Usual Nickname, Unexpected Name--Gus

Gus seems to be a rather polarizing nickname: either you find it adorable, or you find it hopelessly dorky. In the US, it's usually short for the various forms of August, occasionally Gustavo or Constantine, but simply Gus on its own is on the rise as well.
And gosh-darn-it, I think Gussie is adorable for a girl, so let's go ahead and see if we can find a few girl Gus-names, too.

Boys:

• Agus (AG-oos, Indonesian)--prob. "handsome"
• Angus (ANG-gus, Irish, Scottish, English)--poss. from Old Irish "one strength" or "one choice". Also spelled Aengus or Aonghus. 
• Argus (AR-gus, [Latinized] Greek)--"shining"
• Fergus (FUR-gus, English, Irish)--from Old Irish "man-strength"
• Gaius (GYE-us, Latin)--origin uncertain, poss. from Latin "rejoice". Another form was Gaianus (GYE-an-us).
• Galenus (gah-LEEN-us, [Latinized] Greek)--"calm"
• Gentius (GEN-tee-us, [Hellenized] Illyrian)--poss. "beget". [the flower gentian is derived from Gentius]
• Goswin (GAHZ-win, [archaic] English; GOHZ-veen, German)--from Germanic, "Goth-friend"
• Gusten (GOOS-ten, Swedish)--from Old Norse, "god-stone"
• Gustin (goos-AHn, French)--form of Augustine
• Lugus (LOO-gus, Celtic mythology [Latinized])--origin uncertain, poss. "light", "black", or "swear an oath"
• Margus (MAHR-goos, Estonian)--form of Marcus

Girls:

• Angustias (ahn-GOOST-yahs, Spanish)--"anguish" [a Marian name]
• Gusta (GOOS-tah, Danish, Dutch, Norwegian; GUS-tah, English)--short form of Gustava or Augusta.
  Other forms include Gustė (GOOS-tay, Lithuanian), Gustel (GOOS-tel, German), and Gusten (GOOS-ten, Swedish [much more common on boys, however]). 
• Gustava (goos-TAH-vah, German, Italian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish)--feminine of Gustav (Old Norse, "Goth-staff").
  Another [rather rare] form is Gustavia (goos-TAHV-yah, English, Swedish). 

Usual Nickname, Unexpected Name--Cal

Handsome Cal! How have I forgotten you? While Cal is starting to gain use on its own, it's still down below the Top 1000. Traditionally short for Calvin, of course, but there are plenty of other great options.
Thanks to Nicole for this suggestion. :)

• Calaïs (KAH-lah-ees, [ancient] Greek)--"turquoise"
• Calamus (KAL-ah-mus, [ancient] Greek)--"reed"
• Calchas (KAL-kas, [ancient] Greek)--uncertain, poss. "purple" or "to make trouble"
• Calbhach (KAL-vak, KAHL-wak, Irish)--cognate of Calvin. Anglicized as Calvagh (KAL-vah). 
• Calidore (KAL-id-or, English)--poss. from Greek, "beautiful gift"
• Calixte (kah-LICKST, French)--from Greek, "most beautiful". Other forms include Callistus (kah-LIS-tus, Latin) and Calisto (kah-LEES-toh, Spanish, Portuguese).
• Callahan (KAL-ah-han, Irish [surname])--diminutive of Ceallach (KAL-akh), the original form of Kelly
• Callan (KAL-lan, Irish [surname])--either from Cathaláin (KAH-hal-ahn, "battle power") or from one of the places named for High King Niall Caill, meaning uncertain, poss. "Niall of the forest".
• Callias (KAL-ee-as, kah-LEE-as, [ancient] Greek)--"beauty"
• Callinus (KAL-in-us, [ancient] Greek)--"beautiful". 
• Callister (KAL-is-ter, Scottish [surname])--shortening of MacAlister, "son of Alistair/Alexander".
• Calloway (KAL-oh-way, English [surname])--poss. from French, "pebble". Also spelled Callaway.
• Callum (KAL-um, Scottish)--from Latin, "dove". Also spelled Calum. Another form is Kalman (KAHL-man, Scandinavian).
• Calydon (KAL-id-ahn, [ancient] Greek)
• Carlisle (KAR-lile, English)
• Carroll (KEHR-ol, English; KAH-rol, Irish)--from Irish, "cutting". Anglicized from Cearbhall (KAH-rool).
• Chalcon (KAL-con, [ancient] Greek)--poss. "copper"
• Kalevi (KAH-lev-ee, Finnish)--poss. from Estonian "cloth". Other forms include Kalervo (KAH-lehr-voh, Finnish) and Kalev (KAH-lev, Estonian).
• Kalle (KAHL-leh, Scandinavian)--form of Charles/Karl. Also spelled Calle. Other forms include Kallu (KAHL-loo, Finnish).
• Kálmán (KAL-man, Hungarian)
• Kalmen (KAHL-men, Yiddish)--from Greek, "good name". Also spelled Kalman.
• Kaloyan (kah-loh-YAHN, Bulgarian)--"handsome John"
• Kalyan (kal-YAHN, Hindi)--"beautiful"
• Pascal (pas-KAL, French)--"Easter"

