandic)
• Rositsa (roh-SEETZ-ah, Bulgarian)--"little rose". Also spelled Rosica. 
• Rosine (roh-ZEEN, French)--Italian form is Rosina. 
• Rósný (ROHS-nee, Icelandic)--"new rose"
• Rossana (rohs-SAH-nah, Italian)--form of Roxana.
• Roswitha (rohs-VEE-tah, German, Dutch)--from Germanic, "famous strength". Also spelled Roswita. 
• Rozenn (ROH-zen, Breton)

Usual Nickname, Unexpected Name--Nick/Niko

It's funny how when asked for classic boys' names, we have a tendency to list names we know from our generation. Jason, Andrew, Ryan....and yes, Nicholas, all seem to be considered "classic". And yet, they're all very trendy to the 80/90s! While having an out-of-style name somehow isn't has horrible for guys as it is for girls, there are still quite a few nice substitutes for a little Nick. Nico/Niko is starting to gain use as a full name in its own right, too.

• Aniketos (ah-NEEK-eh-tohs, Greek)--"unconquerable"
• Besnik (BES-neek, Albanian)--"faithful"
• Domenico (doh-MEN-ee-koh, Italian)--form of Dominic
• Nicanor (nee-kah-NOHR, English, Spanish)--from Greek, "victory"
• Nikifor (nee-KEE-fohr, Polish, Russian)--from Greek, "carrying victory".
• Nicodème (nee-koh-DEM, French)--from Greek, "victory of the people"
• Nicomedo (nee-koh-MEH-doh, Italian)--from Greek, "thinking of victory"
• Nikhil (nik-HIL, Hindi)
• Nikias (nee-KEE-as, [ancient] Greek)
• Yannick (yah-NEEK, Breton, French)--form of Yann/John

Same Name?!?--Agnes

Oh, poor Agnes. Once one of the most popular girls names in all the English-speaking world, she fell off the charts in the early 70s, and has hardly been seen since. If the "hundred-year rule" holds true, we may be seeing more of her soon, but thanks to a celebrated saint, you can already find a different version in nearly every language in the Western world.

Original Greek form: Hagne [Άγνη] (HAHG-nee)
Latin form: Agnes (AHG-nes)

Other forms:

• Agnė (AHG-nay)--Lithuanian
• Agnese (ahn-YEH-zeh)--Italian
• Agnese (AHG-neh-seh)--Latvian
• Agnessa (ahg-NYEH-sah)--Russian
• Agneta (ang-NEH-tah)--Scandinavian. Also spelled Agnetha.
• Agneza (ahg-NEH-zah)--Croatian
• Agnieszka (ag-NYESH-kah)--Polish
• Agnija (AHG-nee-ah)--Macedonian, Serbian
• Annis (AN-nis)--English
• Aune (OW-neh)--Finnish
• Inès (ee-NEZ)--French
• Inês (EE-nez)--Portuguese
• Inés (ee-NES)--Spanish
• Inez (ee-NEZ, EYE-nez)--English
• Jagusia (yah-GOO-shah)--Polish
• Nancy (NAN-see)--English
• Nesta (NES-tah)--Welsh
• Neža (NEH-zhah)--Slovene
• Oanez (WAHN-ez)--Breton

Y Not?

Perhaps a bit of a cheat, as tons of names contain the letter Y. However, almost none have it as an initial letter...in English, anyway.
I was surprised at how many Y-names actually do appear in the Top 1000. Most are Spanish, Native American, or Arabic (or a mixture thereof!)--Yahir, Yandel, Yusuf/Yosef/Yousef, & Yadiel for boys, Yaretzi/Yaritza, Yareli, Yasmin/Yazmin, Yesenia, Yoselin, & Yamilet/Yamileth for girls, and Yael for both.
In the past, Yolanda, Yvette, Yvonne, & Yancy have charted, but no longer.

