Multicultural Names
Updated Fri Jan 16 2026
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Multicultural baby names are names that have roots in more than one language or culture. There are thousands of multicultural names; what's here are some of our favorites.
Multicultural names often appeal to parents looking to blend diverse origins. If one of you is Irish and the other Jewish, if one parent comes from a Spanish-speaking country and the other has an Indian background, a multicultural baby name can be a perfect way to represent your child's blended heritage.
Multicultural names might be popular and familiar. The Top 10 girls' name Ava is a multicultural name, for instance, with roots in Hebrew, Latin, and German languages. The super hot boys' name Kai derives from Hawaiian, Frisian, and Chinese cultures.
And then there are the many multicultural baby names that are rare in the English-speaking world, yet are easy to spell and pronounce. Examples include Eos, with is both Greek and Welsh; Alda, both German and Old Norse; and Bara, which is Hebrew and Japanese.
There's a whole group of names we call Traveling Lite, which merge a range of backgrounds in ways that transcend any individual language or ethnic identity. Examples include Ayla, Naja, and Asa.
The multicultural names for boys and girls here are ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.
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- Ava
Origin:
Hebrew, Latin or GermanicMeaning:
"life; bird; water, island"Description:
Ava is one of the prime examples of a modern classic name, rising thought the course of a generation into the Top 10, where it has lingered for nearly 20 years.
- Riley
Origin:
English, IrishMeaning:
"rye clearing; courageous"Description:
Riley—an upbeat, friendly surname name—is red hot for girls and still going strong for boys. If you haven't been spending much time around babies recently, you may be surprised to learn that Riley is the most popular girls' name starting with R and also the Number 1 Irish name for girls in the US.
- Oscar
Origin:
English or IrishMeaning:
"God spear, or deer-lover or champion warrior"Description:
Oscar is one of the most stylish Old Man Names of our era. While it's softened slightly in popularity over the past 20 years, that may be considered a very good thing.
- Mira
Origin:
Latin, Slavic, Arabic, Sanskrit, JapaneseMeaning:
"admirable; peace; female ruler; ocean; mirror"Description:
A truly international choice, the sweet and simple Mira has its origins in Sanskrit, Latin, Slavic, and Arabic, just to name a view. With its arty aura and succinct look, it makes a versatile option, much like the similar Nina and Mina.
- Ada
Origin:
German or TurkishMeaning:
"noble, nobility, or island"Description:
Ada is one of the classic baby names for girls that is suddenly super stylish again. A favorite at the end of the nineteenth century, Ada is an alternative to the over-popular Ava. Ada is also part of the trend toward simple, old-fashioned names beginning with a vowel, like Ivy and Ella.
- Delilah
Origin:
Hebrew or ArabicMeaning:
"delicate"Description:
Melodic and lively, Delilah has cut itself (mostly) free from its treacherous past to become a contemporary favorite.
- Kai
Origin:
Hawaiian, Frisian, ChineseMeaning:
"sea; warrior; triumph"Description:
Kai is an internationally flexible name with many possible origins and meanings, growing in popularity in the US and a diverse range of European countries.
- Lila
Origin:
Arabic, SanskritMeaning:
"night; play"Description:
Lila is one of the girl names with a double l sound — Lila, Lola, Layla, Leila, Lily et al — that have caught on in a major way., Delicate yet dynamic, Lila has a slightly international flair.
- Simon
Origin:
Hebrew, GreekMeaning:
"he has heard; flat-nosed"Description:
Simon is pure and simple (not in the nursery rhyme sense), and an appealingly genuine Old and New Testament name that's not overused. These factors make Simon a stylish yet classic choice.
- Ella
Origin:
German; EnglishMeaning:
"all, completely; fairy maiden"Description:
Ella is a sweet, simple name that owes much of its current popularity to the popularity of other names, from Emma to Bella to Emily to Ellie.
- Ayla
Origin:
Hebrew or TurkishMeaning:
"oak tree; halo, moonlight"Description:
Bright, fresh, and sunny, Ayla is a fashionable and exciting international choice for girls. Reminiscent of other trending names such as Layla, Isla, and Ava, Ayla has recently found its place in the Top 100.
- Tallulah
Origin:
Choctaw, IrishMeaning:
"leaping water, lady of abundance"Description:
This hauntingly euphonious Choctaw name has re-entered the public domain, as memories of the outrageous actress Tallulah Bankhead have faded. For years, Tallulah was a name associated only with Bankhead, named for her paternal grandmother who was named after the Georgia town of Tallulah Falls.
- Ari
Origin:
Diminutive of Ariel, HebrewMeaning:
"lion of God"Description:
Ari, the short form of Ariel (or any other Ari- beginning name, such as Aristotle) stands up better as a boys’ name than its progenitor does. It is also short for Aristotle, as in Onassis, and is a prominent character on TV's Entourage -- the uberagent Ari Gold.
- Maya
Origin:
Sanskrit, English, Hebrew, EstonianMeaning:
"illusion, magic; mother; water; beloved, bitter, drop of the sea"Description:
Maya, which has an almost mystical image, has been steadily climbing in popularity in the US and the English-speaking world, along with a range of other countries, including France, Germany, Israel, and Brazil. It's ranked in the US Top 100 since the turn of this century, but has never risen to the top of the list, which you may consider a good thing.
- Kaia
Origin:
Latin, Scandinavian, or HawaiianMeaning:
"to rejoice or sea"Description:
The new Maia, the next Kayla, Kaia has been on the charts since the year 2000. You might see it as a female form of the also-rising Kai, which means sea in Hawaiian and is sometimes used for girls as well, or as a Kardashianization of the ancient goddess name Caia.
- Asa
Origin:
Hebrew; JapaneseMeaning:
"healer; born in the morning"Description:
A short but strong biblical name with multicultural appeal, Asa is enjoying new visibility thanks to hot young actor Asa Butterfield of Hugo fame.
- Kian
Origin:
Irish; PersianMeaning:
"ancient; king"Description:
A friendly Irish and Persian name chosen by Geena Davis for one of her twin boys, whose father is Iranian.
- Kian
Origin:
Irish; PersianMeaning:
"ancient; king"Description:
A friendly Irish and Persian name chosen by Geena Davis for one of her twin boys, whose father is Iranian.
- Talia
Origin:
Hebrew; Australian AboriginalMeaning:
"gentle dew from heaven; by the water"Description:
Talia is derived from the Hebrew elements tal, meaning "dew," and yah, in reference to God. In the mythology of one ancient sect, Talia was one of ten angels who attended the sun on its daily course. The occasionally homophonous name Thalia has unrelated Greek origins.
- Ren
Origin:
Japanese, LatinMeaning:
"water lily, lotus, romantic love, move forward; reborn"Description:
A very popular unisex name in Japan, Ren is a concise and versatile choice that could work across multiple languages. A rising star in England and Wales where it ranks in the Top 1000, it is also on the rise in the US where it was give to nearly 90 girls and 200 boys in a recent year.
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