Names That Mean Foreign
Single page list
The names
Elodie
French, variation of Alodia, German
"foreign riches"
The lyrical and melodious Elodie, a Nameberry favorite, is starting to rise through the US popularity charts for the first time since the 1880s. This once uncommon member of the El- family is a Top…
Baby
English word name, diminutive of Barbara, Latin
"foreign woman"
Baby is rarely seen as a given name — or even nickname — these days, although it did rank in the Top 1000 from 1989 to 2003. These instances can be accounted for in two ways. Firstly, infants whose…
Barbara
Greek
"foreign woman"
Barbara is back and among the fastest-rising names of recent years! Credit goes to 2023's breakout movie Barbie , which gave a new stylish feel to the classic Barbara and set it up to rank alongside…
Gallagher
Irish
"descendant of foreign helper"
Gallagher is, like so many of its genre, friendly, open, and optimistic. Some might associate it with the fraternal members of the band Oasis, Noel and Liam Gallagher.
Xenophon
Greek
"foreign voice"
This name of an ancient Greek historian sounds too long-ago and faraway to consider for a modern child.
Aliena
Latin
"foreign"
This is a name used as a pseudonym by Celia in Shakespeare's As You Like It to conceal her real identity. It was later seen as a character in the Ken Follett novel Pillars of the Earth . Can also be…
Vaila
Scottish
"foreign Isle"
This unique Scottish name for girls is taken from the name of a small, inhabited Shetland island off the coast of Scotland, and fits into the tradition of Scottish parents choosing Scottish place…
Basha
Yiddish, variant of BATYA
"foreign woman"
Basha bears a family resemblance to other newly popular Slavic names Sasha and Mischa, all of them hearty, warm and welcoming.
Barbora
Latin
"foreign woman"
The Czech, Slovak and Lithuanian form of Barbara isn't quite far enough from the English one to make it sound fresh to us. Our favorite international version is Greek Varvara.
Barbary
English, French, Manx
"foreign woman"
In Medieval England, Barbary was a common given name and short form of Barbara. Today it exists as a surname, either derived from Barbara itself, or in French, from the Occitan barbari , meaning…
Elodia
Spanish variation of Alodia, German
"foreign riches"
As Elodie filters into the mainstream, parents may turn to the rarer Spanish form Elodia as an alternative.
Babs
Nickname for Barbara or Babette
"foreign woman"
Babs is an old-fashioned nickname for Barbara, itself an old-fashioned name that was hugely popular in the 20th century but that's not (yet) on its way back in. If you really want a vintage-y…
Varya
Russian
"foreign"
Short form of the Russian Varvara, a feistier version of Barbara.
Alodia
Germanic
"foreign riches"
A melodious ancient saint's name now more commonly heard in its French form, Elodie.
