You're a Star, pt. 3

I've already done a post on named stars, as well as one on names that mean 'star'. However, that overlooks one very narrow category of stellar names: those referring to one specific star--in this case, the morning and evening star (both are actually Venus, but let's not get too semantic). ;)

Danica and Lucifer are probably the only ones familiar in the US, but there are a quite a few others....
(surprisingly, most of the names I found are commonly used on people; the few that are mainly mythological/literary are marked with an *. Also, almost all the names refer to the morning star--or Venus in general--the ones referring to only the evening star are noted as such)

Feminine:

• Arusiak (ah-ROOS-yak, Armenian)--also transliterated as Arusyak. 
• Aušrinė (oh-SHREEN-ay [trilled/rolled R], Lithuanian)
• Ayelet (ah-YEH-let, Hebrew)--lit. "gazelle". 'Ayelet hashachar ("gazelle of dawn") is the Hebrew name for the morning star.
• Berlewen (behr-LEOO-en ['EOO' roughly sounds like the short 'e' of English "let" and the short 'oo' of "took" smashed together], Cornish)--a modern revival Cornish name. Another form is Borlowen* (bor-LOO-en). 
• Danica (DAN-ik-ah, English; DAH-neets-ah, Croatian, Macedonian, Serbian, Slovenian)
• Jitřenka (yih-TRZHENK-ah [no close English equivalent for the ř, sort of a buzzy rolled R], Czech)
• Lucero (loo-SEH-roh, Spanish)--lit. "light-giver, brilliance". Lucero del alba ("light-giver of dawn") is the Spanish name for the morning star. 
• Quetzalli (ket-SAHL-lee, Nahuatl)--lit. "feather". Quetzalcoatl is the god of the morning star in Aztec mythology. Modern Spanish spelling is Quetzali.
• Sagal (sah-GAL, Somali)
• Vakarinė* (vah-kah-REE-nay [trilled/rolled R], Lithuanian) [evening]
• Zornitsa (zor-NEET-sah, Bulgarian)
• Zorya* (ZOHR-yah, Russian, Ukrainian)--lit. "dawn". Zorya Vechernyaya and Zorya Utrennyaya are the goddesses of the evening star and morning star, respectively, in Slavic mythology.
  [related names Zora/Zoran/Zorana are common in the Slavic languages]

Masculine:

• Ēarendel* (AYR-en-del, Old English)--Old Norse form is Aurvandil* (AWR-vahn-dil). Orentil*, Orendel*, and Erentil* are related names found in medieval German literature.
  [Tolkien fans might notice the similarity between Ēarendel and Eärendil--well, Tolkien was an Old English scholar. ;) ]
• Lucifer* (LOO-sif-er, [anglicized] Latin)--lit. "bringer of light"
• Tariq (TAH-rik, Arabic)--lit. "knocker, striker"
• Tāwera (TAH-weh-rah, Maori)
• Vesper* (VES-per, [anglicized] Latin)--Original Greek form is Hesperos*. [evening]

Unisex:

• Khwezi (KWEH-zee, Zulu)
• Tsolmon (TSAHL-mun, Mongolian)

Win-ning Names

Anybody else feel like Winnie-names might be starting to trend? I did a post on Winnie-names for girls a bit back (and somehow missed Elowen, my goodness!), and it recently struck me how much I like -win names for boys, as well.

Surprisingly, -win/wyn names are split about evenly for girls and boys in the U.S.; I expected them to be mostly feminine (although if you include -wen, the boys end up with a huge majority, thanks pretty much exclusively to Owen). 

Most turn out to be Welsh (where wyn means "white" or "blessed") or Old English/Germanic (where win means "friend"). Great meaning in both origins! :D
(many of the Old English names survive only as surnames today)

