Writing Adolescent Fiction/Character names/Latvian

Usage note Latvian surnames change with gender. The -is at the end of the male form changes to -e when used by women: Sprogis -> Sproge, Prieditis -> Priedite. Names ending in consonant+s change the -s to -a when used by women: Jaunzems -> Jaunzema, Purins -> Purina, Kluss -> Klusa, so the wife or daughter of Andris Berzins would be named Ieva Berzina. The suffix -ins that appears on many Latvian surnames has a special mark over the S in Latvian and is often respelled -insh in English, so some people are named Berzinsh or Purinsh. Other names are also sometimes phonetically respelled in America, so that Dance, the feminine form of Dancis, is spelt Dantche. Families from foreign ethnic groups who have moved into Latvia usually Latvianize their names. The rules for forming the feminine form are a bit different with non-Latvian surnames. Many men of German descent have surnames like Smits, Runvalds, Kronvalds, Fisers, Valters and Zanders. The -s ending changes to an -e in German names: Smite, Kronvalde. Scandinavian names in the form of Andersons, Petersons, Mikelsons, Jansons, Jekabsons and Jirgensons (Andersone or Petersone in their feminine form) are common. The -ski at the end of Polish and Bulgarian or Macedonian names becomes -skis (Berzinskis, Bilinskis, Kalvinskis, Kolomenskis, Vasilevskis, Zakresevskis, Zemlinskis), and -ska is the form used for women (Berzinska, Bilinska, Vasilevska). Slavic names ending in -nieks for men (Bauskenieks, Bitenieks, Kurpnieks, Mucenieks, Podnieks, Ratnieks, Tiesnieks, Upenieks) become -niece for women (Bauskeniece, Kurpniece, Ratniece, Upeniece). Girls' names Ada Adele Aelita Agate Agija Agita Agnese Agneta Agnija Agra Agrita Aiga Aija Aina - Means "sight" or "to see" Aira - Means "paddle" Airita Aiva Aivita Alda Aleksandra - Latvian version of "Alexandra" Alida Alina Alise Alla Alma Alona Alvine Amanda Anastasija Ance Anda Andra Andzela Anete Angelika Anita Anna Annija Anta Antonija Antra Arija Arita Armanda Arnita Arta Astra Astrida Ausma Austra Baiba Barbara Beate Beatrise Benita Biruta Brigita Dace Dagnija Daiga Daina Dainuvite Dana Diana Dina Dita Dzemma Dzidra Dzintra Edite Egija Egita Elga Elina Elita Eliza Elma Elvira Elza Erika Erna Eva Evija Evita Gaida Galina Gerda Gertrude Ginta Gita Grieta Guna Gunda Gundega Gunita Gunta Guntra Helena Ieva Ildze Ilga Ilja Ilma Ilona Iluta Ilva Ilze Ina Inara Indra Inese Ineta Inga Ingrida Inguna Inita Inna Inta Ira Irena Irina (can also be spelled "Iryna") Irisa Irita Iveta Jana Janina Jekaterina Jelena Jevgenija Jolanta Julija Julita Justine Juta Karina Kate Katrina Kintija Kitija Krista Kristiana Kristina Kristine Laila Laima Laimdota Laine Lana Larisa Lasma Lauma Laura Lelde Leontine Liana Lidija Liene Lienite Liesma Liga Ligita Lija Liliana Lilija Lilita Lina Linda Lita Liva Livija Lolita Lonija Lucija Ludmila Luize Madara Maiga Maija Maira Mairita Mara Margarita Marija Marika Marina Marite Marta Maruta Milda Minna Mirdza Monta Nadezda Nanija Natalija Natalja Nellija Nina Nora Oksana Olga Olita Pečka Pupila Ramona Rasma Regina Renate Rita Rudite Ruta Sabine Saiva Sanda Sandra Sanita Santa Sarlote Sarma Sarmite Sigita Signe Silvija Simona Sindija Sintija Skaidrite Sniedze Snikere Sofija Solveiga Solvita Svetlana Tamara Tatjana Tereze Tija Una Vaira Valda Valentina Valerija Valija Velga Velta Vera Veronika Vesma Vija Viktorija Vineta Viola Violeta Vita Zaiga Zanda Zane Zanete Zanna Zenta Zigrida Zinta Zita Boys' names Adams Adolfs Adrians Agnis Agris Aigars Ainars Ainis Aivars Aivis Aksels Aldis Aleksandrs Aleksejs Aleksis Alens Alfons Alfreds Alnis Alvils Alvirs Alvis Anatols Andis Andrejs Andrievs Andris - Meaning "Manly" Ansis Anslavs Antons Ardis Aris Arkadijs Armands Armins Arnis Arnolds Artis Arturs Arvids Arvils Arvis Askolds Atis Audris Augusts Auseklis