In the last two days I have seen two names that may or may not be what I see them as, but either way they give me an idea. Here are the names: Tameron and Tauren.
Both could easily be well-established names I just haven’t encountered before. But they hit my eye as “Cameron with a T” and “Lauren with a T.” They reminded me of other similar naming situations where adding or subtracting or substituting a letter can make a remarkable difference:
• Madison to Addison, Madelyn to Adelyn
• alllll the Aidens and Cadens and Haydens and Jadens
• Kyla, Myla, Isla, Lila
• Riley and Miley and Kiley and Briley
• Kevin and Evan and Devin
• Lesley and Wesley
I wondered if any of us would have fun trying to create some new names in this way from existing names. This is not one of my strong points: I wouldn’t ever have thought to form Tameron or Tauren, but as soon as I saw them I thought “OH!!” and could picture them working. Tameron in particular seemed workable as an updated/freshened version of both Cameron AND Tamara. (Meanwhile when I try to come up with anything I end up sounding like I am singing The Name Game: “fee fie fo FEVELYN!”)
As one of the ubiquitous Sara(h)s, I could see Harra, Jarah, or Quara(h) working as a first name.
I teach a Jarah! She’s German so it’s pronounced “Yah-rah”.
Names I’ve come across are Torbin and Tamsin.
A favorite of mine that I thought of years ago that I have never seen is:
Parson
Like the very popular Carson and Larson, super easy to say/spell. Also doubles as a title/clergy name like Deacon and Bishop. It’s an amazing name I wish someone would use! I think of it yearly as the Christmas music rolls out with the song about Parson Brown. PARSON!
A teacher at my school has a daughter named Tylie. She wanted a T-name and also liked the sound of Kylie so she combined them.
I frequently mistype my name (Alice) in professional emails as Alive, but I cannot say I would recommend this substitution ;-D
I’m not good at inventing names but I think Selah is reimagined Kayla, (at least how people pronounce it in Texas). I think Ember and Camber are currently used by people who would have used Amber in the 80s.
I work with a Kelsey and a Chelsea. They are two VERY different names to my ear and yet…just that first letter/sound is the difference.
Then there’s Alyssa and Melissa. I think I’ve heard Jalissa before too.
My coworker has talked about her wife “Alyssa” and I thought of Alyssa and then I saw the wife’s name spelled. Elissa!! Elissa?!!! What? How? But my name is Melissa 😂 so duh. But it never one time occurred to me as a spelling for Alyssa or a version of my name.
I went to high school with a girl named Narissa, which I thought was a twist on Marissa, not realizing it’s a Shakespearean name (spelled Nerissa) (I don’t know her parents’ motivation — it may have been to twist on Marissa for them!). I thought about her for the first time in years just last night when catching up on the previous season of The Crown and learning about the queen’s institutionalized cousins, one of whom was named Nerissa.
Swistle, your “fee fi fo fevelyn” made me laugh.
My name is Kerri, so I can reply the K with pretty much any single letter of the alphabet and come up with an actual name. 😆 (my vowels are merged, so Kerri rhymes with Harry and Mary). The only letter that’s not already a name that might actually work is Derry.
Berry
Carrie
Derry
Ferry (sounds like fairy to me, wouldn’t work as a name)
Gary
Harry
Jerry
Kerri
Larry
Merry/Mary
Perry
Sherri
Terri
Replace* the K
I actually do know a Darian with the nickname Derry!
Combining my name and Darcy gives Dancy. It’s an existing surname, so maybe it would work.
Hmm, no, on further thought it just sounds like a descriptor for music you want to dance to
Ok, a couple more ideas:
Davis to Avis (although I think Avis would work better for girls. Oh wait, isn’t that a car company? No wonder it sounds so name-like.)
Willa seems pretty flexible. Cilla? Lilla (maybe as a nickname for Lillian)? Or Quilla.
Wesley to Jesley (sort of a twist on Jesse)?
Ok, I’m no good at this either. I think I’ll just stick with the classics.