• Aelwyn (ILE-win, Welsh)--"white brow". Also spelled Aylwyn. 
• Alwyn (AL-win, Welsh, English)--from Welsh, poss. "white hillside"
• Ashwin (ASH-win, Old English)--"ash [tree] friend" or "spear friend"
• Baldwin (BALD-win, Old English)--"bold friend"
• Berwyn (BEHR-win, Welsh)--"white top"
• Brandwin (BRAND-win, Old English)--prob. "sword friend"
• Brithwin (BRITH-win, Old English)--poss. "bright friend"
• Burgwin (BURG-win, Old English)--"castle friend"
• Caldwin (KAHLD-win, Old English)--poss. "cold friend"
• Carwyn (KAR-win, Welsh)--"blessed love"
• Cedwyn (KED-win, Welsh)--poss. "white woods"
• Cenwyn (KEN-win, Welsh)--poss. "white ridge" or "blessed chief"
• Christwin (KRIST-win, Old English)--"Christ-friend"
• Cledwyn (KLED-win, Welsh)--poss. "blessed sword"
• Colwyn (KAHL-win, Welsh)--poss. "enclosed thicket"
• Cuthwin (KUTH-win, Old English)--"famous friend"
• Darwin (DAR-win, English)--"dear friend"
• Delwyn (DEL-win, Welsh)--"pretty + blessed"
• Dilwyn (DIL-wyn, Welsh)--"genuine + blessed"
• Dunwin (DUN-win, Old English)--"brown friend"
• Edwin (ED-win, English)--"old friend" or "wealthy friend". An older form is Aldwin. 
• Elwyn (EL-win, English)--prob. "noble friend", "old friend", or "elf friend"
• Everwin (EV-er-win, Old English)--"boar friend". Another form is Irwin. 
• Geldwin (GELD-win, Old English)--prob. "tribute friend"
• Gerwin (GUR-win, Old English)--"spear friend"
• Gladwin (GLAD-win, Old English)--"bright friend". Also spelled Gladwyn.
• Goldwin (GOLD-win, Old English)--"gold friend"
• Godwin (GAHD-win, Old English)--"god-friend". Another form is Goodwin.
• Goswin (GAHZ-win, Old English; GOHZ-veen, German)--"Goth-friend"
• Hadwin (HAD-win, Old English)--poss. "battle-friend"
• Hartwin (HART-win, Old English; HART-veen, German)--"strong friend"
• Heddwyn (HETH-win ['th' like in "the"], Welsh)--"blessed peace"
• Hildwin (HILD-win, Old English)--"battle-friend". Another form is Hildewin. 
• Kenwyn (KEN-win, Cornish [surname])--"white ridge"
• Lewin (LOO-win, English)--"beloved friend". An older form is Lefwin. 
• Merewin (MEHR-eh-win, Old English)--poss. "famous friend" or "sea-friend"
• Merwin (MUR-win, English)--poss. from Merewin or Welsh Mervyn
• Morwin (MOHR-win, Old English)--poss. "moor friend"
• Ortwin (ORT-win, Old English; OHRT-veen, German)--"sharp-point friend"
• Oswin (OZ-win, English; OHZ-veen, German)--"god-friend"
• Rhydwyn (RID-win, Welsh)--prob. "white ford"
• Rodwin (RAHD-win, Old English)--"famous friend"
• Selwyn (SEL-win, English)--prob. "manor-friend" or "blessed friend"
• Stanwin (STAN-win, Old English)--"stone friend" [yes, the reverse of Winston]
• Tilwin (TIL-win, Old English)--poss. "good friend"
• Wulfwin (WULF-win, Old English)--"wolf friend"

(As an aside, if you do prefer any of the "white/blessed" Welsh names for girls, changing -wyn to -wen generally gets you the feminine spelling. :) 
To complicate matters further, for some of the Old English "friend" names there are related feminine names, deriving from -wynn "joy", which usually became -wen in names that survived to Middle/early Modern English; e.g. Brithwen "bright joy"; Edwen "wealthy joy". The masculine -win names are traditionally feminized to -wina/vina, and the feminine -wen names often became -wina/vina as well!)

"Girlish" Boy Names

I did "boyish" girl names, so now I have to do the reverse, of course! Boys have much more diversity when it comes to name endings, but girls do have a higher proportion of names ending in -a, ah, ne, le, th, i, and y. Boys also have the minority of names starting with A, E, P, S, & V, so I'll be looking especially for those. :)
(I do not have room to list all the Biblical -iah names for boys, so just look here if those strike your fancy)

