If you are fascinated by European folklore, you may be interested in giving your child a name that means “changeling.” Changeling is a term that was used to represent children who were suspected of being secretly abducted by fairies and elves, who would then replace the child with an elvish substitute.
Many baby names that mean “changeling” were inspired by these frightening tales. But today, this name’s meaning is a common choice amongst parents who hold fairies and elves in high regard.
The name Bruce has been a part of the US Top 1000 since the late 19th century, but did you know that Bruce (or Brucie) was once a common name given to changelings? Bruce is a name of Scottish, English, and French origin meaning “from the brushwood thicket or changeling.”
If you’d like to give your little boy a name that means “changeling” but would like to deviate from the US Top 1000, you may enjoy the Irish name Seumas, which is a variation of the popular name Seamus. Seumas means “substitute or supplanter,” making it closely linked to the definition of “changeling.”
As for girl names with this meaning, Jamya and Síofra are great choices. Just like Seumas, Jamya means “substitute.” However, the Irish name Síofra is one of the few girl names that actually mean “sprite or changeling.” This rare name has yet to enter the US Top 1000, but it’s becoming more and more popular with every passing day.
For more baby names that mean “changeling,” check out the list below.
Basil
Meaning: Regal, the sprite from the American musical television show, Johnny and the Sprites
Origin: Greek
Gender: Boy
Brucie
Meaning: Forest sprite
Origin: French
Gender: Girl
Jack
Meaning: Substitute
Origin: American
Gender: Boy
Jaco
Meaning: Substitute
Origin: Portuguese
Gender: Boy
Jacopo
Meaning: Substitute
Origin: Italian
Gender: Boy
Jakob
Meaning: Substitute
Origin: Dutch
Gender: Boy
Jákob
Meaning: Substitute
Origin: Hungarian
Gender: Boy
Jakobo
Meaning: Substitute
Origin: Basotho
Gender: Boy
Jakub
Meaning: Substitute
Origin: Czech-Slovak
Gender: Boy
Jamya
Meaning: Substitute
Origin: English
Gender: Girl
Jayme
Meaning: Substitute
Origin: Hebrew
Gender: Boy
Na’ib
Meaning: Substitute
Origin: Muslim
Gender: Boy
Naa’ib
Meaning: Substitute
Origin: Muslim
Gender: Boy
Nereida
Meaning: Sea sprites
Origin: Spanish
Gender: Girl
Nerissa
Meaning: Sea sprites
Origin: Greek
Gender: Girl
Nissa
Meaning: Sprite
Origin: Hebrew
Gender: Girl
Nixie
Meaning: Water sprite
Origin: German
Gender: Girl
Nyx
Meaning: Sprite
Origin: German
Gender: Girl
Ondine
Meaning: Little wave. The name of a German water sprite
Origin: Latin
Gender: Girl
Rusalka
Meaning: Wood sprite
Origin: Czech
Gender: Girl
Seumas
Meaning: Substitute
Origin: Gaelic
Gender: Boy
Siofra
Meaning: Sprite
Origin: Irish/Gaelic
Gender: Girl
Xacob
Meaning: Substitute
Origin: Galician
Gender: Boy
Yacob
Meaning: Substitute
Origin: Ethiopian
Gender: Boy