I recently met a Tinley and a Brinley. Jenny can turn into Benny, Kenny, Lenny, Denny, Penny…..
Mason and Jason – one letter and two generations apart.
I think it’s interesting that Violet and Charlotte are the only girls names I can think of that end in “T” sound.
Margaret! Harriet! Scarlet! Bridget! Millicent! Juliet! Jeannette! Janet! Lynette! Colette! Scout! Yvette! Bernadette! Annette! Nicolette! Antoinette! Marguerite! Celeste and Amethyst if the -st blend counts!
This is another fun game! I think we should maybe play it with other letters! It’s like that old logic puzzle I can’t quite remember about whether more words BEGIN or END with K, and whatever the exact puzzle is, most people guess BEGIN but the answer is END—and it’s because it is so surprisingly challenging to think of words that END with a letter/sound.
Not strictly on topic, but this list of names reminds me of the absurdly hilarious picture book by Mo Willems, Nanette’s Baguette. Every sentence ends with -et, so there’s a Nanette, a Juliette, and an Antoinette. My favorite, oft quoted line is, “Nanette is beset with regret.”
Our babysitter is named Janielle — Danielle with a J (that’s how she explains the pronunciation too).
I know a FIANNE she tells people Diane with an F
I can not stop thinking about this name because I can’t figure out how to pronounce it!
I say Dan-YELL but the “a-a-apple” A in Jan-YELL is surprisingly hard for me to pronounce between the j and ny so I turn it into a schwa so it ends up sounding almost like Juhn-YELL which is barely a half a step from Janelle to my ear. Is it this easier to say with an accent other than west-coast American?
Please help a girl out so I can think about something else!
Kevin, Bevin, Devin, Levin, Nevin.
Cara, Kara, Bara (Hebrew & Japanese), Dara, Hara (Hindi), Lara, Mara, Nara (Japanese), Sara, Tara, Yara (Arabic), Zara.
I’m a Mara (“mare-uh”) and always have to tell people it’s “Mara like Sarah” to get the pronunciation right (otherwise they immediately default to “mah-ruh”). Was good friends in high school with a Lara and Tara, who pronounced it “lah-ruh” and “tah-ruh” so that didn’t help with the confusion! I also knew a Sharra who pronounced it like me and I always wanted to call her “shah-ruh.” These -ara names can be rough!
Sara, Kara, Tara
Fiona and Leona
Luke and Duke
Andy and Mandy
Jason and Mason
Daisy and Maisy
Lillian and Jillian
Owen and Rowan
Edmond and Redmond
Holly and Molly
Paul and Saul
Lilly and Billy
Gracie and Tracy
Rhea and Thea
Theo and Leo
Oh and Everly and Beverly
Amelia and Amelie
Ada and Ida
Ava, Eva, Eve, Evie
Vera and Veda
Coraline and Caroline
Clarissa, Marissa, Melissa
Iona, Oona/Una, Luna
Emma and Gemma
Viola and Violet
Nora, Cora, Dora, Lora, Zora, Flora, Moira
Ella, Stella, Bella, Della, Nella
Sage and Paige
Delia and Delilah
Wilder and Walden
Tristan and Christian
Desmond and Edmund
Noah and Jonah
Carter and Carver
Leo and Leon
Ezra and Ezri
Ari and Ara
I realized after I posted the above that we were supposed to come up with NEW names, whoops.
I keep coming back to Arla. Darla, Marla and Carla are kinda outdated, but Arla reminds me of Arlo. Zarla?Yarla? Earla? I actually like Earla!
Or Ayla? Kayla without the K. Vayla, Mayla, Rayla, Jayla
Not my invention, but I saw someone suggest Noria or Noralie (like Coralie) in tribute to Norma and Gloria the other day, and I think those work really well! It makes me think smooshing names that have similar sounds might be a good tactic. Sophia and Sylvia to Solvia or Sylphia? Solvia kind of works, but the second one sounds off… this is hard!
We have Jack. We have Zachary. How about… Jackary?