• Achille (ah-SHEEL, French; ah-KEEL-leh, Italian)--form of Achilles
• Adlai (AD-lay, AD-lye, [Biblical] Hebrew)
• Alexei (ah-leks-AY, al-leks-EE, Russian, Ukrainian)--form of Alexis. Other forms include Aleksi (AH-lek-see, Finnish) and Aleksy (AH-lek-see, Polish).
• Alvah (AL-vah, [Biblical] Hebrew)--poss. "ascending". Also spelled Alva.
• Alwi (AL-wee, Old English)--prob. "elf battle". Also spelled Alwy. 
• Amaury (ah-moh-REE, French)--form of Emmerich/Emery
• Arkady (ar-KAH-dee, Russian)--also spelled Arkadi or Arkadiy
• Arne (AHR-neh, Scandinavian, German)--from Germanic, "eagle"
• Artemiy (ar-TEM-ee, Russian)--from ancient Greek, "of Artemis"
• Asa (AY-sah, English; ah-sah, Hebrew)--from Biblical Hebrew, prob. "healer"
• Aulay (AW-lee, Scottish)--form of Olaf
• Augustine (AW-gus-teen, aw-GUS-tin, English)--from Latin, "great"
• Braith (BRAYTH, English)--prob. from Old Norse, "broad"
• Columba (koh-LUM-bah, Latin)--"dove"
• Conleth (KAHN-leth, Irish)
• Dara (DAH-rah, Irish)--"oak tree" or "fruitful". Also spelled Darragh. [feminine in other languages]
• Davi (DAH-vee, Portuguese)--form of David. Another form is Daveth (DAV-eth, Cornish).
• Éanna (AY-nah, Irish)--also spelled Énna. Anglicized form is Enda. 
• Elisha (ee-LYE-shah, [Biblical] Hebrew)--"God is my salvation"
• Emrys (EM-ris, Welsh)--form of Ambrose
• Fiachra (FEE-ahk-rah, Irish)--"raven". French form is Fiacre (fee-AH-creh). 
• Harith (HAH-rith, Arabic)--prob. "cultivator"
• Heath (HEETH, English)
• Hirah (HYE-rah, [Biblical] Hebrew)--"splendor"
• Iorwerth (YOR-werth, Welsh)--"handsome lord". Anglicized as Yorath.
• Kuisma (KOO-ees-mah, Finnish)--form of Cosmo. Other forms include Cosme (KAHZ-mee, Portuguese; COHM, French) and Kuzma (kooz-MAH, Russian).
• Lorne (LORN, English)--from Scottish place name
• Malachy (MAL-ah-kee, Irish)
• Perry (PEHR-ree, English)--from English "pear tree" or Welsh "son of Harry". Also spelled Parry. 
• Pryderi (prid-EHR-ee, Welsh)--prob. "cared for"
• Rishi (rish-EE, Hindi)--"poet"
• Savely (sah-VEL-ee, Russian)--form of Sabine. Also spelled Saveliy or Saveli. 
• Selby (SEL-bee, English)--from Old Norse, "willow farm"
• Sindre (SIN-dreh, Scandinavian)--another form is Sindri (SIN-dree)
• Visti (VEES-tee, Danish)--from Old Norse, "west". Other forms include Vesti (VES-tee, Danish) and Vestri (VES-tree, Old Norse).

Usual Nickname, Unexpected Name--Nora

Really? I haven't done Nora yet? Yikes, what an oversight! Nora is currently quite a popular name on its own, all over the world, but it was originally a nickname for Eleanor and related.

• Arnora (ar-NOR-ah, Norwegian)--from Old Norse, "eagle of Thor"
• Azenor (ah-ZEN-or, Breton)--French form is Azénor (ah-zay-NOR).
• Dainora (day-NOH-rah, Lithuanian)--poss. "wish to sing"
• Dianora (dee-ah-NOH-rah, Italian)--poss. a form of Eleanora
• Dinorah (dee-NOH-rah, Spanish, Italian)--poss. related to Arabic nur "light". Also spelled Dinora.
• Gunnora (goon-NOR-ah, [archaic] English)--from Old Norse, "spring battle" or "battle woman"
• Gwenora (gwen-OR-ah, Cornish)--form of Guinevere/Jennifer
• Honora (ah-NOR-ah, hah-NOR-ah, English, Irish)--from Latin, "honor". Other forms include Annora (an-NOR-ah, English), Enora (eh-NOH-rah, Breton, French), Honoria (ah-NOR-ee-ah, Latin), Honorata (ah-nor-AH-tah, Latin), Honorée (oh-noh-RAY, French), Honorina (ah-noh-REE-nah, Latin), Honorine (oh-noh-REEN, French), and Onóra (oh-NOR-ah, Irish).
• Nordis (NOR-dees, Norwegian)--"northern goddess"
• Norfrida (nor-FREE-dah, Norwegian)--"beautiful north"
• Norilda (nor-EEL-dah, Spanish)--poss. from Germanic "north battle"
• Norunn (NOR-oon [oo like in "took"], Norwegian, Swedish)--"northern wave"
• Norveig (NOR-vye, Norwegian; NOR-vay, Swedish)--"northern strength"
• Sonora (soh-NOR-ah, English)--poss. from Spanish señora "lady", or Mayan ts'onot "well, sinkhole"
• Vanora (vah-NOR-ah, English, Scottish)--poss. a form of Guinevere/Jennifer