Boys:

• Yachin (yah-KHEEN, Hebrew)
• Yago (YAH-goh, Portuguese, Spanish)--form of Jacob/James
• Yakim (yah-KEEM, Russian)--form of Joachim/Joaquin
• Yalçin (yahl-CHIN, Turkish)
• Yaniv (yah-NEEV, Hebrew)--"he will prosper"
• Yannick (YAHN-neek, Breton, French)--form of John
• Yannis (YAHN-nis, Greek)--another form of John
• Yared (yah-RED, Hebrew)--original form of Jared
• Yaron (yah-ROHN, Hebrew)--"he sings"
• Yasen (YAH-sen, Bulgarian)--"ash tree" or "serene"
• Yavor (YAH-vohr, Bulgarian)--"maple tree"
• Yefim (yeh-FEEM, Russian)--from Greek, "speaks well"
• Yefrem (yeh-FREM, Russian)--form of Ephraim
• Yildirim (YIL-dih-rim, Turkish)--"lightning"
• Yishai (yee-SHYE, Hebrew)--original form of Jesse
• Ylur (IL-oor, Icelandic)--"warmth"
• Yoram (yoh-RAHM, Hebrew)
• Yorath (YOHR-ath, Welsh)--"worthy lord"
• Yori (yoh-ree, Japanese)--"trust"
• Yorick (YOHR-ik, English)--form of George
• Yrian (EER-ee-ahn, Scandinavian)--another [archaic] form of George
• Yulian (yoo-lee-AHN, Russian)--form of Julian
• Yuri (yoo-ree, Russian)--yet another form of George
• Yvo (EE-voh, Dutch, German)
• Ywain (ee-WAYN, French)--form of Owen

Girls:

• Yadira (yah-DEER-ah, Spanish)--from Arabic, "worthy"
• Yakira (yah-kee-rah, Hebrew)--"beloved, precious"
• Yamila (yah-MEE-lah, Spanish)--from Arabic, "beautiful"
• Yamuna (YAHM-uh-nah, Hindi)
• Yarona (yah-roh-nah, Hebrew)--feminine of Yaron
• Yara (YAH-rah, Portuguese, Spanish)--from Tupi, "water lady". Also spelled Iara.
• Yelena (yel-YEH-nah, Russian)--form of Helen
• Yemima (yeh-mee-mah, Hebrew)--"dove"
• Yên (ee-en, Vietnamese)--"peaceful"
• Yeşim (yeh-SHEEM, Turkish)--"jade"
• Yeva (YEH-vah, Russian)--form of Eve
• Yıldız (YIL-diz, Turkish)--"star"
• Yiskah (yees-KAH, Hebrew)--original form of Jessica
• Ylja (EEL-yah, Icelandic)--from Old Norse, "warm"
• Ylva (EEL-vah, Scandinavian)--from Old Norse, "she-wolf"
• Yngva (EENG-vah, Scandinavian)
• Yoana (yoh-AHN-nah, Bulgarian)--form of Joan/Jane/Jean
• Yonca (YOHN-jah, Turkish)--"clover"
• Yonit (yoh-NEET, Hebrew)--feminine of Jonah
• Yrja (EER-yah, Icelandic)--from Old Norse, "drizzling rain"
• Yseult (ee-zoolt, French)--form of Isolde
• Yuliana (yool-YAH-nah, Russian)--form of Juliana
• Yuliya (YOO-lee-ah, Bulgarian, Russian)--form of Julia
• Yumi (yoo-mee, Japanese)
• Yusra (YOOS-rah, Arabic)--"wealth"
• Yuzuki (yoo-zoo-kee, Japanese)

Unisex:

• Yağmur (yah-MOOR ['ah' is very long], Turkish)--"rain"
• Yarden (yar-DEN, Hebrew)--original form of Jordan
• Yasu (yah-soo, Japanese)--"peace, peaceful"
• Yuki (yoo-kee, Japanese)
• Yun (YOON, Chinese, Korean)
• Yuval (yoo-VAHL, Hebrew)--"stream"

Same Name?!--Peter

Peter is an interesting case. While some names have only a few forms and are spelled the same in several languages (Andrew, Matthew, and Anna come to mind), Peter takes a slightly different form in just about every language. And thanks to the apostle, and several saints, Peter has spread throughout the world. Impressive, since the apostle's name wasn't even Peter!
When the Bible was translated into Greek, instead of Hellenizing his name, like the translators did with most others (Channah --> Anna; Yitschaq --> Isaak; Miryam --> Maria), they swapped it out entirely for a Greek name with the same meaning: Peter was actually named Cephas.
Makes me wonder what the list below would have looked like if they'd left his name alone.

