MicolfItalian Italian variant form of Michal 2 (the Italian biblical form being Mikal). This is the name of the heroine in Giorgio Bassani's novel The Garden of the Finzi-Continis (1962).
MilanifEnglish (Modern) From the name of the Italian city of Milan, as in the name of the American cosmetics company founded in 2002. It could also a variant of Melanie.
NereafBasque, Spanish Possibly from Basque nere, a dialectal variant of nire meaning "mine". Alternatively, it could be a feminine form of Nereus. This name arose in Basque-speaking regions of Spain in the first half of the 20th century, though it is now popular throughout the country.
NyahfEnglish (Modern) Meaning unknown, possibly a variant of Nia 2 or Nia 3. This name briefly entered the American popularity charts after it was featured in the movie Mission: Impossible 2 (2000).
OssianmLiterature Variant of Oisín used by James Macpherson in his 18th-century poems, which he claimed to have based on early Irish legends. In the poems Ossian is the son of Fingal, and serves as the narrator.
PortiafEnglish Variant of Porcia, the feminine form of the Roman family name Porcius, used by William Shakespeare for the heroine of his play The Merchant of Venice (1596). In the play Portia is a woman who disguises herself as a man in order to defend Antonio in court. It is also the name of a moon of Uranus, after the Shakespearean character.
ScarletfEnglish (Modern) Either a variant of Scarlett or else from the English word for the red colour (both of the same origin, a type of cloth).
ScorpiusmAstronomy From a Latin variant of Scorpio. This is the name of a zodiacal constellation said to have the shape of a scorpion. According to Greek and Roman legend it was the monster that was sent to kill Orion.
SemiramisfAncient Assyrian (Hellenized) Probably from a Greek form of the name Shammuramat. According to ancient Greek and Armenian sources, Semiramis (Շամիրամ (Shamiram) in Armenian) was an Assyrian queen who conquered much of Asia. Though the tales are legendary, she might be loosely based on the real Assyrian queen.
Shelbym & fEnglish From an English surname, which was possibly a variant of Selby. Though previously in use as a rare masculine name, it was popularized as a feminine name by the main character in the movie The Woman in Red (1935). It was later reinforced by the movie Steel Magnolias (1989) in which Julia Roberts played a character by this name.
ShenandoahmIndigenous American, Oneida (Anglicized) Variant of Skenandoa, or from the name of the Shenandoah River (names that may or may not be connected). The traditional American folk song Oh Shenandoah refers to the Oneida chief Skenandoa.
ShereefEnglish Variant of Sherry or Cherie. This particular spelling was popularized by American actress Sheree North (1932-2005), who was born Dawn Shirley Crang.
Skylerm & fEnglish (Modern) Variant of Schuyler, based on the pronunciation of the surname but respelled as if it was a blend of the English word sky with names such as Tyler. It was rare before 1980, and first gained popularity as a name for boys. It is now more common for girls, though it is more evenly unisex than the mostly feminine variant Skylar.
WenonahfLiterature Variant of Winona. This spelling of the name was used by the American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow for the mother of Hiawatha in his 1855 epic poem The Song of Hiawatha.