Same Name?!--Margaret

I actually had to go and double-check previous posts to make sure I haven't done this one yet. How on earth have I missed Margaret? A classic girls' name that's been slowly declining for decades, it's actually still in the SSA's top 200. And being the name of several saints, the permutations of Margaret have spread throughout the western world.

Original Greek form: Margarites [Μαργαριτης] (mahr-gah-REE-tes)

Latin form: Margarita (mahr-gah-REE-tah)

English form: Margaret (MAHR-gah-ret)

Other forms:

• Maarit (MAH-rit)--Finnish
• Mairéad (mah-RAID)--Irish
• Mairead (MYE-ret)--Scottish
• Małgorzata (mow-gohr-ZHAH-tah)--Polish
• Maret (MAH-ret)--Estonian
• Margalit (mahr-gah-LEET)--Hebrew
• Margaretha (mahr-gah-RET-tah)--Dutch, German
• Marged (MAHR-ged)--Welsh
• Margery (MAHR-jer-ee)--Medieval English
• Margit (MAHR-git)--Hungarian
• Margita (mahr-GEE-tah)--Slovak
• Margriet (mahr-KHREET)--Dutch
• Marguerite (mahr-gah-REET)--French
• Marit (MAH-rit)--Scandinavian
• Marketta (MAHR-ket-tah)--Finnish
• Mererid (MEH-reh-reed)--Welsh
• Merete (meh-REH-teh)--Danish

Same Name?!--Mary

I admit, I've been putting this one off for a while--Mary is easily one of the most widespread & translated names of all time!
Often held up as the prime example of a "boring" name, it's still surprisingly common for new babes. Spin-offs Mariah, Maria, Maia, Mia, & Malia are more popular in the U.S., but there's still even more versions ready for use!

Original Hebrew form: Miryam [מִרְיָם] (meer-YAHM)
Latin transliteration: Maria (mah-REE-ah)

Modern forms:

• Maia (MY-ah)--Basque
• Maike (MY-keh)--Frisian
• Mair (MIRE)--Welsh
• Maire (MOI-rah)--Irish. Anglicized as Moira or Maura.
• Majken (MY-kyen)--Swedish
• Malia (mah-lee-ah)--Hawaiian
• Mareike (mah-RYE-keh)--German, Dutch
• Mariam (MAIR-ee-am)--Greek
• Marian (MAIR-ee-an)--English
• Mariel (MAIR-ee-el)--English
• Marietta (mahr-ee-ET-tah)--Italian
• Marika (MAH-ree-kah)--Estonian, Greek, Hungarian, Polish
• Marike (MAH-ree-keh)--Dutch
• Mariska (mah-REESH-kah)--Hungarian
• Maritta (mah-REET-tah)--Finnish
• Marjatta (mahr-YAHT-tah)--Finnish
• Maryla (mahr-IL-lah)--Polish
• Maryse (mah-REESE)--French
• Maureen (maw-REEN)--Irish. Anglicized from Maírín.
• Meike (MYE-keh)--German
• Meryem (MEHR-ee-em)--Turkish
• Mirele (MEE-reh-leh)--Yiddish
• Miren (MEER-en)--Basque
• Moirrey (MUR-ra or MOHR-reh)--Manx
• Molly (MOL-lee)--English

Usual Name, Unexpected Nickname--Elizabeth/Isabella

Elizabeth remains one of our enduring classics. Despite the fact that everyone is almost guaranteed to know at least one (probably more like 2 or 3), Elizabeth shows no sign of falling out of favor anytime soon. In fact, many of its spin-offs are also on the rise (Elsa, Elise, Eliza), and one has even overtaken the original--Isabella. Considering that girls' names tend to rise & fall with fashion, while boys' names tend to be stable and enduring, Elizabeth's permanence is pretty darned impressive.
I wonder which came first--the widespread use, or the wide variety of nicknames?