Original Aramaic form: Cephas (SEE-fas)
Greek translation: Petros [Πέτρος] (PEH-trohs)
Modern English form: Peter (PEE-ter)

Other forms:

• Boutros (BOO-tros)--Arabic
• Peadar (PYAH-dar)--Irish
• Peder (PEE-dehr)--Scandinavian
• Pedr (PAY-dr)--Welsh
• Pedro (PEH-droh)--Portuguese, Spanish
• Pehr (PEHR)--Swedish
• Peio (pay-oh)--Basque
• Petrus (PEH-tros)--Dutch, German
• Pier (PEER)--Dutch
• Pierce (PEERS)--English [via Pier]
• Pierre (pee-EHR)--French
• Pierrick (PYEHR-ick)--Breton
• Pietari (pee-EH-tah-ree)--Finnish
• Pietro (PYEHT-roh)--Italian

Usual Nickname, Unexpected Name--Winnie

Despite an iconic namesake, Winnie's never really caught on in the U.S.  I am, of course, referring to The Wonder Years, not Winnie the Pooh, but I imagine the children's book and resulting media have definitely helped keep it down. The fact that it's usually short for the ultra-vintage Winifred hasn't exactly boosted its popularity either. However, I wouldn't be surprised to see it come back soon, as a nickname for the on-the-rise Gwendolyn (à la Winnie Cooper), or other Gwen-names.
Oh, and in the case of that silly old bear, Winnie was actually short for Winnipeg. Probably less usable than most other alternatives.

• Gwenaëlle (GWEN-ah-el, Breton)--"blessed and generous"
• Gwyneira (gwun-AY-rah or gwun-EYE-rah, Welsh*)
• Jaswinder (jas-WIN-der, Hindi)
• Morwenna (mohr-WEN-nah, Cornish)
• Owena (oh-WEN-ah, Welsh*)--feminine of Owen
• Rowena (roh-EE-nah, English)
• Willemijn (wil-leh-MINE, Dutch)--feminine of William/Willem
• Winfrieda (win-FREE-dah, German)--"peaceful friend"
• Winimar (WIN-ih-mar, Old German)--"famous friend"
• Winona (win-OH-nah, Sioux)

*I was attempting to keep this list from getting too repetitive by limiting the number of Welsh names (gwen- and -wen are extremely common elements, since they mean "holy, blessed, fair"). If you do want to see dozens and dozens more, head on over to NameNerds. 

April Showers Bring....

May flowers! Happy, uh, May Day? We'll go with that.
On the heels of my bird-themed post, a flower-themed post also seemed like a fun idea. So, here're various flower-names from other languages. Unless otherwise noted, these are female.

• Aoi (ah-oh-ee, Japanese)--"hollyhock"
• Aravind (ahr-ah-vind, Hindi)--"lotus" [masculine]
• Amaranta (ah-mah-RAHN-tah, Spanish & Italian)--"amaranth"
• Ayame (ah-yah-may, Japanese)--"iris"
• Azucena (ah-soo-SEH-nah, Spanish)--"madonna lily"
• Brânduṣa (brahn-DOO-shah, Romanian)--"crocus"
• Briallen (bree-AHL-len, Welsh)--"primrose"
• Capucine (kah-poo-SEEN, French)--"nasturtium"
• Crina (KREE-nah, Romanian)--"lily"
• Cullen (KUL-len, Irish)--"holly" [masculine]. Variant is Quillan.
• Celyn (KEL-in, Welsh)--"holly" [masculine]
• Daphne (DAF-nee, Greek)--"laurel"
• Đurđica (joor-JITS-ah, Croatian)--"lily of the valley" [also the Croatian form of Georgia]
• Eirlys (IRE-lis or AYR-lis, Welsh)--"snowdrop"
• Endzela (end-ZEL-ah, Georgian)--"snowdrop"
• Ffion (FEE-on, Welsh)--"rose" or "foxglove"
• Hollis (HOL-lis, English)--"holly tree" [usually masculine]
• Ianthe (ee-AN-thee or eye-AN-thee, Greek)--"violet"
• Ibolya (ee-boy-ah, Hungarian)--"violet"
• Ivančica (ee-vahn-CHEE-tsah, Croatian)--"daisy"
• Irit (ee-reet, Hebrew)--"asphodel"
• Jessamine (JES-sah-min, English)--"jasmine"
• Kamala (kah-mah-lah, Hindi)--"lotus"
• Kielo (KEE-eh-loh, Finnish)--"lily of the valley"
• Kiku (kee-koo, Japanese)--"chrysanthemum"
• Laleh (lah-LAY, Persian)--"tulip"
• Lan (LAHN, Chinese & Vietnamese)--"orchid"
• Liên (LEE-en, Vietnamese)--"lotus"
• Madara (mah-DAH-rah, Latvian)--"galium"
• Madelief (mah-deh-LEEF, Dutch)--"daisy"
• Marganita (mahr-gah-nee-tah, Hebrew)--"scarlet pimpernel"
• Margarita (mahr-gah-REE-tah, Spanish)--"daisy" [also the Spanish form of Margaret]
• Marguerite (mahr-ge-REET, French)--"daisy" [also the French form of Margaret]
• Mawar (MAH-wahr, Indonesian)--"rose"
• Melati (mel-AH-tee, Indonesian)--"jasmine"
• Nasrin (nahs-REEN, Persian)--"wild rose"
• Nóinín (NOH-neen, Irish)--"daisy"
• Nurit (noo-REET, Hebrew)--"buttercup"
• Orvokki (OHR-voh-kee, Finnish)--"pansy"
• Raisa (rye-sah or rye-zah, Yiddish)--"rose"
• Ren (ren, Japanese)--"lotus" [can also mean "love"]
• Rhoda (ROH-dah, English)--from Greek, "rose"
• Rotem (roh-TEM, Hebrew)--"retama" [unisex, more often masculine]
• Rozenn (ROH-zen, Breton)--"rose"
• Růžena (roo-ZHEN-ah, Czech)--"rose"
• Sakura (sah-koo-rah, Japanese)--"cherry blossom"
• Sayuri (sah-yoo-ree, Japanese)--"small lily"
• Spomenka (spoh-MEHN-kah, Croatian)--"forget-me-not"
• Vartan (VAHR-tahn, Armenian)--"rose" [masculine]
• Vered (veh-REHD, Hebrew)--"rose"
• Vuokko (VOO-oh-ko, Finnish)--"anemone"
• Yolanda (yoh-LAHN-dah, Spanish)--from Latin, "violet"
• Yuri (yoo-ree, Japanese)--"lily"