Yes! Tauren sounds like established Torin to me, just a unique spelling, but totally could be for a Lauren! (Auren could be pretty cool too.) I actually kinda love the sound of Tameron. I remember seeing someone featured on a blog years ago named Tam and thinking so cool, but of course it was just short for Tamara. How changing / dropping / adding letters really can give a name some spark! Samara is way fresher than Tamara.
From Wreck It Ralph, I love Vanellope! (Penelope with a V-ish?) And lovely Tulia! I love Clary as a nod to Larry or Gary, Penn as a nod to Jen, Briar as a nod to Brian, Cillian as a nod to Jillian, Kenry as a nod to Henry, Vohn as a nod to John, Evor for a Trevor, Kelleny for a Melanie, Natrick for a Patrick & Nathan lol
Look how Owen has more ‘modern’ updates of Bowen, (controversial) Cowan/Coen, Lowen, Rowan. Aaron/Erin/Karen/Darrin has Garron, Maren, Perrin, Seren, Heron.
Jackary as @A commented is actually super sweet!
No time to think of any right now, but this thread reminds me of one of the only things I remember about the late ’90s movie Up Close and Personal, with Michelle Pfieffer and Robert Redford, and that’s how, as soon as she lands her first big TV gig, he, as her new producer, immediately goes, “Nope, Sally’s a terrible broadcaster name, now you’re ‘Tally Atwater.'” It made an impression on my high school self because it was so interesting how that single letter took her name from “old-fashioned” to (allegedly) “edgy.”
My cousin Eulan and his wife Jillian have a son named Julian.
My own son Fordon (like Gordon with an F) was in a class with a Jordan and a Morgan.
Our thanksgiving had Jillian, Lillian, Vivian, Julian, Eulan, Fordon, Thornton, Ella, Emma, Paula, Paul, Jenn, Jeff, Liz, and Loyce.
We had a lot of folks turning around and saying “what?” whenever anyone’s name was called, is what I’m saying.
My friend took the beginning letters off Brandon/Landon and named her son Anden
My daughter’s name is Fern, and since she is often wearing gender neutral hand-me-downs people usually assume she is a boy. When I tell them her name, they seem to hear “Vern”. This kills me, as I now think of Vern as her alter-ego and she has the perfect I don’t give a dang attitude and facial expressions to go with it.
I also see Vern in a new light!
My mother went to school (1950s/60s) with a boy named Gloyd. Can’t say I’m a fan.
A fun game, but any time I try to come up with something that seems reasonable, I google it… and find out that it’s already a name. Guess I’m not being as original as I thought I was! Carmelia, Shamelia, Samelia, Vamelia, Annamelia.
Tauren, though… I admit, I have a hard time getting past the association with a very popular MMORPG.
Not that I would necessarily use any of these names, but this was fun to come up with. Some would benefit with a different spelling than the original for easy of pronunciation
Vivian—Livian, Rivian
Diana-Kiana (Kyanna?)
Gavin—Tavin, Zavin,
Vanessa-Janessa, Lanessa, Chanessa
Cecily— Tecily
Harvey—Darvey, Jarvey
Karen—Tharen, Zaren
Evelyn—Avelyn, Ivelyn
Hannah—Brannah, Thannah, Zannah, Yannah
Loralei—Coralei
Stephanie-Jephanie
Stanley-Branley
Savannah—Davannah,
Dennis—Brennis, Fennis, quennis Kennis Thennis, Ennis, Shennis
Abram—Cabram
Samuel—Camuel, Bramuel
Alison—calison
Emily—gemily
Susannah-Luzannah
Kimberly—Timberly
Olivia—Jolivia
Sylvia-Tylvie
My kids like to play the name game with out family names. The one I like the best is Kordan, Keather, Kasper, and Karvis , but I wouldn’t actually use them as our names.
I had a sims family of aliens decades ago that all had X names: Xeleste, Xonald, Xourtney, etc.
