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 name. 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
Mer de Noms 
I can’t even tell you how many people named “Nancy Ann” and “Nancy Anne” I’ve spotted over the years. 🙂
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I get flummoxed by it too. I mostly see Elizabeth and Isabelle/a used for siblings — or Jacob and James. Oh, and a Harry and a Henry once.
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I don’t think it’s that big a deal when it’s two established variants.
After all, you only have to look at the BMDs and Censi to see how many folk with surnames like Thomas chose to give their sons the first name ‘Thomas’.
Anyway, you could argue, it’s just like New York, so good, and all that… 🙂
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Well, that was practically obligatory for the Victorian Welsh! With all the patronymic surnames it’s rare not to look up a family on the census without a son called William Williams, John Jones, Philip Philips etc 😉
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I know twins named Mary and Molly. It doesn’t bother them that they essentially have the same name, but it does irk me. Also my grandmother has two first cousins (brothers) named Edward and Edsel Edwards.
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I can’t stand that. It just really really irks me.
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I’ve come across countless people named “Nancy Anne” and “Nancy Ann.”
This sort of thing doesn’t bother me much, but it does seem a bit silly/wasteful, as one name is already sort of bound up in the other.
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It’s kind of an awkward mistake, or strange play on words to do it on purpose, but nowhere near as awful as people named Rick Richards or Tom Thompson, etc. Those ones always kill me!
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This is one of my pet peeves actually. I don’t even like names that mean the same thing being used together.
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