Same Name?!--Louis

Well, I did my favorite girl-name family not too long ago, so now I'm going to do my favorite set of boy-name variants. Louis probably brings to mind one thing--royalty. There have been no less than 18 King Louis of France, and several German/HRE kings as well. It's out-of-style here in North America, but unsurprisingly, still quite popular in Europe.

Original Germanic form: Chlodovech (no idea how to pronounce; not even going to try)
Latinized form: Ludovicus (loo-dov-EE-kus)

Modern forms:

• Alaois (AH-leesh)--Irish
• Aloysius (ah-loh-EE-see-us)--Dutch
• Aloysius (ah-loh-IH-shus)--English
• Aloysius (ah-LOY-zee-oos)--German
• Alvise (ahl-VEE-zeh)--Italian
• Clovis (KLO-vis)--Germanic
• Koldo (KOL-doh)--Basque
• Lajos (LAH-yosh)--Hungarian
• Lewis (LOO-is)--English
• Loïc (loh-EEK)--Breton
• Lowe (LOO-veh)--Swedish. Also spelled Love.
• Ludwig (LOOD-vik)--German
• Luigi (LOOEE-jee)--Italian
• Luis (loo-EES)--Spanish

Feminine forms:

• Aloisia (ah-loh-EE-zee-ah)--German
• Lovisa (lov-EE-sah)--Swedish
• Louise (loo-EEZ)--French
• Ludwika (lood-VEE-kah)--Polish
• Luisa (LOOEE-sah or LOOEE-zah)--Spanish, Italian

Same Name?!--Anna

Poor Anne is often held as the epitome of 'boring' names. And yet, she's also one of the most common contributors to compound names (e.g. Leanne, Marianne, Roseanna, Anneliese). Easy to say, with a sweet meaning, and a Biblical namesake, it's no wonder that Anna has been popular throughout the ages and all over the world.

Original Hebrew form: Channah [חַנָּ] (khah-nah)
Greek transliteration: Anna (AHN-nah)
English transliteration: Hannah (HAN-nah)


Modern versions:

• Anaïs (ah-nah-EES)--French, Catalan
• Aneta (ah-NET-ah)--Czech, Polish
• Anika, Annika (AH-nee-kah)--German, Dutch, Scandinavian
• Aniko (AW-nee-ko)--Hungarian
• Anina (ah-NEE-nah)--German
• Anita (ah-NEE-tah)--Spanish, Portuguese
• Annag (AHN-nak)--Scottish
• Annette (an-NET)--French
• Annick (AHN-eek)--Breton
• Anouk (ah-NOOK)--Dutch, French
• Anu (AH-noo)--Estonian, Finnish
• Anya (AHN-ya)--Russian
• Hana (HAH-nah)--Croatian, Czech
• Hania (HAHN-yah)--Polish
• Nancy (NAN-see)--English
• Ninon (nee-NOHN)--French
• Ona (OH-nah)--Lithuanian

