International Baby Names
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 14 pages
of 14
Welsh form of Molly or Thai
"jasmine flower"
Seems unfamiliar, till you realize everyone will just hear it as Molly. In Wales, Mali is a Top 100 name.
Arabic, African, Kazakh
"large eyes; time; beautiful flower; clear, obvious, revealed; seeing, witnessing"
With diverse roots and meanings, Ayana is a cross-cultural possibility with Arabic, African, and Kazakh origin. Both Ayana and Ayanna enjoyed a spike of popularity in the 1990s, but have faded since…
Sinhalese, Bosnian
"valuable; hard work, labor"
Lilting and pretty, but with plenty of substance, Amila is a name that works easily in different cultures. Similar in sound to international favorites, Amelia and Mila, it feels familiar but with a…
Japanese, Latin
"water lily, lotus, romantic love, move forward; reborn"
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…
Latin, Hebrew, or Japanese
"from Mars; bitter; or, myself"
Maro is an ancient saints' name -- he was an Italian follower of St. Flavia and was martyred -- rarely used in modern life. The name Maro may stem from the Roman Marcellus, related to Mars, the god…
Japanese; Finnish
"born in the autumn; ancestor"
A name known in several cultures, also through animated book character Tiger Aki. Finnish author Aki Ollikainen is another notable bearer.
Japanese, Norse
"doctrine or seaweed; north or small person"
Attractive, simple Japanese choice that, while not strictly unisex, could work even better for a girl, especially now that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West use it as the nickname for their daughter…
African place-name or Japanese
"the god of the waters"
Pleasing crossover possibility.
Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese
"river or place of the cherry blossoms"
Rio is one of Japan's most popular girls' names, constantly sitting in that country's Top 10. Of course, Rio may also stem from the Portuguese and Spanish word for river, and the Brazilian city Rio…
Japanese or English
"loved one; lily"
As a Japanese name, Suki has the sweet meaning "loved one". It's also an English diminutive of Susanna, making it a creative and modern way to honor a Susan in your life.
Hebrew, Scandinavian, Japanese
"beautiful, pleasant, delightful"
This adorable cross cultural name updates Naomi and offers an accessible Japanese option. The Scandis were the first to contract Naomi to Nomi, once again being ahead of the trend. Nomi strikes the…
Greek; Japanese
"mythological name; wild boar"
Ino was one of the Queens of Thebes who, after her death, became an immortal. Ino raised her nephew, Dionysus (son of Semele and Zeus), provoking the wrath of Hera. In desperation Ino threw herself…
Hebrew, Japanese, or Scandinavian
"healer; morning; of the gods"
A male Biblical name meaning healer, Asa is also an international gem. In Japanese, it means "(born in the) morning". And in Scandinavia, where it's generally spelled Åsa or Ása and pronounced O-sa,…
Japanese, Native American
"stork; night"
A funkier version of Coco that may be more appealing if you have Japanese or Native American heritage. Koko comes from the Blackfoot tribe, native to what is now Montana and Alberta, Canada.
Japanese; Persian
"thistle flower; greatest"
Azami has a prickly image and feel — reinforced by the thistle's image in Eastern mythology as one of defiance. A name that spans two widely divergent cultures, Azami might make the perfect…
Japanese or Chinese
"tenderness, gentleness; gold"
Similarity to the English name Jean could be a plus in a Japanese-American or Chinese-American family.
Persian or Japanese
"honorable or sword"
Katana is a male name in Old Persian and a well-used word in Japanese, but as a girls' name is these days found more often as Kitana, the name of a princess in the video game Mortal Kombat II.
Korean; Hindi; Turkish; Arabic; Ewe
"this world's beauty or grace; army; to praise; bringing heaven to earth"
Sena is one of those names that is as obscure in the Western World as it is simple and straightforward. Sena exists as a name in a range of languages and cultures and may be pronounced like Senna…
Diminutive of Louise or Lucy, or Arabic
"pearl"
Lula has a firecracker personality, a singing and dancing extrovert. Interesting that Lulu was a Top 100 name when the Social Security list was born in 1880, but it's been sliding ever since and has…
Latvian, Hungarian, German
"to grow"
Adapted from the German Senta, itself a short form of Crescentia or Kreszentia, Zenta is a zippy sounding Latvian and Hungarian name which was popular in the early 20th century.