Austris Boleslavs Boriss Brencis Bruno Centis Dags Dailis Dainis Daniels Dans Davids Davis Denis Deniss Didzis Dims Dmitrijs Druvis Druvvaldis Dzintars Edgars Edijs Edmunds Eduards Edvards Edvins Edzus Egils Egons Einars Elmars Elvijs Elvis Emils Eriks Ernests Ervins Evalds Ezis Felikss Gaidis Gastons Gatis Gederts Genadjis Georgs Gints Girts Gregors Gunars Gundars Guntars Guntis Gunvaldis Gustavs Gusts Gvido Haralds Hardijs Harijs Heinrihs Helmuts Hugo Igors Ilgonis Ilgvars Ilmars Ilvars Imants Indulis Ingars Ingmars Ingus Intars Ints Ivars Ivo Janis Jazeps Jekabs Jevgenijs Julijs Jurijs Juris Kalvis Karlis Kaspars Klavs Konrads Konstantins Krisjanis Kristaps Kristians Krists Kurts Laimdots Laimonis Larss Lauris Leo Leonards Leonids Leons Leopolds Linards Lotars Ludis Lukass Madis Maigonis Maksims Manfreds Marcis Mareks Margers Maris Martins Marts Matiss Mihails Mikelis Miks Mikus Modris Nauris Nikodems Nikolajs Niks Nils Normunds Ojars Olafs Olegs Olgerts Oskars Oto Paulis Pauls Pavels Peteris Raimonds Raitis Raivis Ralfs Reinis Renars Ricards Rihards Rinalds Ritvars Roberts Rolands Romans Romualds Rudolfs Rusins Salvis Sandijs Sandis Sandris Sergejs Simons Stanislavs Stefans Talis Teodors Tomass Toms Ugis Uldis Uvis Vadims Vairis Valdemars Valdis Valentins Valerijs Valters Valts Varis Vents Verners Viesturs Vijars Vikentijs Viktors Vilis Vilnis Visvaldis Vitalijs Vitolds Vjaceslavs Vladimirs Vladislavs Voldemars Yuris Zanis Ziedonis Zigfrids Zigmars Zigurds Zintis Surnames Top 10 Berzins Kalnins Ozolins Ozols Liepins Krumins Balodis Eglitis Zarins Vitols Others Abolins Aboltins Alats Aldins Alsknis Alksnitis Alunans Andis Apanis Apsitis Arajs Arnicans Augis Auzins Avotins Babicevs Bajars Barkans Barons Bartkevics Barzdins Bats Baumanis Bebrekarklis Bebris Beiris Berklavs Biezais Bikerts Bilmanis Birkavs Blagonadezdins Blazevics Bleidelis Bogdanovs Bondars Bresis Briedis Broks Bruziks Buikis Bukss Buls Busmanis Caunis Celmins Cerbulis Cirulis Dabolins Dalbergs Dambis Dancis Darzins Djomins Dreimanis Dzenis Dzenitis Dzervis Egils Ekmanis Endzelins Endzelis Erglis Ezergailis Ezerinss Fedorovics Florovs Gailis Gailitis Galins Gedrovics Gigulis Gilis Gobins Gorbanovs Grabis Graudins Graveris Gravitis Gredzens Greitans Grevins Grigulis Grundulis Gulans Gulbis Hazans Ierags Ievins Indans Insakovs Irbins Ivanovs Ivbulis Jaunberzins Jaunsleinis Jaunzems Jelisejevs Jencs Jermolajevs Jirgens Judrups Kairis Kaktins Kalejs Kalnberzins Karavajevs Karklins Karnitis Kaudzitis Kaukis Kazanovs Kenins Kezis Kibilds Kimenis Kivrins Klavins Kluss Kokins Kondratovics Kozlovs Krastins Krauklis Kreitus Kreslins Kronitis Kulins Kupriss Kurlis Kursitis Kuzmins Lacis Laizans Langalis Lapins Lasmanis Latvietis Lazdins Leitass Lejejs Lejins Lesitis Licis Lieknins Lietuvietis Links Lobanovs Locmelis Logins Lukstins Lurins Lusis Malejs Markuss Martins Mazins Mazrocis Mednis Meierovics Melbiksis Melecis Melngailis Mucenieks Muiznieks Murnieks Niedritis Odinecs Oditis Ogsts Osis Paeglis Pahars Pantelejevs Pauls Pauluks Pedars Peders Pelecis Pelsis Penikis Pinkis Pinkuls Pinnis Pirags Piziks Plakans Platacis Plavins Pogins Popelis Priedis Prieditis Pukis Pukitis Pumpurs Pupils Purins Purvitis Putnins Rainis Raitums Ramolins Reks Riekstins Rimkus Rodzins Rokis Rozitis Rubiks Rubulis Rudzitis Rusis Rutks Sakbartis Salmins Samitis Sarkans Saulitis Seleckis Sevlakovs Silins Skinkis Skrastins Skujins Slaidins Spigulis Spricis Sprogis Stepanovs Stolcers Strautins Strazdins Strazds Streics Strods Sturis Sturitis Sviklis Tarasovs Taurenis Tebelis Tiltins Tots Treimanis Troickis Tupuritis Udris Ulmanis Upenieks Upitis Upmanis Vagalis Vagris Valdemars Vanags Veidis Veigulis Velins Vigulis Vilcins Vilnis Vilums Voldins Zabers Zagarins Zaks Zalitis Zeltins Zemitis Ziedins Ziedonis Ziemelis Znotins Zvaigznis Zvirgdzins Writing Adolescent Fiction