Usual Nickname, Unexpected Name--Carrie/Kari

The usual nickname for the classic Caroline, Carrie also has a timeless feel, although its use as a given name  has tanked over the last three decades. Her cousin Kari ("kah-ree", not "kehr-ee"), originally a nickname for Katarina, had a brief spike in the 70/80s, and I'm honestly surprised she's so rare now.
There're surprisingly few names that lead to Carrie, at least in my accent, and I imagine that can vary greatly by region. So, I'm combining Carrie & Kari into a list for both:

• Caridad (kah-ree-DAHD, Spanish)--"charity"
• Carita (kah-REE-tah, Scandinavian)
• Carlota (kahr-LOH-tah, Portuguese, Spanish)--form of Charlotte. Italian form is Carlotta.
• Carme (KAHR-meh, Catalan)--form of Carmen
• Carola (kah-ROH-lah, Italian, German, Scandinavian). Also spelled Karola.
• Hikari (hee-kah-ree, Japanese)--"light". Unisex form is Hikaru.
• Inkeri (EEN-keh-ree, Finnish)--form of Ingrid.
• Karella (kah-REL-lah, Scandinavian)--feminine of Karel/Karl/Charles
• Karesinda (kah-reh-SEEN-dah, Esperanto)--"worthy of caress"
• Karima (kah-REE-mah, Arabic)--"noble"
• Karishma (kah-RISH-mah, Hindi)--"miracle"
• Karstine (kar-STEE-neh, German)--form of Christine
• Kerensa (keh-REN-zah, Cornish)--"love"
• Kerttuli (KEHR-too-lee, Finnish)--form of Gertrude
• Macaria (mah-KAH-ree-ah, Portuguese, Spanish)--from Latin, "blessed"

Same Name?!?--Mini Grab Bag (Girls)

Quite frequently, I come across a name with a couple interesting variants, but not enough to dedicate an entire post to. I've been storing them away in the back of my mind, and I think I've collected enough for now. Girls' names today, and a little list of boys' names soon....and probably a few more grab-bag posts down the line (I love doing 'same name' posts--language is fun!).

• Amy (AY-mee, English)
• Aimee (eh-MAY, French)
• Amada (ah-MAH-dah, Spanish)
• Evelyn (EV-el-in, English)
• Avelina (av-eh-LEE-nah, Germanic)
• Eibhlín (EYE-leen, Irish)--anglicized to Eileen/Aileen
• Guinevere (GWIN-eh-veer, English)
• Gaynor (GAY-nor, English)
• Ginevra (jin-EV-rah, Italian)
• Jenifer (JEN-ih-fer, Cornish, English)
• Matilda (mah-TIL-dah, English)
• Mafalda (mah-FAHL-dah, Italian, Portuguese)
• Mahaut (mah-oh, French)
• Maud (MAWD, English)
• Sophia (soh-FEE-ah, English)
• Sonya (SOHN-yah, Russian)
• Zosia (ZAW-shah, Polish)

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. 

Same Name?!--George

George. It's one of those names where the consensus is split pretty evenly--some think it's purely boring, stodgy old-man, and some think it's stately & timeless. George caught on pretty early because of a dragon-slaying saint, first primarily in Eastern Christianity, and then spreading to the western world during the crusades. It even became moderately used for women for a while in the 1930s & 40s. 

