100 Gorgeous Girl Names in Translation

By Linda Rosenkrantz

Why would you choose a girls’ name name from another culture? There are several good reasons. First of all, there is the sheer beauty of so many of them. Then there is the honor factor. Say you have a beloved grandmother named Barbara you want to pay tribute to, but you can’t quite see yourself as a parent of a baby Barbara. Then how about the more vibrant Russian version, Varvara?

Or maybe there’s a name you love but find too common or popular or plain? There are countless lovely foreign variations of Elizabeth and Margaret and Katherine that are still substantive but more distinctive.

So here’s a start on the almost endless possibilities for romancing a name.

Ailis—Alice in Irish—AY-leesh

Alejandra—Alexandra in Spanish—al-le-KHAHN-dra

Alessandra—Alexandra in Italian

Aliz—Alice in Hungarian—ah-LEEZ

Amelie—French for Amelia

Anais—Provincial French/Catalan form of Anna—a-na-EES

Anakela—Hawaiian for Angela

Aniela–Polish form of Angela

Anika—A Czech, German, Dutch and Danish form of Ann—AH-nee-ka

Anouk—Dutch and French diminutive of Anna

Aziliz—Breton form of Cecilia—ah-ZEE-leez

Barabal—a Scottish form of Barbara

Barbo—Swedish for Barbara

Beatriz—Spanish for Beatrice

Bertille—French for Berta

Bethan—Welsh diminutive of Elizabeth

Bianca—Italian for Blanche

Britt—a Swedish form of Bridget

Catalina—Spanish form of Catherine

Catriona—Gaelic form of Catherine—ka-TREE-na

Charlotta—Swedish variant of Charlotte

Chiara—Claire in Italian

Cinzia—Italian for Cynthia—CHIN-zee-a

Devorah– Hebrew form of Deborah

Eabha—Irish form of Eva—Ay-va

Eilis –Irish Gaelic form of Elizabeth and/or Alice—AY-leesh

Eleni—Greek for Helen

Edwige—French for Hedwig

Elisabetta—Italian for Elizabeth

Elisheva—Hebrew for Elizabeth

Elspeth—Scottish form of Elizabeth

Enrica—Italian for Henrietta

Esperanza—Spanish for Hope

Fe—Spanish form of Faith —Fay

Fiorenza, Fiorella—Italian for Florence

**Floris –**Dutch form of Florence

Francesca—Italian for Frances

Giada—Jade in Italian—JAH-da

Gioia—Italian for Joy

Ginevra—Italian form of Guinevere/Genevieve, also the city of Geneva

Gladez—Welsh variation of Gladys

Grazia, Graziella—Italian for Grace

Ilaria—Spanish for Hillary

Ileana—Hungarian for Helen

Ines, Inez, Ynez—Spanish, Portuguese for Agnes

Irina—Russian for Irene

Isabeau—Isabel in French

Ishbel—Scottish variation of Isobel

Jacinda—Greek for Hyacinth

Jelica—Serbian diminutive of Helen

Jovana—Serbian form of Jean

Kalea—Hawaiian form of Claire

Kalola—Hawaiian form of Carol

Kelyn—Cornish for Holly

Kiana—Hawaiian for Diana

Kikilia—Cecilia in Hawaiian

Klementina—Russian form of Clementine

Leni—German diminutive of Helene or Magdalena

Lilia—Spanish and Hawaiian for Lily

Lilias—Scottish version of Lillian

Llora—Catalan form of Laura

Lujza–Hungarian for Louisa—loo-EE-zha

Lydie—French for Lydia

Magdalena—Madeline in Polish, German, Dutch, Swedish and more

Mai—Scandinavian pet form of Maria—MI

Maire—Irish form of Mary

Malia—Hawaiian form of Mary

Manon—French pet form of Marie

Mared—Welsh form of Margaret

Margit—Hungarian and Scandinavian form of Margaret

Mariska—Czech form of Mary

Marja—Dutch and Finnish form of Maria—MAHR-ya

Marya—Russian variant of Maria; Cornish for Mary

Moira—Scottish form of Mary

Morna—Scottish version of Myrna

Nanou—Dutch and French derivative of Anne

Noemi– Italian, Spanish, German and Czech form of Naomi

Ona—Lithuanian for Hannah

Onora—Irish Gaelic for Honor

Ottavia—Italian for Octavia

Paola, Italian for Paula

Patrizia, Italian for Patricia

Phyllida, old English form of Phyllis

Raina–Polish and Czech form of Regina

Roisin—Irish form of Rose—ro-SHEEN

Roza—Polish and Russian form of Rose

Sandrine—French for Sandra

Sanna—Scandinavian short form of Susannah, used independently

Shoshana—Hebrew form of Susanna, also means lily and rose

Sian—Welsh form of Jean, Jean—SHAN

Sinead—Irish form of Jane—shin-AID

Siobhan–another Irish form of Jane shi-VAWN

Tamsin—British contracted form of Thomasina

Varvara—Russian for Barbara

Verona—Czech form of Veronica, in addition to being the Italian city name

Veronique –French form of Veronica

Vika—Polynesian form of Victoria

Zabel—Armenian form of Isabel

Zofia—Czech, Polish and Ukranian forms of Sofia

Zuzana, Zuzanna—Polish, Czech for Susannah