• Bess (BES)--English
• Bethan (BETH-an)--Welsh
• Bettina (bet-TEEN-ah)--German
• Buffy (BUF-fee)--English
• Bizzy/Busy (BIZ-ee)--English
• Els (ELS)--Dutch
• Elsje (ELS-yeh)--Dutch
• Erzsi (EHR-zhee)--Hungarian
• Ibbie (IB-bee)--English
• Ilsa (IL-sah)--German
• Isa (EE-sah)--Scandinavian, Spanish
• Libby (LIB-bee)--English
• Liddy (LID-dee)--English
• Lies (LEES)--Dutch, German
• Liesel (LEE-zel)--German
• Liisu (LEE-soo)--Estonian
• Lili (LIL-ee)--French, German
• Lisa (LEE-sah)--English
• Lison (lee-ZOHN)--French
• Špela (SHPEL-ah)--Slovene
• Tetty (TET-tee)--English

Usual Name, Unexpected Nickname--Katherine

There are about as many different ways to form nicknames as there are cultures. While many nicknames for our most enduring classics seem out of date or boring, an imported diminutive can be fresh & fun.
The first name I'm tackling in this new series is Katherine. Kate & Katie are just as popular as ever, Kathy is so 30 years ago, Kitty is somewhere between cobwebs and vintage-cute, while Kat is indie-cool.
That's about it for the usual English nicknames, I think, so how about....

• Cadi (KAH-dee)--Welsh
• Caja/Kaia/Kaia (KYE-ah)--Scandinavian
• Cato (kah-TOH)--Dutch
• Kadri (KAH-dree)--Estonian
• Kai (KYE)--Scandinavian
• Kaisa (KYE-sah)--Finnish, Estonian
• Kari (KAHR-ee)--Norwegian
• Kasia (KAH-shah)--Polish
• Kata (KAH-tah)--Croatian, Finnish, Hungarian
• Katenka (kah-TEN-kah)--Russian
• Käthe (KET-eh)--German
• Katia/Katja/Katya (KAHT-yah)--Dutch, German, Russian, Scandinavian
• Kay (KAY)--English
• Nienke (NEEN-keh)--Frisian
• Nine (NEE-nah)--Frisian
• Rina (REE-nah)--Dutch, Italian
• Trine (TREE-neh)--Danish

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

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

My Hero!

Every kid wants a cool name. You could hope that a kids' TV show comes along featuring your child's name--all the Tommys and Jasons suddenly became cool during Power Rangers when I was small--or you could find a more classic namesake.

Boys:

• Adrastos (ah-DRAS-tos, Greek)--warrior king of Argos
• Aeneas (eye-NEE-as, Latin)--son of Aphrodite, warrior, progenitor of the Roman empire
• Aias (EYE-as, Greek)--hero of the Trojan war, anglicized as Ajax
• Árpád (ahr-pad, Hungarian)--Magyar prince, forefather of Hungary
  
• Bedivere (BED-ih-veer, English)--anglicized from Welsh Bedwyr, one of the original Knights of the Round Table
• Bran (BRAHN, Irish & Welsh)--an Irish adventurer & mariner, and a legendary Welsh king
• Caradoc (CAYR-a-doc, Welsh)--several figures in Welsh history & legend, including a Knight of the Round Table
• Conall (CON-all, Irish & Scottish)--several Irish & Scottish kings, and a mythic Irish warrior
• Damon (DAY-mon, Greek)--one half of the Greek symbol of true friendship, the other half being Pythias
• Diarmuid (DEER-mid, Irish)--legendary Irish warrior, and founder of the Scottish Campbell clan. Anglicized as Dermot.
• Egill (AY-gill, Norse)--Icelandic berserker & poet. Modern spelling is Egil.
• Eoghan (OH-en or YOH-en, Irish & Scottish)--several Irish kings & other historical figures. Anglicized as Owen in Ireland and Euan or Ewan in Scotland.    
• Evander (ee-VAN-der, Latin)--another hero of the Trojan war
• Fergus (FER-gus, Irish & Scottish)--several Scottish & Irish kings and warriors
• Fionn (FEEN or FYON, Irish)--mythic warrior and hero. Also spelled Finn and (via faulty Anglicization) Fingal.
• Herakles (HER-a-kleez, Greek)--original form of Hercules, an important mortal in both Roman & Greek mythologies. Other versions include Heraclius (Greek), Heraclio (Spanish), and Ercole (Italian).
• Jarl (YAHRL, Norse)--progenitor of a race of warriors
  