Original Greek form: Georgios [Γεωργιος] (gee-OR-gee-ohs)

Modern forms:

• Deorsa (JOR-sa)--Scottish
• Đurađ (JOOR-ahj)--Croatian, Serbian. Also spelled Djuradj or Juraj.
• Gevorg (gev-org or kev-ork)--Armenian. Also transliterated to Kevork.
• Giorgio (JOR-joh)--Italian
• Gorka (GOR-kah)--Basque
• György (DYOOR-dyeh)--Hungarian
• Jerzy (YEHR-zheh)--Polish
• Jordi (JOR-dee)--Catalan
• Jorgen (YOR-gen)--Scandinavian
• Jorge (ZHOR-zheh)--Portuguese
• Jorge (HOR-heh)--Spanish
• Joris (YOR-is)--Dutch
• Jory (JOH-ree)--Cornish
• Seoirse (SHOR-sheh)--Irish
• Seoras (SHOR-as)--Scottish
• Siôr (SHOR)--Welsh
• Xurxo (SHOOR-shah)--Galician
• Yorick (YOR-ik)--English (via Jorgen)
• Yuriy (YOO-ree)--Russian. Also spelled Yuri.

Feminine Forms:

• Đurđica (joor-JEE-tsah)--Croatian
• Georgeta (jor-JET-ah)--Romanian
• Georgette (zhor-ZHET)--French
• Georgia (JOR-jah)--English
• Gergana (gehr-GAHN-ah)--Bulgarian
• Jirina (YEE-ree-nah)--Czech

Calendar Names

It appears that the holiday shopping season is upon us again (and getting earlier every year, it seems), which got me thinking about Christmas-type names, which of course, got me thinking of all sorts of name things. Names like Noelle and Natalie are fairly well known for their Christmas connections, but what about other holidays? So, here are some names with holiday or other calendar meanings.

Boys:

• Dominic (DOM-in-ik, English)--traditionally given to boys born on a Sunday
• Ekain (eh-kine, Basque)--"June"
• Lenz (LENTS, German)--"springtime"
• Noel (NOLE, NO-el, English)--from French, "Christmas". French form is Noël.
• Palmiro (pahl-MEER-oh, Italian)--traditionally given to boys born on Palm Sunday
• Pascal (pas-KAHL, Dutch, French, & German)--"Easter" or "Passover". Other forms include Pascual (Spanish) and Pasco (Cornish).

Girls:

• Abena (a-BEHN-ah, Akan)--"born on Tuesday"
• Afia (AH-fee-ah, Akan)--"born on Friday"
• Akiko (ah-kee-ko, Japanese)--"summer child"
• Calan (CAL-an, Welsh)--"New Year's Day"
• Candela (cahn-DEHL-ah, Spanish)--"Candlemas" (Feb. 2)
• Hazan (hah-ZAHN, Turkish)--"autumn"
• Iona (ee-OH-nah, Welsh)--from Ionor, "January"
• Medeni (med-AY-nee, Welsh)--"born in September"
• Natalie (NAT-ah-lee, French & German)--"Christmas". Other forms include Natalia (Italian) and Natalya/Natasha (Russian).
• Nedelya (ned-EHL-yah, Bulgarian)--"Sunday" 
• Noelle (no-EL, English, French)--feminine of Noel
• Suvi (SOO-vee, Finnish)--"summer"
• Tiffany (TIF-fan-ee, English)--traditionally given to girls born on Epiphany (Jan. 6). Original form is Theophania.
• Tola (toh-LAH, Khmer)--"October"
• Vera (VEHR-ah, Albanian)--"summer"
• Vesna (VEHS-nah, Slavic)--"spring"

Unisex:

• Sivan (see-VAHN, Hebrew)--9th month of the Hebrew calendar, usually May-June.
• Tammuz (tahm-MOOZ, Hebrew)--10 month of the Hebrew calendar, usually June-July.

Perennially Unpopular (Boys)

Popularity is a funny thing. Sometimes a name is bolstered by its history, sometimes by resemblance to another name, sometimes by some indescribable "coolness" factor. But for some reason, other names just never catch on in large numbers. Maybe they lack notable namesakes, have an unfashionable vibe, or are ahead of their time. No matter what reason they've stayed uncommon, here are names that have been around for decades, or even centuries, but perpetually sit just outside, or barely make a blip in, the Top 1000 charts.

