|
Do you love a traditional name -- but wish to make it sound a little more unique and a little less common? Maybe you'd like your daughter to be known as Avigail (a Hebrew name) instead of Abigail, or Laurelle (a variation in spelling) instead of Laurel. We show you how you can easily take a boy or a girl name and turn it into something exotic and fun!
 Changing the spelling
One of the easiest things to do when making a name more unique is to change the spelling. This can be done by substituting the letter "y" for the letter "i," for instance, and this practice in particular has been wildly popular for decades. Brian becomes Bryan, Riley becomes Ryley and Michelle becomes Mychelle.
Another spelling-change idea is substituting -eigh (a long E sound) for a name that contains or ends with a "y." For example, Hayley becomes Hayleigh and Shirley becomes Shirleigh. This seems to work the best when an "l" precedes the ending! You can also easily switch a "z" for an "x," a "c" for a "k" or a "j" for a "g."
Alternative spelling practices have been going on for decades. This practice is looked down upon by some but often the alternative spellings eventually establish themselves as popular names. The name Christina is a good example -- it can also be spelled Cristina or Kristina, and the nicknames are even more popular than the long name (Kristi, Christy, Cristy, Christi).
Get more tips here for finding a unique spelling for a traditional baby name.
Names from other cultures
Another Names from other cultures are often quite exotic-sounding and many are similar to traditional English or American names, either in meaning or in spelling. This makes it fairly easy to transition names from a traditional, classic-sounding name into something that is memorable and fun.
Get more exotic baby names here!
Some unique baby names to get you started
We've selected 20 traditional names and given you a unique alternative for each as well as an exotic version.
Girl names:
Abigail: Abygail Avigail (Hebrew)
Laurel: Laurelle Lorelei (German)
Michelle: Mychelle Michella (French)
Mary: Mari Moriah (Hebrew)
Sarah: Saira Zarah (Arabic)
Sophia: Sofia Ophria (Hebrew)
Rebecca: Rebekah Reveka (Hebrew)
Joanna: Johannah Jovana (Spanish)
Nicole: Nykole Nichole (French)
Get more baby girl name ideas here.
Boy names:
Brian: Bryan Briano (Celtic)
John: Jhon Iain (Scottish)
David: Davyd Davi (Hebrew)
Robert: Rhobert Roban (German)
Nicholas: Nicklas Nicolai (Greek)
Adam: Addam Adham (Arabic)
Edward: Edwhard Edouard (English)
Geoffery: Jeffereigh Geoffroi (German)
Thomas: Tomas Tomasso (Aramaic)
William: Wylliam Willem (German)
Get more baby boy names here!
More Baby Name Ideas:
Popular Baby Name Trends 2010
Unique Baby Names and Meanings
More From SheKnows Explorer
 |
Baby Names Book 
Subscribe to this comment's feed
Don't Just Search - Find The Perfect Name!