Naming your baby after someone you love is a no-brainer — whether this person has passed on or is still a very active participant in your life, this kind of tribute allows you to honor them in a very meaningful way. But it can get a little trickier when you want to name your baby after an influential male you know … and you’re expecting a girl. Finding female versions of male names is sometimes difficult, especially if you’re not into just slapping an “A” at the end of a male name and calling it good (not that feminized versions like Phillippa and Daniela aren’t perfectly pretty, but sometimes you want more options!).

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Of course, none of this is to say you can’t just name your daughter a traditionally-male name. In fact, vintage “grandpa names” for girls are having a moment! So it’s totally fine, if not downright on-trend, to have a daughter named Charlie instead of Charlene, or Frankie instead of Frances. Not only that, but a name’s gender association is never guaranteed, anyway — there are a ton of names we currently consider “girl names” that were actually more common for boys at one time.

From Andromeda to Zephyrine, these up-and-coming "maximalist" girls' names are absolutely gorgeous. https://t.co/q5egVztWgD

— SheKnows (@SheKnows) August 22, 2023

But if you’re expecting a girl and would like to give your daughter a female version of a male name, this is the roundup for you. We’ve curated some of the most popular men’s names of the past 100 years, and their female counterparts. Some are the more obvious answers — George and Georgia, for example — but we’ve also included versions of the same name from other languages, popular nicknames that can work great as a standalone name, and in some cases where it’s nearly impossible to find a feminine version (looking at you, Jeffrey!) the closest alternatives that still make a great tribute.

• Anthony

  

  The name Anthony‘s meaning is unclear, but what historians do know is that it’s an ancient family name most likely of Etruscan origin, though some sources say it means “he adds” or “priceless one.” And when it comes to female versions, there are a variety of choices — from the obvious Toni to the more obscure Nella (the short form of the Italian version, Antonella) or the Galician version, Antía.

• Charles

  

  From the German name Karl comes the Latin name Carolus — and, in French and English, Charles. This name means “man,” but don’t let its meaning fool you, because it has probably the biggest selection of feminine variations. The Danish have Lotte or Lottie, for example, and in Czechoslovakia, it’s Kája.

• Frank

  

  The name Frank is the name used to describe a Germanic tribe called — you guessed it — the Franks. It may have come from the Proto-Germanic word for “spear,” but that isn’t entirely certain. What is certain? The number of cute possibilities for girls, from Francia to Federica (though we’re Team Frankie on this one!).

• Joseph

  

  Derived from the Hebrew name Yosef, meaning “he will add,” Joseph is one of the trickier male names to turn female. The French versions, Josette and Josiane, are remarkably pretty — but there’s also the more obvious Josepha (with the cute nickname of Seph!) or the Italian form, Giosetta.

• Robert

  

  While Robbie could be an adorable girl’s name, the other options for Robert — meaning “bright fame” — are a little more old-fashioned sounding. Bertie is a feminine-leaning nickname, but spelling it “Birdie” makes it a little more contemporary, as nature names are very in right now. 

• David

  

  David has the sweetest meaning — “beloved” — but like Joseph, it’s definitely one of the harder names to make a female version of. There’s the classic Davida, but you could also go with the Samoan variation, Tavita, or its diminutive form, Tavi. You could even go with Vida, though it’s technically an entirely different name with an entirely different meaning (“life”).

• Theodore

  

  Derived from the Greek name Theodoros, meaning “gift of God,” Theodore is one of those classic names that has experienced a resurgence in popularity in recent years. We think the name Teddy could be especially cute on a girl (you could spell it Teddi or Teddie for a more feminine touch), but there are so many other gorgeous options, like the glamourous Theda.

• William

  

  From the Germanic name Willehelm, meaning “will helmet,” William can easily be morphed into feminine versions. If you don’t mind using a name with a similar sound but a different meaning, you could even use the William-adjacent name Willow, which is a little more contemporary than the other options.

• Alexander

  

  Alexandra isn’t the only option for feminizing the name Alexander, which means “defender of men.” The Russian versions Alesya and Sasha are two gorgeous examples, as is the French Sandrine.

• Henry

  

  The Germanic name Heimrich (later spelled Heinrich), meaning “home ruler,” is the root of Henry. And for girls, its possibilities extend beyond Henrietta! You could shorten it to Ettie, use the German form Haike, or use the less-obvious Hallie (from Hal, which is a nickname for Henry!).

• Lawrence

  

  Sometimes spelled Laurence, this name comes from the Roman name Laurentius, which meant “from Laurentis” — a city in ancient Italy. Lawrence-with-a-W is the preferred spelling in the U.S. today, but while they’re not spelled with a W, the feminine names associated with it still share the same root. 

• Louis

  

  Whether you pronounce it LOU-ee like the British and French, or like the Americanized LOU-iss, there are a few truly cute feminine versions of this name. We particularly like Lulu!

• George

  

  Derived from the Greek word georgos, meaning “farmer,” you don’t have to dig too far to find pretty feminine versions of this classic male name — from the traditional Georgia to its French diminutive, Gigi.