• Alaric (AL-ah-rik, English)
  
• Ansel (AN-sel, English)
• Arlo (AR-loh, English)
• Baxter (BAKS-ter, English)
• Clive (CLIVE, English)
• Conley (CON-lee, Irish)--anglicization of Conleth
• Edric (ED-rik, English)
• Ephraim (EE-free-im or EF-ram, Hebrew)
• Evander (ee-VAN-der, Latin)
• Ignatius (ig-NAY-shus, Latin)
• Jamin (JAY-min, Hebrew)
• Jethro (JETH-roh, Hebrew)
• Jory (JOHR-ee, Cornish--form of George
• Leander (lee-AN-der, Greek)
• Leopold (LEE-oh-pold, German)
• Magnus (MAG-nus, Latin)--"great"
• Merrick (MEHR-rik, English)
• Merritt (MEHR-rik, English)
• Montgomery (mont-GUM-er-ee, English)--simply Monty has fared much better
• Mordecai (mor-de-KYE, Hebrew)
• Nevin (NEH-vin, English)--probably an anglicization of the Gaelic Naomhan ("little saint")
• Niles (NILES, English)
• Phinehas/Phineas (FIN-ee-as, Hebrew)
• Raynard (RAY-nard, English)
• Shea (SHAY, Irish)
• Simeon (SIM-ee-on, Hebrew)--form of Simon
• Talmadge/Talmage (TAL-madj, English)
• Tobin (TOH-bin, English)--form of Tobias
• Urban (UR-ban, Danish & English)

Same Name?!--Jacob

Jacob--a seeming contradiction; both traditional and trendy. It was a top name back when the SSA started keeping track over 120 years ago, but was steadily on the decline. For some reason, it shot back to the top in the 1970s, and has been there ever since. Jacob wasn't exactly the most honorable of Biblical characters to be sure, but he has that eye-catching J up front, that fun-to-say 'ay', that crisp 'c', and that rare 'ob' ending. The mixture of familiar and unusual is probably what's kept him so appealing for so long. Jacob is also the original form of another perennial boys' name--James.

Original Hebrew form: Ya'aqov [יַעֲקֹב] (ya-ah-kov)
Greek form: Iacobus [ Ιακωβος] (ya-COH-boos)
Later Latin form: Iacomus (YA-coh-moos)

Modern versions:

• Cobus (KOH-bus)--Dutch
• Diego (dee-AY-go)--Spanish (via Santiago, an elision of Santo [Saint] Yago)
• Giacomo (JAH-koh-moh)--Italian
• Hamish (HAY-mish)--Scottish (from James)
• Iago (ee-AH-goh)--Galician & Welsh
• Jacques (ZHAHK)--French
• Jago (JAY-goh)--Cornish
• Jaime (HYE-may)--Spanish (from James)
• Jaime (ZHIME)--Portuguese (from James)
• James (JAYMZ)--English (via the late Latin Iacomus)
• Japik (YAH-pik)--Frisian
  
• Jaume (ZHOW-meh)--Catalan (from James)
• Jem (JEM)--medieval English (from James)
• Kimo (kee-moh)--Hawaiian (from James)
• Seamus (SHAY-mus)--Irish (from James)
• Tiago (tee-AH-go)--Portuguese (via Santiago)
• Xanti (SHAHN-tee)--Basque (via Santiago)
• Yago (YAH-goh)--Spanish
• Yacov (YAH-kof)--Bulgarian & Russian
  

Feminine forms:

• Giachetta (jah-KET-tah)--Italian
• Jacomina (ZHAK-oh-mee-nah)--Dutch
• Jacqueline (zhak-a-LEEN)--French
• Jamesina (JAY-meh-SEE-nah)--Scottish (from James)
• Jayma (JAY-mah)--English (from James)
• Zaklina (zhak-LEE-nah)--Croatian & Polish

Usual Nickname, Unexpected Name--Ellie/Ella

*dies under avalanche of Ellas*
I kid, I kid. Ella/Ellie is potentially one of the most popular nicknames right now, though, with Isabella, Elizabeth, Ella, Gabriella, Elena, Isabel, Annabelle, & Giselle all in the top 100. Adding Eliana, just-plain-Ellie, Gabrielle, Daniela, Michelle, Elise, Ariel, Eleanor, & Eliza from the top 200, and well, that's a lot of El-s. If you still adore Ella, and want a more stand-out name, here're some for you:

• Andela (ahn-DEL-ah, Czech)
• Antonella (an-toh-NEL-lah, Italian)--feminine form of Anthony
• Ayelet (eye-EL-et, Hebrew)--"gazelle"
• Camellia (cam-EL-ee-ah, English)
• Ĉiela (chee-EL-ah, Esperanto)
• Cyrielle (see-ree-EL, French)--feminine form of Cyril
• Elettra (el-LET-trah, Italian)--modern form of Electra
• Elaheh (el-ah-HAY, Persian)--"goddess"
• Eleni (el-EN-ee, Greek)--modern form of Helen
• Eleri (el-EHR-ee, Welsh)
• Eliora (el-ee-OHR-ah, Hebrew)--"my God is my light"
• Elodia (ehl-OH-dee-ah, Spanish)--modern form of St. Alodia. French form is Elodie.
• Elowen (el-OH-en, Cornish)
• Eluned (el-EE-ned, Welsh)
• Eumelia (yu-MEL-ee-ah, Greek)--"melody"
• Finella (fin-EL-lah, Scottish)--anglicized from Fionnuala
• Fiorella (fee-or-EL-lah, Italian)--"little flower"
• Ionela (yoh-NEL-ah, Romanian)--feminine form of John
• Mirella (meer-EL-lah, Italian)--form of Mireio

Actually, It's Traditionally Spelled with a K.

K is a fairly uncommon letter in the English language. Because it's uncommon, it draws the eye and is becoming more and more popular in names. So, if you like the letter 'K', but cringe at the thought of trend-ifying a traditional 'C' name, here's some names that are "supposed to be" spelled with a 'K'.

Boys:

• Kai (KYE, Scandinavian, German, Hawaiian, English) --short for a few longer names in several European languages; a full name in Hawaiian: "sea"
• Kaito (kah-ee-to, Japanese)
• Kaleo (kah-lay-oh, Hawaiian)
• Kallias (kah-LEE-ahs, [ancient] Greek)--"beauty"
• Kalyan (KAL-yan, Hindi)
• Karsten (KAHR-sten, German)--Low German form of Christian
• Kaspar (KAHS-par, German)--form of Jasper
• Kavi (kah-vee, Hindi)--"wise man"
• Kayin (kah-yin, [Biblical] Hebrew)--usually transliterated as Cain in English
• Kekoa (keh-KOH-ah, Hawaiian)--"brave one"
• Kerman (kehr-man, Basque)--form of Germaine: "friend"
• Kleon (KLEH-on, Greek)--"glory"
• Arkady (ahr-KAH-dee, Russian)
• Elek (EL-ek, Hungarian)
• Mirek (MEE-rek, Polish)
• Noak (NOH-ahk, Swedish)
• Reko (REH-koh, Finnish)--form of Gregory
• Rurik (RUR-ick, Russian)

Girls:

• Kadri (KAD-ree, Estonian)--form of Katherine
• Kahina (KAH-hee-nah, Berber)--from Arabic, "diviner"
• Kaja (KYE-ah, Scandinavia, Polish)--feminine of Kai. Also spelled Kaia or Kaija.
• Kaisa (KYE-sah, Finnish)--another form of Katherine
• Kala (KAH-lah, Hindi)--"art form"
• Kalea (kah-LEY-ah, Hawaiian)--"happiness"
• Kalina (kah-LEE-nah, Bulgarian)
• Kalliope (kal-ee-OH-pey OR kah-LYE-oh-pee, Greek)--"beautiful voice"
• Kallisto (kal-LIS-toh, Greek)--"most beautiful"
• Kalyani (kahl-YAH-nee, Hindi)--feminine of Kalyan
• Kamaria (kah-mah-REE-ah, Swahili)--from Arabic, "moonlight"
• Karola (kah-ROH-lah, German)
• Kasia (KAH-shah, Polish)--yet another form of Katherine
• Katida (kah-TEE-dah, Esperanto)--"kittenish"
• Kavita (kah-veet-ah, Hindi)--"poem"
• Kelda (KEL-dah, English)--"spring" (of water)
• Kerensa (kehr-EN-sah, Cornish)--"love"
• Kleio (KLEY-oh, Greek)--the Muse of historical poetry
• Keturah (ket-OO-rah, [Biblical] Hebrew)--"incense"
• Ksenia (KSEN-yah, Polish)
• Akemi (ah-kem-ee, Japanese)--"bright and beautiful"
• Anouk (ah-NOOK, Dutch, French)--form of Anna/Hannah
• Mika (mee-kah, Japanese)

Unisex:

• Kamalani (kah-mah-LAH-nee, Hawaiian)--"heavenly child"
• Kiran (KEER-an, Hindi)--"ray of light"

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")