International Baby Boy Names (with Meanings & Popularity)
Updated Thu Aug 22 2024
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International baby boy names from Italy and Ireland, Scandinavia to the Middle East and beyond include a wide variety of exciting choices. Some of these international names for boys, such as Cruz and Orion, are already cool in the US and abroad, but many have yet to be discovered by American parents.
Along with Orion and Cruz, other international baby boy names that are popular in the US include Aarav, Gunnar, Joaquin, Luciano, Mateo, Roman, Santiago, and Soren.
Aurelio, Laszlo, Elio, and Wolf are among the more unique names that we expect to be hearing on more American babies in the coming years.
You may want to choose an international boys' name that reflects your family's ethnic heritage or represents a culture you love. Or you may simply be looking for unique boy names and want to consider international names as a source.
Here are a selection of cool boy names from around the world, ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.
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- Mateo
Origin:
SpanishMeaning:
"gift of God"Description:
Mateo is a Latinate name that like Mia and Luca, is becoming popular far beyond its native Spanish community. With its fresh feel and charm, it made a surprise entrance to the boys' Top 10 in 2023.
- Soren
Origin:
Danish, NorwegianMeaning:
"stern"Description:
This gentle Scandinavian name, soft and sensitive, is being discovered in a major way by parents in the US. It's most closely identified with the nineteenth century philosopher Soren Kierkegaard, but there have been modern fictional Sorens as well, in The Matrix Reloaded and the book series Guardians of Ga'Hoole, Charlie and Lola, and Underworld.
- Cosmo
Origin:
Italian, English, GreekMeaning:
"order, beauty, universe"Description:
With a touch of celestial power, a hint of clunky charm, and the totally cool -o ending, Cosmo may well be finally shaking itself free of both the Seinfeld association (which made it a punchline of a joke) and the cartoon fairy association from The Fairly OddParents. In fact, it is in the Top 1000 in the UK and a favorite on Nameberry.
- 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.
- Elio
Origin:
Italian, SpanishMeaning:
"sun"Description:
Elio is a sunny and spirited Italian and Spanish name that makes a great crossover prospect, which could catch on as Enzo has. Elio is also currently popular in France, ranking in the Top 250.
- Roman
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"citizen of Rome"Description:
Roman is an ancient name trending in a major way. A surprise hit name of recent years, Roman now ranks in the Top 100 not only in the US but throughout the English-speaking world, and is rising in other European countries as well.
- Bodhi
Origin:
SanskritMeaning:
"awakening, enlightenment"Description:
Bodhi is a Sanskrit name translated as "enlightenment" or "awakening" which relates to a Buddhist concept, wherein Bodhi is synonymous with the state of nirvana, being freed from hate, greed and ego. The Bodhi tree is a large fig tree under which the founder of Buddhism received enlightenment. Spelling variations include Bodie and Bode.
- Orion
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"boundary, limit"Description:
Orion is a rising star, with both mythical and celestial overtones.
- Koa
Origin:
HawaiianMeaning:
"warrior; flowing tree native to Hawaii"Description:
The international popularity of Noah has led to some parents searching for alternatives and the rhyming Koa is now attracting more attention than ever. With its cool K initial and summery, nature-inspired feel, this punchy three letter name has risen more than 600 places since it entered the US charts in 2017.
- 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.
- Cillian
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"war strife or church"Description:
Cillian is one of the native Irish names that, along with Aiden and Declan, is becoming an unlikely favorite in contemporary America. The Killian spelling has been more popular in the US, but Cillian's star is rising, perhaps thanks to Irish actor Cillian Murphy, star of Oppenheimer and Peaky Blinders.
- Angus
Origin:
Anglicized form of Aonghus, Aonghas, GaelicMeaning:
"one strength"Description:
Angus is a traditional yet stylish choice in the UK, especially in Scotland. And it's a cool choice for US parents too, particularly those whose roots go back to Glasgow. The ancient Celtic form Oenghus has important historical overtones in Scotland, and the Gaelic form Aonghas is associated with two distinguished modern poets. In Irish folklore, Angus Og is a chieftain-lord who used his magical powers for the pleasure and prosperity of mankind--and in Irish myth, Aonghus was the god of love and youth.
- Lucien
Origin:
French form of LucianMeaning:
"light"Description:
Sophisticated Gallic version of Lucian, Lucien may appeal to parents attracted to this meaning over that of Lucas and Luke, which have a different root, and also looking for a more unusual choice.
- Bruno
Origin:
GermanicMeaning:
"brown"Description:
Tough-yet-cuddly Bruno is an international name even in its origins: it derives from the Germanic word for "brown" plus a Latin ending, and was borrowed as a color word in many European languages.
- Leif
Origin:
Swedish; Danish; NorwegianMeaning:
"heir, descendant"Description:
Leif is one of the most recognizable Scandinavian names, thanks to Icelandic explorer Leif Erikson, and is still one of the best, with a pleasant aural association with the word leaf.
- Ivo
Origin:
Germanic, SlavicMeaning:
"yew wood, archer; God is gracious"Description:
Succinct, stylish, and catchy, Ivo has the energetic impact of other names ending in -o. It is a multicultural choice with two distinct origins, and, as such, is familiar across a variety of countries, ranging from the Netherlands to Brazil, from Portugal to Czechia.
- Dimitri
Origin:
Russian from Greek DemetriusMeaning:
"follower of Demeter"Description:
Dimitri is a Slavic variation of the Russian Dmitriy, a name that comes from the Greek Demetrius. Demetrius was derived from Demeter, the name of the Greek goddess of fertility and farming. Among the possible spelling variations are Dmitri, Dmitrii, Dmitriy, and Dmitry.
- Koda
Origin:
Japanese, SiouxMeaning:
"friend"Description:
A word in the Yankton-Yanktonai and Santee dialects of the Lakota Sioux language, meaning "friend" or "ally", used for one of the main characters in the movie Brother Bear. Also a common Japanese surname or a respelling of the musical name Coda.
- Lorenzo
Origin:
Italian; Spanish, variation of LaurenceMeaning:
"from Laurentium"Description:
Latinizing Lawrence gives it a whole new lease on life. Like Leonardo, Lorenzo has been integrated into the American stockpot of names, partly via actor Lorenzo Lamas. Other associations are with Lorenzo de' Medici, the Florentine Renaissance merchant prince and art patron, Renaissance artists Ghiberti and Lotto, and the upstanding young man who married Shylock's daughter Jessica in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice.
- Florian
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"flowering"Description:
If Flora and Florence have returned full force, Florian, with its trendy Latinate ending, could also have a chance. Popular in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, and France, St Florian was the venerated patron saint of those in danger from water and the patron saint of firefighters.