Small world

Names that I’ve come across through teaching the likes of international students, classmates and coworkers
  1. Amit
    • Origin:

      Hebrew; Sanskrit
    • Meaning:

      "friend; infinite"
    • Description:

      Simple and worldly, popular and carrying two positive meanings in two diverse cultures. A winner prime for wider use.
  2. Anh
    • Origin:

      Vietnamese
    • Meaning:

      "various meanings"
    • Description:

      This simple unisex Vietnamese name has multiple possible meanings, including "hero", "petal", "brave", "bright", depending on the characters used to write it.
  3. Araceli
    • Origin:

      Spanish
    • Meaning:

      "altar of the sky"
    • Description:

      Once-obscure Spanish name inching back up into the US Top 1000 girl names after a short break. Araceli Segarra is a noted mountain climber.
  4. Abundio
    • Aniso
      • Anoon
        • Blong
          • Boonmee
            • Bouy
              • Caio
                • Origin:

                  Variation of Latin Caius
                • Meaning:

                  "rejoice"
                • Description:

                  Joyful-sounding name that makes a really original option.
              • Cezara
                • Chee
                  • Chetna
                    • Chong
                      • Deqo
                        • Elena
                          • Origin:

                            Spanish, Italian, German, Greek variation of Helen
                          • Meaning:

                            "bright, shining light"
                          • Description:

                            Elena is at its most popular point ever in the US, thanks to its cross-cultural appeal and the overall popularity of El- names. It's more international than Ellen or Eleanor, but still accessible.
                        • Elke
                          • Origin:

                            Dutch, German, and Frisian, diminutive of Adelheid
                          • Meaning:

                            "noble"
                          • Description:

                            Though she has long stood on her own, Elke has many longer cross-cultural connections, to the Dutch/German/Scandinavian Adelheid and Alice and the English Adelaide, as a feminine version of Elkanah and as a Yiddish form of Eleanor.
                        • Fabiana
                          • Origin:

                            Italian and Spanish feminine variation of Fabian
                          • Meaning:

                            "bean grower"
                          • Description:

                            The fashion for elaborate girly-girl names, especially those that end with -ella or -ana, has put this distinctive Latin favorite into play.
                        • Fadumo
                          • Fartun