Respellings Names

A familiar name written a new way. Respellings are where invented meanings cluster most thickly elsewhere on the internet, because a new spelling reads as a new name that must have come from somewhere.

Rankings for

6 names, uncommon — 100 to 499 a year, in United States

Very Rare Rare Uncommon

Girls Boys Unisex

Phillip Phillip is a boy's name meaning lover of horses, the doubled-l spelling of Philip.
Greek 425 in 2025
Shawn Shawn is a boy's name, the phonetic American respelling of the Irish Seán, which is itself the Irish form of John.
Irish 412 in 2025
Kristopher Kristopher means Christ-bearer, and the legend built the meaning backward — a giant who carried a child across a river turned out to be carrying Christ, which is the story explaining the name.
English 172 in 2025
Jonathon Jonathon respells Jonathan, and the original names a gift — Yahweh has given, borne in scripture by the friend whose bond with David the text describes in terms it uses nowhere else.
English 119 in 2025
Jeffery Jeffery is a boy's name whose first element is genuinely disputed, though the second means peace.
Germanic 110 in 2025
Terrance Terrance respells Terrence, and the name descends from a Roman playwright born enslaved in North Africa — Terence was freed by his owner and his Latin became a school text for centuries.
American 109 in 2025

Or Browse by Decade

A style is our reading of a name. A decade is the register — the names children were actually given, in order, with the counts.

Search Names

Respellings Names

Or Browse by Decade

Related Styles