Think Twice, from becstables.com
International variants of names can be a pain, can’t they? I’ve started to see quite a few girls named Isabella Elizabeth recently, which is odd given that Isabella is an international variant of Elizabeth.
This isn’t just a new thing, though. I’m relatively good friends with a 20-something lass named Megan Margaret; Megan is a Welsh diminuative of Margaret. But it could potentially be a source of annoyance for the child once they get old enough to google their surname. However, some may like the fact that both their given names are essentially the same.
So, let’s combat this with a list of often heard English names and a selection of their international variants you may be less well-aware of:
Anne – Anelie, Anouk, Anoushka, Hannah, Nancy, Ninon, Ona
Catherine – Caítlin, Cato, Catriona, Hecate, Kaia, Karen, Kayley, Kasia, Kateri, Kit, Reina
Henry – Enzo, Kendrick, Perry, Rico
James – Diego, Hamish, Jacob, Seamus
Jane – Gia, Hannelore, Ivanka, Johanna, Nina, Siobhan
John – Bevan, Eoin, Evan, Ian, Ivan, Ivo, Sean, Shane, Yannick
Margaret – Gretchen, Magali, Maisie, Maret, Marit, Meta, Rita (Pearl)
Mary – Maia, Manon, Maureen, Mieke, Mirele, Miriam, Mitzi, Moira, Molly, Polly, Ria, Romy
Tagged: Anne, Catherine, Henry, James, Jane, John, Margaret, Mary