Usual Nickname, Unexpected Name--Kori/Corey

Although I generally write this sort of posts for very popular (some would say overused) nicknames, today I'm writing about Cory. Originally a surname of unknown/varied origins (possibilities include French, Norse, & Scottish), it became a boys' name, peaking in popularity in the 70s & 80s. As expected, it also started being used as a girls' name, but oddly enough, never became popular. Currently, Corey is the most popular male form, sitting down in the 300s on the SSA chart. Kori is the most popular girls' form, but it doesn't even rank in the top 1000. While it is a full name on its own, the "ee" ending may sound a bit too informal for some.

Boys:

• Corbin (KOR-bin, English)--"raven"
• Cordell (kor-DELL, English)
• Corentin (KOR-en-tin, Breton)
• Corin (kor-in, French)
• Cormac (KOR-mac, Irish)
• Cornelius (kor-NEE-lee-us, Latin)
• Cornell (kor-NELL, English)
• Corrado (kor-RAH-do, Italian)--form of Conrad
• Corwin (KOR-win, English)
• Krikor (KRIH-kohr, Armenian)--form of Gregory

Girls:

• Coralie (KOR-ah-lee, French)
• Cordelia (kohr-DEE-lee-ah or kohr-DEHL-ee-ah, English)
• Cordula (KOR-doo-lah, German)--"heart"
• Coriander (KOH-ree-an-der, English)
• Corinna (koh-RIN-nah or koh-REE-nah, English)
• Corinne (koh-reen, French)
• Corisande (koh-ih-SAHND, French)
• Cornelia (kor-NEE-lee-ah or kohr-NEHL-ee-ah, Latin)
• Corona (koh-ROH-nah, Latin)--"crown"
• Kishori (kee-shohr-ee, Indian [Hindi])
• Kokoro (koh-koh-roh, Japanese)--"heart, spirit"
• Socorro (soh-KOR-roh, Spanish)--"help" or "relief"

Same Name?!--John

What can you say about John? Thanks to a pair of admirable Bible characters, it's one of the most popular boys' names of all time, extremely common in all three major branches of Christianity (Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, & Protestant). It didn't lose its hold in America until the 80s, and even then, it's still in the top 25. It's also one of the few traditional names with a comparable range of both male and female versions.
For some, John is a solid classic, for others, it's bland and tired.
And despite the similarity in English, it's actually unrelated to Jonathan.

Original Hebrew form: Yochanan [יוֹחָנָן] (yoh-kha-nahn)
Greek transliteration: Yoannes (yoh-AHN-nehs)
Latin form: Iohannes (yoh-AN-nes)

Modern versions:

• Evan (EV-an)--Welsh. Anglicized from Iefan. Other forms include Ifan (EE-van), Ieuan (YAY-an), Ioan (YOH-an), Iwan (EE-wan), and Sion (SHON [via Jehan]).
• Ganix (JAHN-eesh)--Basque
• Giovanni (joh-VAHN-nee)--Italian
• Hank (HANK)--Medieval English (via Hann)
• Hann (HAHN)--Medieval English (via Johannes). Diminutive is Hankin.
• Hans (HAHNS)--Dutch, German, Scandinavian (via Johannes)
• Honza (HON-zah)--Czech (via Hans)
• Ian (EE-an)--Scottish. Older form is Iain.
• Ion (YON)--Romanian
• Ivan (ee-VAHN or EYE-van)--Slavic
• Jack (JAK)--English (via Jankin) 
• Jan (YAHN, JAN)--Czech, Dutch, German, Medieval English. English diminutive is Jankin.
• Janez (YAHN-ez)--Slovene
• Jehan (zheh-han)--Medieval French
• Jens (YENS)--Dutch
• João (ZHOO-ow)--Portuguese
• Johan (YOH-han)--German, Scandinavian
• Johannes (yo-HAN-nes)--Late Latin
• Jovan (YOH-van)--Macedonian, Serbian
• Juan (HWAHN)--Spanish
• Keoni (keh-oh-nee)--Hawaiian
• Sean (SHAHN)--Irish. Sometimes anglicized to Shane.
• Xoan (SHOH-awn)--Galician
• Yann (YAHN)--Breton. Diminutive is Yannick.

