International Baby Names · Classic Baby Names
International Forms of Classic Names
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Ruta
Polish, Latvian, Lithuanian
"compassionate friend; rue"
The Polish form of Ruth has mostly been lost outside of Poland, but though rare, it can still be heard in Polish and Eastern European communities. Ruta has only ever appeared on Illinois' state data,…
Sakari
Variation of Sakarias, Finnish
"the Lord has remembered"
The Finnish equivalent to Zachary.
Sarita
Italian and Spanish diminutive of Sara, Hebrew
"princess"
Sarita is a delicately pretty name all but unknown in the US, where it can make an original honor name for an ancestral Sara....or Rita. Rita is a midcentury favorite tiptoeing back into style among…
Seamus
Irish variation of James
"supplanter"
Parents who have tired of Sean are now contemplating Seamus, the Irish form of James, which has a lot more substance and verve. One of the name's most famous bearers is the 1995 Nobel Prize-winning…
Seren
Welsh, Turkish
"star or sail mast"
Seren is a top girls' name in Wales – and a lovely choice almost unknown elsewhere. Seren, in the Sirona form, was an ancient goddess of the hot springs. Seren only recently fell out of the girls'…
Sidonia
Latin
"of Sidon"
Sidonia is a feminine form of the Ancient Roman habitational name Sidonius. Sidonie is the French form, which sounds similar to the recently trendy Sydney but comes from a different root. An original…
Sidonie
Latin
"from Sidon "
Sidonie is an appealing and chic French favorite that is starting to attract some American fans as a fresher alternative to Sydney. Also spelled Sidony, Sidonie was the birth name of the French…
Sinead
Irish form of Janet
"God is gracious"
One of the best known of the Irish girls' names , thanks to singer Sinead O'Connor. Though it's still in the Irish Top 100, it's no longer quite as fashionable in Ireland as Aoife or Aisling. But by…
Siobhan
Irish Gaelic
"god is gracious"
Siobhan is the Irish variation of Joan, which is derived from the ancient Anglo-Norman name Jehanne. In this way Siobhan is indirectly related to the name Sinead—the Irish form of Jeannette, which…
Sonja
Russian, Slavic, and Scandinavian form of Sophia, Greek
"wisdom"
Popular throughout Northern and Eastern Europe, particularly in countries like Sweden, Norway, Russia, and Germany, Sonja has a rich cultural heritage. The name gained international recognition…
Stefano
Italian variation of Stephen
"garland, crown"
As commonly heard in Rome, Italy, as Steve is in Rome, New York. With the accent on the first syllable, Stefano has a lot of charm.
Stephan
Variant of Stephen
If you wanted to try to get people to pronounce your son's first name the way Stephen Curry does, this might be a way to do it.
Suri
Yiddish, Hebrew, Persian, Sanskrit
Suri, a once obscure name, hit the headlines when it was chosen by Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise for their daughter in 2006. A truly multi-cultural choice, Suri is a unique name with a variety of…
Teodora
Italian, Spanish, Swedish, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Slovene and Serbian form of Theodora
"gift of God"
Teodora is an extremely attractive and international choice, with several equally attractive, user-friendly nicknames. Appealing short forms might include Tea, Dora, or Dory for English speakers,…
Timo
Norwegian, Finnish, German, and Dutch variation of Timothy
"honoring God"
Popular in its own right in Germany and definitely makes a more intriguing and grownup short form of the classic Timothy than Timmy or even Tim.
Tomasso
Italian variation of Thomas
"twin"
Nearly every name takes on a more sensual, worldly quality in its Italian version.
Tomaž
Slovene, from Aramaic
"twin"
The zippy Slovene take on the classic Thomas, pronounced with emphasis on the second syllable.
Vanja
Croatian, Serbian variation of Vanya, Russian
"God is gracious"
Goodbye Uncle Vanya and hello...It Girl baby name? It's true — style icon Chloë Sevigny chose the name Vanja for her son, born in 2020. The name honors Vanja's paternal heritage — Chloë's partner is…
Vinko
Croatian, Slovene, from Latin
"conquering"
This sparky form of Vincent is used in Croatia and Slovenia, and it switches the stately feel of the original for something more playful with its fun -o ending sound.
Vittoria
Italian variation of Victoria, Latin
"victory"
An appealing Italianate alternative to the classic queenly Victoria, though in Anglophone countries it will be forever misunderstood as Victoria. Could be an appealing long form for a girl called not…