International Baby Names
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 21 pages
of 21
Welsh
"son of David"
This is a both fresher and cooler spin on David.
Johnston originated as an English and Scottish surname meaning 'son of John,' making it part of the patronymic naming tradition. As a given name, it represents the ongoing trend of using family…
Scottish, Irish
"marsh, thicket; fort; dark, black"
Keir is a single-syllable name that packs a punch, but also has a endearing quality about it thanks to its similarity to the word care . Sometimes used as a short form of the more popular Kieran, it…
Lyall is a masculine name of Scottish origin derived from the Old Norse 'Liulfr,' combining elements meaning 'wolf' and 'ancestor' or 'heritage.' This strong, compact name carries connotations of…
Scottish
"son of grace"
MacRae -- or McRay or McCrae -- is a Scottish surname-name whose meaning is most often given as son of grace or sometimes son of luck. The hero of Lonesome Dove's last name was McCrae. A good honor…
English
"Ralph's settlement"
Down-to-earth surname name with a drawl, also associated with cereal and dog food.
"low-lying land"
A surname occasionally used as a first, as in former attorney general Ramsey Clark. This spelling is now closely associated with the psychopathic Game of Thrones villain Ramsay Snow (later Ramsay…
English variation of Mckayla, Gaelic
"who is like God; son of Aodh"
McKay is the Anglicized form of Mac Aodha, meaning "son of Aodh" in Gaelic. Aodh is the origin of names such as Aidan and Hugh, making McKay a subtle way to honor people with those names.…
English word name
Actor Wood Harris, best known for his role as Avon Barksdale in The Wire , brought this one into the lexicon. Wood is Harris's nickname -- his real name is Sherwin David -- but it's the name he's…
English and Scottish surname
"strong arms"
Last name occasionally used as a first, can be seen as a Lance Armstrong athlete-hero name.
Gaelic
"rock"
The name of a type of nautical knot and the surname of an English soccer star feels very at home in a world of Kendricks and Merricks.
Findlay is a masculine name of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic 'Fionnlagh,' combining elements meaning 'fair' or 'white' and 'warrior' or 'hero.' Historically used as both a surname and…
Surname name
"woodsman"
A slight elaboration on Forrest, with the same woodsy charm.
Variation of Greer, Scottish
"alert, watchful"
A Scottish surname, taken from Gregor and Gregory, this spelling is less popular as a given name than its more familiar counterpart, Greer. Given to 8 boys (and 18 girls) in the US in a recent year,…
"windy place"
Guthrie, one of the most attractive Scottish names that's also a surname, has a particularly romantic, windswept aura, with a touch of the buckaroo thrown in. Guthrie's folkie quality is tied to the…
Irish and Scottish
"fair-haired hero"
Finlay is a Scottish royal name (it belonged to Macbeth"s father) that was revived by several celebrity parents who did a gender switch when they used it for their daughters. Angie Harmon and Jason…
"from Laurentum"
This artistic surname name derives from a diminutive of Laurence/Lawrence, and was famously borne by the English painter LS Lowry. Country singer Sam Hunt and his wife Hannah have a son named Lowry…
"son of Arthur"
The Mc and Mac surnames are asserting themselves as first names and this is among the most usable. MacArthur or McArthur makes a perfect honorific for an ancestral Arthur and leads directly to the…
Macauley is a masculine name of Scottish and Irish Gaelic origin, derived from the Gaelic surname Mac Amhalghaidh, meaning "son of Amhalghaidh" (an ancient personal name). Historically used as a…
Maclain is a masculine name of Scottish Gaelic origin, functioning as an Anglicized spelling variant of 'MacIain' or 'MacIan,' which literally means 'son of John.' As a surname-turned-first-name, it…