Feminine forms:

• Gianna (JAHN-nah)--Italian
• Ioanna (yoh-AHN-nah)--Greek
• Ionela (yoh-NEL-lah)--Romanian
• Ivana (ee-VAH-nah)--Slavic
• Jana (YAH-nah)--Dutch, German
• Jane (JAYN)--English (via Jehanne). Diminutives are Janet, Janice, and Jenny.
• Janneke (YAH-neh-keh)--Dutch
• Jean (JEEN)--English, Scottish (via Jehanne). Scottish diminutive is Jessie.
• Jeanne (ZHAHN)--French (via Jehanne). Diminutives are Jeannine and Jeannette.
• Jehanne (zheh-hahn)--Medieval French
• Joan (JONE)--English (via Johanne)
• Joana (zhoo-AH-nah)--Portuguese
• Joanna (joh-AN-nah)--English
• Johanne (zhoh-ahn)--Medieval French
• Jovana (yoh-VAH-nah)--Macedonion, Serbian
• Seona (SHOH-nah)--Scottish (via Joan)
• Sheena (SHEE-nah)--Scottish (via Jeanne)
• Sian (SHAHN)--Welsh
• Siobhan (shi-VAWN)--Irish (via Jehanne). Anglicized to Shevon or Chevonne.
• Zana (ZHAH-nah)--Slovene

Hurricane Baby Names

A recent post on another board got me wondering just how many little surprises are going to be due about 40 weeks after Hurricane Irene. So, in honor of those future little ones, names inspired by one big storm:

Boy:

• Anan (AY-nan, Hebrew)--"cloud"
• Corentin (koh-REN-tin, Breton)--"hurricane"
• Esmond (ES-mond, English)--"grace and protection". Older form is Eastmund.
• Guntur (GOON-toor, Indonesian)--"thunder"
• Ireneus (eye-REN-eh-us, Greek)--The male form of Irene,  ironically, meaning "peaceful".
• Mazin (MAZ-in, Arabic)--"rain clouds"
• Meriwether (MEHR-ee-we-ther, English)--"happy weather"
• Noah (NOH-ah, Hebrew)
• Perun (PEHR-uhn, Slavic)--"thunder"
• Raijin (rye-jin, Japanese)--the Japanese thunder god. Also transliterated as Raiden.
• Salman (SAL-man, Arabic)--"safe"
• Shemer (SHEH-mer,  Hebrew)--"preserved"
• Tollak (TOL-lak, Norwegian)--"Thor's play" [Thor was the Norse god of, among other things, thunder.]
• Zephyr (ZEF-er, Greek)--the Greek god of the west wind

Girls:

• Arina (ah-REE-nah, Russian)--form of Irene
• Arke (AR-kay, Greek)--Greek rainbow and messenger goddess; twin sister to Iris.
• Anila (ah-nee-lah, Indian [Hindi])--"wind"
• Audra (AW-drah, Lithuanian)--"storm"
• Enfys (EN-vis, Welsh)--"rainbow"
• Era (EHR-ah, Albanian)--"wind"
• Esen (EH-sen, Turkish)--"the wind"
• Gabija (gah-bee-YAH, Lithuanian)--"to cover". The Lithuanian goddess of the home.
• Gale (GAYL, English)--"strong wind". Also a short form of the unrelated Abigail.
• Haven (HAY-ven, English)--"safe place"
• Iria (EE-ree-ah, Portuguese)--form of Irene.
• Iris (EYE-ris, Greek)--Greek rainbow and messenger goddess.
• Keshet (KESH-et, Hebrew)--"rainbow"
• Maya (mah-yah, Hebrew)--"water"
• Mealla (mee-AHL-la, Irish)--"lightning"
• Nephele (NEF-el-ee, Greek)--"cloudy"
• Nerissa (nehr-IS-sah, English)--from Greek, "sea sprite"
• Salma (SAL-mah, Arabic)--"safe"
• Tempest (TEM-pest, English)--"storm"
• Thora (THOHR-ah, Scandinavian)--feminine of Thor.

Same Name?!--Katherine

Ah, Katherine. Literally one of the oldest names on earth. It's so old that it's original meaning has been lost to time. Many baby books & websites will tell you it means "pure", but that's only partially true. The original recorded form was Aikaterine, which has several possible origins. But when Christianity became really big in ancient times, it was altered because of its "heathen" roots, and thus became Katharina--closely resembling the Greek word for "pure".