• Jason (JAY-son, Greek)--adventuring leader of the Argonauts
• Kalev (KAH-lev, Estonian)--hero and king, said to be buried under Tallinn, the capital of Estonia
• Kaveh (kah-vay, Persian)--blacksmith who led a rebellion against the evil tyrant Zahhak
• Owain (OH-ine, Welsh)--an Arthurian knight, and several Welsh princes; anglicized as Owen
• Perseus (PUR-see-us, Greek)--mythic hero, slayer of the Gorgon Medusa
• Roland (RO-land, English; roh-LAWN, French)--heroic knight and leader under Charlemagne
• Rostam (ros-tam, Persian)--legendary pre-Islamic Iranian warrior and champion. Also spelled Rustam.
• Taliesin (tal-ee-ESS-in, Welsh)--a bard and prophet who served at least 3 Welsh kings 
• Theseus (THEE-see-us, Greek)--Athenian king and warrior
   

Girls:

• Ariadne (ahr-ee-ahd-nee, Greek)--princess who helped Theseus escape the Minotaur in the labyrinth
• Atalanta (at-ah-lan-tah, Greek)--huntress and legendary athlete
• Awilda (AH-wil-dah, Scandinavian)--princess who fled marriage by becoming a pirate, sometimes spelled Alwilda; traditionally spelled Alfhild
• Bevin (BAY-vin, Irish)--several figures, both mortal and goddess, in Irish mythology, traditionally spelled Bébinn
• Cloelia (KLOY-lee-ah, Latin)--Roman hostage who led her fellow captives to freedom. Modern Italian form is Clelia.
• Elva (EL-vah, Irish)--Fianna (mercenary) warrior, traditionally spelled Ailbhe
• Embla (EM-bla, Norse)--the first human woman, founder of the human race with her husband Ask
• Maeve (MAYV, Irish)--legendary warrior-queen. Traditionally spelled Madb.

Mini Names

The average American name (based on 2010's top 1000) is 6 letters long. Boys' names are slightly more likely to be shorter (5.8 ± 1.3 characters); girls are slightly more likely to be longer (6.0 ± 1.3 characters). So, if you want a name that stands out, or you want to balance a long or complex last name, a short name is the way to go.

Boys:

• Áed (AID, Irish)--"fire", precursor to Aidan
• Alv (AHLV, Norwegian)--"elf"
• Anu (ah-nu, Sumerian)--Sumerian god of the heavens
• Ari (AH-ree, Hebrew, Scandinavian, Armenian)
• Asa (AY-sa, Hebrew)
• Avi (AH-vee, Hebrew)
• Cai/Kai (KYE, Welsh, Scandinavian, Hawaiian)
• Dai (DYE, Welsh)--"shine"
• Dax (DAKS, English)
• Dov (DOHV, Hebrew)--"bear"
• Ean (EE-an, Manx)--form of John
• Eli (EE-lye, Hebrew)
• Gil (GEEL, Hebrew)--"happiness"
• Ira (EYE-ra, Hebrew)
• Ivo (EE-voh, Germanic)
• Jay (JAY, Indian [Hindi])--"victory"
• Kir (KEER, Russian)--form of Cyrus
• Lir (LEER, Irish)--Irish god of the sea
• Paz (PAHZ, Hebrew)
• Sem (SEM, Dutch)
• Tyr (TIHR, Norse)--Norse god of justice & war
• Udo (OO-do, German)--form of Otto
• Uri (OO-ree, Hebrew)--"my light"
• Wyn (WIN, Welsh)--"blessed"

Girls:

• Adi (ah-DEE, Hebrew)--"jewel"
• Aki (ah-kee, Japanese)--"bright", "sparkle", or "autumn"
• Anu (AH-noo, Finnish)--form of Anna
• Aya (ah-ya, Japanese)--"design" or "color"
• Dua (doo-ah, Arabic)--"prayer"
• Eda (eyd-ah, Turkish)
• Eha (ay-ha, Estonian)--"dusk"
• Emi (em-ee, Japanese)--"blessing"
• Ena (EE-na, Irish)--traditionally spelled Eithne
• Eos (AY-ohs, Greek)--Greek goddess of the dawn
• Fay/Faye (FAY, English)--"fairy"
• Ida (EYE-da or EE-da, Germanic)
• Ila (ee-la, Indian [Hindi])
• Io (EYE-oh or EE-oh, Greek)
• Ivy (EYE-vee, English)
• Jaya (jah-yah, Indian [Hindi])--"victory"
• Liv (LEEV, Scandinavian)
• Mae/May (MAY, English)
• Mei (MAY, Chinese & Japanese)
• Mio (mee-oh, Japanese)
• Nia (NEE-ah, Welsh)--form of Niamh
• Noa (noh-ah, Biblical Hebrew, Japanese)
• Oda (OH-da, German)--feminine of Otto
• Rei (RAY, Japanese)--"bell" or "lovely"
• Rue (ROO, English)
• Una (OO-na, Irish & Scottish)
• Wynne (WIN, Welsh)--"blessed"

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"