Pamelie
Lirene/Lyrene
Duna, Shuna
Tessica, Tessamyn (/ Tressica, Tressamyn)
Rillie / Rilly (Rillicent?!)
Cadine
Clivy, Sivy
Shelinda
Briola
Lundine
Briola is surprising and I think it could work! Tessamyn, too
I know three sisters who are Kacey, Stacey, and Tracey. I tried using their names for the game, but everything I could think of is a name already! Gracie, Lacey, Macy, Pacy… Would Dacey (Dacie) or Jacey work?
Laura was a really popular name in the 80s. Today it’s not heard as much for babies, but Cora and Nora have become really popular! Even though they’re vintage, they somehow seem fresh. I could see Thora becoming the next big “Ora” name, for people that like the sound of Cora and Nora but want something less popular. Or maybe Laura will make a comeback!
Finn – Rynn, Quinn, Brin, Winn, Flynn
Leander – Skander, Keander, Teander
Carly – Marley, Harley, Farley
Bailey- Maylie, Raylie, Shaylie
Aaron- Baron, Taron
You know… THIS is why “under-the-radar”, “totally unique”, and “not in the top 1000” names often don’t feel stand-out. They are a lot like lots of other names!
Hester (classic, literary, well-established) sounds familiar… because of Esther, Lester, Chester, and company.
So if someone thought, “Kester would be cool!”, it’s misheard or feels dated because of its sound contemporaries.
On the other hand, if someone wanted a very different name, they could intentionally choose an “out-of-date” sound and work from there.
Does that make sense?
Example:
Irene could become Sirene, Kirene, Direne, Firene, Mirene, Nirene, Tirene, Shirene, Virene, Zirene, etc.
Whereas if someone took cutting-edge-cool Aiden in the early 2000s, they would get an Aiden-meganame… Brayden, Cayden, Drayden, Hayden, Jayden, etc.
So the formula for a distinctive name is choose an out-of-date sound and work with that. DON’T choose a current sound as a starting point.
Out-of-date:
Wilma: Bilma, Dilma, Filma, Gilma, Hilma, Jilma,Milma, Nilma, etc.
Fashionable:
Nora: Adora, Benora, Canora, Dalora, Endora, Femora, Glenora, Henora, Illadora, Jendora, etc.
So interesting to consider!
Karen (outdated): Taryn, Sharon, Maren, Darren, Erin, Aaron, Ferrin, Heron (this could actually be kinda cool because it’s a nature name as well—a heron is a bird), Garon, Zarren.
Jason (outdated): Grayson, Dayson, Tayson, Mason, Hayson, Payson, Rayson, Clayson, Bayson.
Oops, forgot one, Jaron. This actually sounds really nice to me, I am surprised I don’t know anyone named Jaron.
I feel like Tameron ( assuming it’s a girl) is a variation on Tamryn/Tamrin.
Tauren feels new to me, although I suspect I have heard Toren before.
This is so fun to read and think about! I know a Chandra, which makes me think Sandra is ripe for changing. Liandra. Zandra. Kandra. Tandra. Thandra.
Shannon might be a good base name, too. Channon. Lannon. Thannon. Stannon. Vannon.
Or Rhiannon. Liannon. Viannon. Kiannon. Wow, my autocorrect has zero confidence in me.
Melanie: I know a Delanie and a Celanie. Would Velanie work? Probably too easy to confuse with Felony. Zelanie? Belanie? Shelanie? Telanie?
Phillicent.
Eileen: Kylene. Tylene. Rylene. Shylene.
Katelyn: Tatelyn. Patelyn.
Iris: Kyris. Tyris. Nyris.
Brenda: Kenda. Thenda. Shenda. Venda.
Nathan: Vathan. Dathan. Kathan. Lathan. Athan.
Sherona: Verona. (Too Shakespearean?) Therona. Zerona.
Lesley: Kesley. Tesley. Chesley.
Kenneth: Stenneth. Lenneth.
We had a beloved day care teacher named Essica. Like Jessica, but without the J.
My son’s name is Tobin which is auto-corrected to Robin regularly.