Oldest known form (Greek): Aikaterine [Αικατερινη] (eye-kat-ehr-EEN-ee)
Original Latin form: Katerina (kaht-er-EEN-ah)

Modern versions:

• Cadi (KAH-dee)--Welsh
  
• Caitlin (KAHT-leen)--Irish
• Catalina (kah-tah-LEE-nah)--Romanian & Spanish
• Cateline (kah-tel-een)--medieval French
• Cato (ka-TOH)--Dutch
• Catrin (KAHT-reen)--German
• Catrin (KAT-rin)--Welsh
• Catriona (kah-TREE-uh-nah)--Irish & Scottish
• Kadri (KAH-dree)--Estonian
• Kaia/Kaja (KAH-ya)--Scandinavian
• Kaisa (KYE-sah)--Estonian & Finnish
• Kalena (kah-leh-nah)--Hawaiian
• Karen (KEHR-en or KAHR-en)--Danish
• Katell (KAH-tel)--Breton
• Katina (kah-TEE-nah)--Greek & Macedonian
• Katrina (kah-TREEN-ah)--Dutch, German, & Swedish
• Katya (KAHT-ya)--Russian
• Kotryna (koh-TRIN-ah)--Lithuanian
• Nienke (NEEN-keh)--Frisian

Usual Nickname, Unexpected Name: Annie

A good way to balance an unusual, rare, or heritage-name is with an easy, recognizable nickname. I plan on doing a series of these sorts of posts, and we'll start off with the sweet, timeless Annie. It's generally a nickname for the solid Anne or the Biblical Anna, but if you want something a little more spunky or eye-catching, here're some candidates.

• Anaïs (ah-nah-ees, French)
• Anandi (ah-nahn-dee, Indian [Hindi])--"happiness"
• Anastasia (ah-nah-STAY-see-ah, Russian & Greek)
• Anatolia (ah-nah-TOHL-ee-ah, Latin)--"sunrise"
• Anfisa (ahn-FEE-sah, Russian)--"flower"
• Aniela (ahn-YEL-ah, Polish)--form of Angela
• Anina (ah-NEE-nah, German)
• Anisa (ah-nee-sah, Arabic)--"friendly"
• Annelien (ah-nah-LEEN, Dutch)
• Annick (AHN-eek, Breton)
• Annora (an-NOR-a, English)--Medieval form of Honora
• Anouk (ah-NOOK, Dutch & French)
• Ansa (AHN-sa, Finnish)--"virtue"
• Anthea (an-THAY-ah, Greek)--"flower"
• Anwen (AN-wen, Welsh)
• Inanna (in-AHN-nah, Sumerian)
• Lisanne (lee-SAHN-neh, Dutch)
• Orianne (or-ee-an, French)--"golden"

Bringing Brythonic Back

Once upon a time, the British Isles had several languages, all descended from Celtic.
If you think of a language tree like a family tree, Celtic was the grandmother (her sisters were Latin and ancient Greek); Celtic's "daughters" were Gaelic & Brythonic, who each had a few "daughters" of their own. When the Anglo-Saxons and other peoples repeatedly migrated to Britain, the Celtic languages were phased out, quite forcibly in some cases; and English, the descendant of Anglo-Saxon, became the primary language. While two Gaelic "daughter" languages--Irish & Scottish--survived to modern times fairly well, two Brythonic languages--Welsh & Breton--were quickly dying, and several languages had been lost.

Over the past decade, there have been movements to preserve and celebrate the history of the British Isles, and part of that is preserving and reviving the pre-invasion languages. Part of that is using original names from those languages, and inventing new ones! If you claim some British blood, or just love the idea of being part of a revival, one of these names may be for you.

Welsh:

• Boys:
• Addaon ("ah-THAH-on")
• Adeon ("ah-DEY-on")--"wing"
• Aeddon ("EYE-thon")--"fire"
• Alawn ("AH-loun")--"melody"
• Arthen ("AR-then")
• Awen ("OW-en")
• Bergam ("BER-gam")--an early Welsh poet
• Cadell ("KAD-ehl")
• Cadoc ("KAD-ock")
• Cadwgan ("kad-OOG-an")--also spelled Cadogan
• Cei ("KYE")--also spelled Cai; King Arthur's foster brother
• Coel ("KOYL")--"trust"
• Dai ("DYE")
• Dylan ("DUL-an")
• Elidir ("el-IH-dir")
• Gareth ("GAR-eth")
• Gethin ("GETH-in")
• Gruffydd ("GRIF-ith")--anglicized as Griffith or Griffin
• Heulyn ("HAY-lun")--"ray of sun"
• Hywel ("HUE-el")--anglicized as Howell
• Iorweth ("EEOR-weth")--"handsome lord"
• Mabon ("MAHB-on")--Celtic god of youth
• Madoc ("MAHD-oc")
• Meilyr ("MY-lir")
• Meredydd ("meh-REHD-ith")--anglicized as Meredith
• Morien ("MOR-yen")
• Pryderi ("prid-EY-ree")
• Pwyll ("PU-il")--"wisdom"
• Rhodri ("HROH-dree")
• Sulien ("SIL-yen")
• Girls:
• Aderyn ("ah-DER-in")
• Aerona ("eye-ROE-na")--"berry"
• Aneira ("an-AY-ra")
• Afanan ("a-VAHN-an")
• Anwen ("AN-wen")
• Briallen ("bree-AHL-en")
• Bronwen ("BRON-wen")
• Calan ("CAHL-an")--"new year's day"
• Carys ("CAHR-iss")--"love"
• Ceridwen ("kerr-EED-wen")--goddess of poetry
• Eigra ("EY-gra")
• Eilir ("EY-leer")--"butterfly"
• Eirian ("ey-REE-an")
• Eluned ("el-EE-ned")--anglicized as Lynette
• Ffion ("FEE-on")--"rose"
• Glenys ("GLEN-is")--"pure"
• Gwenfrewi ("gwen-vree-OO-ee")
• Gwenllian ("gwen-HLEE-an")
• Gwenydd ("GWEN-ith")--"morning star"
• Gwylan ("GWEE-lan")
• Gwyneth ("GWIN-eth")--"joy"
• Hedydd ("HEY-dith")--"skylark"
• Lluan ("HLEE-an")
• Lynfa ("LIN-va")
• Manon ("MAH-non")--"queen"
• Meinir ("MY-nir")--"tall and slender"
• Meleri ("mel-EYR-ee")
• Mwynen ("MWEE-nen")
• Nerys ("NEH-ris")
• Olwen ("OHL-wen")
• Rhiain ("HREE-an"
• Rhiannon ("hree-AN-on")
• Rhunedd ("HREE-neth")
• Seirion ("SAYR-yon")--"sparkling"
• Seren ("SEHR-en")--"star"
• Surwen ("SEER-wen")
• Tegan ("TEG-an")
• Telyn ("TEL-in")--"harp"
• Tesni ("TESS-nee")

Cornish (almost all "new" names, very few historical names survive)

• Boys:
• Arrans ("AHR-ranz")--"silver"
• Bideven ("bih-DEV-en")--"hawk"
• Cador ("CADH-or")
• Cuilliok ("CUIL-yok")
• Glewas ("GLOO-as")
• Golvan ("GALL-van")--"sparrow"
• Gwynek ("GWEE-nek")
• Marrek ("MAHR-rek")--"horseman"
• Zethar ("ZETH-ahr")--"seagull"
• Girls:
• Ailla (EYE-la)--"most beautiful"
• Blejan ("BLEH-jan")--"flower"
• Bryluen ("bree-LOO-en")--"rose"
• Elestren ("el-LESS-tren")--"iris"
• Elowen ("el-OH-en")--"elm"
• Kelyn ("KELL-in")
• Kerensa ("kehr-EN-sa")--"love"
• Kerra ("KEHR-ra")--"dearest"
• Newlyna ("new-LEE-na")
• Sevi ("SEV-ee")--"strawberry"
• Steren ("STEHR-en")--"star"

Breton (technically, a Gallic/French Brythonic language, but it's still undergoing revival!):

• Boys:
• Bleiz ("BLAYS", "BLAY")--"wolf"
• Corentin ("kor-EN-tin")--"hurricane"
• Judoc ("ZHUD-ohk")
• Judokael ("zhud-OH-kel")
• Mael ("MEL")
• Tanet ("TEY-net")--"afire"
• Girls:
• Elara ("ey-LAR-ah")
• Helori ("hey-LOH-ree")
• Levenez ("lay-VAY-nayz")--"happiness"
• Loana ("LOW-na")
• Maëlys (mah-EL-iss")
• Melle ("MEY-leh")--"lightning"
• Unisex:
• Gwenaël ("gwen-AH-ell")