By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 16 pages
of 16
Izabela is a beautiful Slavic and Polish variation of Isabella, ultimately derived from the Hebrew name Elisheba meaning 'God is my oath'. This spelling is particularly common in Poland, Czech…
Russian, Slavic, and Scandinavian form of Sophia, Greek
"wisdom"
Popular throughout Northern and Eastern Europe, particularly in countries like Sweden, Norway, Russia, and Germany, Sonja has a rich cultural heritage. The name gained international recognition…
Scandinavian; Finnish; Slovene; Croatian; Serbian, from Russian
"grace"
Anja is one of the most international of several versions of Ann/Anna now being imported, also including Anya and Annika. Anja is heard in several European cultures, including Germany, the…
Greek
"gift of God"
This feminine form of Theodosius has long been buried deep in the attic, but might be a good discovery for the parent who wants to move beyond Theodora. Vice President Aaron Burr named a daughter…
Variation of Agnessa, Russian from Greek
"pure, viriginal"
In the US, Anessa reads as Vanessa with the V lobbed off. But it's actually missing a G — that from Agnessa, the Russian variation of Agnes.
Italian variation of Sabina
Saint Savina of Milan gave comfort to prisoners. Her name is a variation of the Latin Sabina, which refers to the Sabine people. Not completely unknown in the US, there were 25 baby girls named…
Arabic, Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Macedonian
"dew at sunrise; hope"
Concise Nada is a cross-cultural choice with pleasant meanings. In Arabic, it is derived from nadan meaning "dew, moisture", though other possible translations include "caller" and "goodness". As a…
Rahil is a feminine name with multiple cultural origins, found in Arabic, Hebrew, and Indian traditions. In Arabic, it means 'traveler' or 'one who embarks on a journey,' while in Hebrew it's related…
Russian, Sanskrit
"victor; house"
Sharp and spiky with international potential, as a feminine name, Nikita has its roots in Hindi, Marathi, and ultimately Sanskrit. It comes from niketa , meaning "home, habitation", and may also be…
Russian, Arabic; "hope; moist with dew"
"hope; moist with dew"
A timeless cultural crossover name, Nadiya can either be a variant spelling of Nadia, a diminutive of the Russian name Nadezhda, meaning "hope"; or derived from the Arabic word Nada, meaning "morning…
Russian; Yiddish; Arabic
"easygoing; rose; leader"
Known in America via the wife of Soviet head Mikhail Gorbachev; a possibility for parents of Eastern-European descent wanting to move beyond Natasha and Nadia or for parents from the Middle East…
Russian, Serbian, Croatian, Estonian
"light"
A pretty international form of Helena used in many Slavic languages, also sometimes spelled Yelena.
Russian, diminutive of Mikhail
This was a 100 percent boys' name till the willowy Mischa Barton of TV's "The OC" made it unisex, a la Sascha.
Russian and Armenian variation of Eve, Hebrew
"life"
A Top 10 name in Moscow. In Russian, the emphasis is put on the first syllable.
Czech; Latvian; Polish; Bulgarian; Lithuanian, from Greek
"peace"
This form of Irene feels fresher and gives the classic name a chic, international flair. It's most commonly used in Eastern Europe.
Russian form of Zenobia, Greek
"force of Zeus"
Zenovia makes Zenobia even more unusual. This mythology-adjacent name is worth a look.
Czech
"white"
Since this is strictly a male name in Slavic cultures, better to stick with the "Bella" spelling here.
Russian; Bulgarian; Ukrainian
"lily"
Pronounced like Lillia, Liliya is the cognate of Lily in various Slavic languages.
Slavic and Russian
"hope"
Nadya and Nadia are Eastern European short forms -- for the more difficult Nadezhda -- now fully accepted on their own.
Ukrainian, Hawaiian
"torch, shining light; turmeric, yellow, ginger"
This chic Ukrainian form of Helen is relatively unknown outside of its native country, but it definitely has international appeal. Olia or Olenka are the usual Ukrainian diminutives, but tomboyish…
