International Baby Names
Traveling Lite Baby Names
Across 34 pages
of 34
Anya
Russian diminutive of Anna
"grace"
Traditionally used as a Russian diminutive of Anna, Anya now has a life of its own outside its native country. A Top 400 choice in the US and France, and in the Top 300 in England and Wales, it may…
Hugo
Latinized form of Hugh
"mind, intellect"
Hugo, the Latin form of Hugh, has more heft and energy than the original -- and of course we love names that end (or begin, for that matter) with an o. This one is especially appealing because it's…
Laura
English from Latin
"from Laurentum or bay laurel"
Laura is a hauntingly evocative perennial, never trendy, never dated, feminine without being fussy, with long-standing literary links. All this makes Laura a more solid choice than any of its more…
Iker
Basque
"visitation"
Long an extremely popular name in Spain, Iker (usually pronounced EE-kuhr in the English speaking world) is the rare Basque name that's starting to make it big in the States also, thanks to soccer…
Ari
Diminutive of Ariel, Hebrew
"lion of God"
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…
Danna
Latinate feminization of Daniel, Hebrew, or variation of Dana
"God is my judge; from Denmark, gift; wise"
This Dana-Donna variation has started to carve out its own place on popularity lists; an interesting alternative to Daniella as a namesake for a relative named Daniel.
Kian
Irish; Persian
"ancient; king"
A friendly Irish and Persian name chosen by Geena Davis for one of her twin boys, whose father is Iranian. Irish and Iranian has to be one of the most diverse pair of roots of any name. Kian can be a…
Lana
English diminutive of Alana
"rock or handsome"
Popularized in the 1940s by Lana (born Judy) Turner, today Lana is synonymous with American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey. Although it has been rising steadily since the early 2000s, Lana still sits…
Remy
French from Latin
"oarsman"
Remy is one of the hottest names today for both boys and girls, sometimes spelled Remi. . It entered the popularity list in 2009 and has quickly become one of the fastest-rising names on the list.…
Laila
Spelling variation of Layla or Sami variation of Helga, Arabic or Finnish
"night; holy"
Beguiling and lovely, Laila is one of the lilting variations of Leila and Layla. It's the name of the former-boxer daughter of Muhammad Ali and of actor Shawn Wayans. In Finland, the Sami people use…
Joy
English word name
"joy"
Joy is from an older generation of word names, which also included Merry, Bliss, and Glory -- all of which exert a certain amount of personality pressure on a child. However, Joy, like Grace, Hope,…
Lian
Variation of Leon or German short form of Julian, Chinese
"waterfall; lotus"
As a masculine name, Lian has historically been used as a nickname for names such as Julian and Killian, particularly in Europe. It’s also a unisex Chinese name pronounced as a single syllable. Lian…
Pablo
Spanish variation of Paul
"small"
Pablo, the commonly used Spanish version of Paul, has the added bonus of some fantastic artistic bearers: painter Picasso, cellist Casals, and poet Neruda. Pablo has been consistently in the US…
Maia
Greek
"mother"
Maia was derived from the Greek word maia , meaning "mother." In Greek legend, she was the fair-haired daughter of Atlas who mothered Zeus's favorite illegitimate son, Hermes. To the Romans, Maia was…
Malik
Arabic; Greenlandic
"king; owner; wave"
A name with many spelling variations, including Malek, Melik, and Maliq, Malik is a popular name of Arabic and Semetic origin that is used internationally as both a given name and a surname. In terms…
Mya
Variation of Maia, Maya, or Mia, Greek, Scandinavian, Hebrew, Burmese
"mother; larger, greater; bitter, beloved; emerald"
This distinctive spelling was popularized by the R&B singer Mya (Harrison) and entered the US Top 100 in 2009 after the singer appeared on Dancing with the Stars . While it has since declined in the…
Alma
Latin, Hebrew, Kazakh
"nurturing, soul; young woman; apple"
Alma is a solemn, soulful, yet gentle sounding name that became fashionable in England following the Battle of Alma during the 19th century Crimean War. A name with multiple origins, Alma has subtle,…
Bo
Norse nickname
"to live"
A popular name in Denmark, in this country Bo has some cowboy swagger and a lot of substance in its minimal two letters. In Mandarin Chinese, Bo means "wave".
Rome
Place name, Latin, Greek
"to hurry or flow; strength"
Given that Rome is arguably the most important city in European history, it has been used as a first name remarkably little. However, with Roman in the Top 100 and one-syllable choices in vogue, it…
Jake
Hebrew, diminutive of Jacob
"supplanter"
This unpretentious, accessible, and optimistic ("everything's jake" -- meaning OK) short form of the top name Jacob is itself widely used, though more parents these days are opting for the full name…