• Christopher

  

  From the Greek name Christophoros, meaning “bearer of Christ,” there’s definitely no shortage of feminine versions when it comes to Christopher. C names, K names; shortened versions like Kit, Tina, and Christie; international variations like the Finnish Kirsi.

• Daniel

  

  Danielle isn’t the only feminine option for Daniel, of Hebrew origin and meaning “God is my judge.” Try out the sophisticated-sounding Dutch version, Danique, or pretty Dania, which hails from Italy.

• John

  

  Derived from the Hebrew name Yochanan, meaning “Yahweh is gracious,” John is a very old name that has been a staple, regardless of the coming and going of trends. It has many international variations (did you know that Jonas, Evan, Gianni, and Janek are all versions of John?), and an equally-broad selection of female versions. (A common nickname for John is Jack, which is where we get Jacqueline and its derivatives.)

• Eugene

  

  From the Greek word eugenes, meaning “well born,” Eugene is a retro classic that has some really gorgeous female options — like the Russian and Bulgarian version, Evgeniya.

• Matthew

  

  A form of the Hebrew name Mattityahu, meaning “gift of God,” Matthew’s options for a female are few, but the available choices are very pretty. Our pick would be the stunning Slovene version, Mateja.

• Peter

  

  Like John, the name Peter — derived from the Greek name Petros, meaning “stone” — is a name found in various versions throughout many cultures: from Boutros to Pierre to Petru. And likewise, there are many female variations as well, like the beautiful Perrine (France) or Piera (Italy).

• Thomas

  

  Finding a female version of Thomas could be particularly meaningful for a set of boy/girl twins — because Thomas literally means “twin!” One of the prettiest feminine variations in our opinion is Tamsin (which can alternately be spelled Tamsyn or Tamzen). Thomas and Tamsin? What a perfect pairing!

• Michael

  

  From the Hebrew name Mikha’el, meaning “who is like God?”, the perennial-favorite male name Michael has several variations for girls. There are the more obvious, like Michelle or Michaela, but then there are the super-feminine versions like the French Micheline and its diminutive, Michi. 

• Stephen

  

  Whether it’s Stephen or Steven, this name means “crown” or “wreath,” and believe it or not, it has several female variations. We like Stefcia, the Polish version, which sounds like a fresher take on the traditional Stephanie or Stefanie.

• Paul

  

  From the Roman name Paulus, meaning “small,” Paul’s female versions across countries are largely just … Paula. (Spanish, Swedish, Dutch, English, Romanian, Danish, Portuguese — all Paula.) But the few outliers, like Italy’s Paola and Czechoslovakia’s Pavlína, are beautiful choices.

• Brian

  

  The origins of the name Brian are disputed; some say it comes from the Celtic brixs (“hill”), while others argue that it’s derived from the Old Irish briig (“power”). Regardless of its roots, Brian has a wealth of available female variations — we love Bria, and the Danish version Berit, which comes from Bridget … another feminine nickname for Brian!

• Nicholas

  

  Nicholas has an amazing meaning: “victory of the people.” And you’ll feel victorious when you see the list of equally-amazing feminine versions. You could even go a step further than the international variations with diminutives like Coley or Ola.

• Edward

  

  Meaning “wealth guard,” Edward is a very masculine name, so it’s hard to imagine making a feminine name out of it — which is why there aren’t as many options for this one. Still, just because they aren’t as numerous doesn’t mean they aren’t good; Edeline, for example, fits in perfectly with the modern “vintage name” trend.

• Jeffrey

  

  Derived from the British spelling, Geoffrey, this is a name comprised of two elements — the second element being the Old German word fridu, meaning “peace.” As for the first element, it’s debated; some say it means “territory” or “foreigner.” Either way, there’s just no good female variation of Jeffrey. So for this name, you’ve got to get creative; you could use Freya, which takes the last four letters of Jeffrey and gives it a feminine ending. (Even though it doesn’t mean the same; Freya is an Old Norse name meaning “lady.”) Similarly, you could use Rey, or mimic one of the sounds in the name and use Effy (or Effie).

• Patrick

  

  Not a ton of variations of Patrick (from a Latin name meaning “nobleman”) excepct for the classic Patricia — but there are a few, like Rica and Ricki. You could also go with Patsy, but it sounds a little dated.

• Joshua

  

  Joshua (meaning “Jehovah saves”) is another of the more difficult names to feminize, which is too bad considering it ranks at #20 out of the 100 most popular male names of the last 100 years, per the U.S. Social Security Administration. If you’re really looking to name your daughter after a Joshua in her life, though, there are some options. The Basque and Spanish forms, Josune and Jesusa, are pretty — or you could go with Joss, which sounds like Josh but a bit more girly.

• Gabriel

  

  The name Gabriel means “God is my strength” and has o many enticing female iterations — beyond Gabrielle! You could shorten it to Gabi or Gaby, change the first letter with Bria or Brielle, or use an international variation like the Romanian version, Gavrila.

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