Hungarian Names

Emilia

• Origin:

  Feminine variation of Emil, Latin

• Meaning:

  "rival"

• Description:

  Emilia is the feminine form of the Roman clan name Aemilius, which derived from the Latin aemulus, meaning "rival." In Shakespeare’s Othello, Emilia is the wife of Iago and confidante of Desdemona. Amelia, although homonymous, has a different root and meaning.

Mika

• Origin:

  Japanese

• Meaning:

  "beautiful fragrance"

• Description:

  Mika is a Japanese girls' name that translates easily to English. As a male name, it's a short form of Mikael, the Scandinavian and Finnish form of Michael. Both are spelled and pronounced the same.

Laszlo

• Origin:

  Hungarian

• Meaning:

  "glorious ruler"

• Description:

  The Hungarian classic Laszlo, with its zippy 'z' middle and energetic 'o' ending, has become something of a hipster option, beginning to be considered by cutting-edge parents.

Ember

Henrik

• Origin:

  Danish and Hungarian variation of Henry

• Description:

  The long history and solid usage of Henry has infiltrated other cultures, where a number of variations experience the same degree of popularity. In the US, Henrik first entered the Top 1000 in 2014. In Norway, Henrik is a mega popular choice.

Adrien

• Origin:

  Spelling variation of Adrian

• Description:

  This spelling variation of the much more popular Adrian entered reentered the Social Security list after an over 100 year absence in 1999. The -en ending makes it sound like the feminine Adrienne. We suggest sticking with the all A Adrian for your little boy.

Bodi

• Origin:

  Hungarian

• Meaning:

  "God protect the king"

• Description:

  An affectionate-seeming name from a Slavic culture.

Attila

• Origin:

  Hungarian

• Meaning:

  "little father"

• Description:

  Stun-gunned by the fifth-century Hun, though still well-used in contemporary Hungary and Turkey. Some sources also suggest Turkish origins for the name.

Zoltan

• Origin:

  Hungarian

• Meaning:

  "sultan"

• Description:

  Though a common name in Hungary, the relatively rare Z sound is striking to English speakers. Penn Gillette used the Zolten spelling for his son; it was also the name of Dracula's dog, and was also a robotic character in Dude, Where's My Car?. But its main recommending feature is that it's one of the

Kinga

• Origin:

  Hungarian, Polish

• Meaning:

  "brave"

• Description:

  Thought the name Kinga has penetrated the international consciousness via the Slovakian model Kinga Rajzak, it's a rare choice for American baby girls: Only five were named Kinga in 2013. Is that because Kinga sounds like pseudo-royalty, ala Princessa? Though with names such as Reign and Royal rising through the ranks, the time-honored Kinga may see more widespread usage.

Imre

• Origin:

  Hungarian, from German

• Meaning:

  "strength"

• Description:

  Commonly heard in its native country, and might get a boost here too, now that Alanis Morrissette has used it for her son Ever's middle name.

Edina

• Origin:

  English

• Meaning:

  "wealthy"

• Description:

  Edina is an infectious-sounding Minnesota place-name, featured in the British cult hit TV show "Absolutely Fabulous." Edina is also a poetic name for Edinburgh and is a common name in contemporary Hungary. Though some sources list its origins as Hungarian, more peg it as a variation of Edwina, the feminine form of Edwin, an English name.

Kamila

• Origin:

  Latin, Arabic

• Meaning:

  "young ceremonial attendant; perfect"

• Description:

  Variant spelling of Camila, common in Eastern Europe. Kamila and Kamilah are also feminine forms of the Arabic name Kamil, meaning "perfect".

Gaspar

• Origin:

  Spanish variation of Casper

• Description:

  The name of one of the Three Wise Men from the East is heard in several European countries, but rarely here.

Shari

• Origin:

  Anglicized variation of Hungarian Sari, variation of Sarah

• Meaning:

  "princess"

• Description:

  This once-cool nickname-y name now belongs to the grandma generation.

Malika

• Origin:

  Arabic

• Meaning:

  "master"

• Description:

  Malika is an attractive multi-cultural name--it is also a pet form of Amalia in Hungary.

Andor

• Origin:

  Norse

• Meaning:

  "manly"

• Description:

  Unusual but accessible multi-cultural choice. In Greek culture, one of many variations of Andreas, including Androu and Ander.

Bence

• Origin:

  Hungarian variation of Vincent, Latin

• Meaning:

  "conquering"

• Description:

  Bence has been the most popular boy name in Hungary for over a decade — it’s held the top spot since 2003, the year Hungary began releasing its baby name data. Bence is the Hungarian translation of Vincent and is also occasionally used as a nickname for Benedek.

Sami

• Origin:

  Diminutive of Samuel, and Arabic

• Meaning:

  "exalted"

• Description:

  Soundalike cousin of Sammy, cute but slight on its own.

Ilona

• Origin:

  Hungarian variation of Helen

• Description:

  Ilona has never been used much in the U.S. and is not a likely candidate for success.