International Baby Names
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 11 pages
of 11
Word name
North's image and gender status was irrevocably changed when Kim Kardashian and Kanye West announced it as the name of their newborn daughter. But why not? West is firmly established as a name,…
Native American place name
Chenoa is the Native American name for the Kentucky River. This name has come into prominence as the stage name of Argentine singer María Laura Corradini Falomir. In the US it is given to a handful…
Dutch
"gatekeeper"
This upbeat, friendly surname name has appeared on television's Battlestar Galactica a handful of cartoons, and on a literary note, a character in Herman Melville's Moby Dick . Sports fans might…
English word name
"exposure to injury, pain, harm, or loss"
Prime example of the aggressive word names that are an off-the-grid branch of the new macho names. Makes Cannon, Maverick, and Ranger feel almost soft and sensitive by comparison.
Word name and literary name
Everybody knows Huckleberry Finn, the Mark Twain character named, Twain said, for the 19th century slang term for "humble." A few modern parents have put it on a birth certificate, including "Man Vs.…
Hindi, Hebrew, and Choctaw
"friendly, to plant, and bear"
One of those slender names, like Lena or Etta, that's used in several cultures and carries a range of meanings. But by being so many things, it doesn't feel decidedly like anything.
Cherokee
"waterfall"
Native American, Wappo, Yuki
"coast"
Coastal California was originally home to the Wappo and Yuki tribes, among whom the word meiomi meant "coast". Today, Meiomi is the name of a mid-price wine brand that's inspiring the parents of baby…
"free"
One of the classic hippie word names. In the 1970s, actors Barbara Hershey and David Carradine gave this name to their son...who later changed it to Tom.
French place-name
Louisiana is a geographic spin on the Louise theme. Pretty, if a bit of a syllable overload. Short form Lou or Lulu lightens it.
Place name and Spanish from Latin
"flowery"
Lacks the cachet of some newer place-names.
French
"brown-haired one"
The best-known bearer of this name by far is basketball superstar LeBron James. While LeBron James is a great athlete and American hero, only 19 baby boys were named LeBron or Lebron in 2021.
Choctaw, Native American
"goes and goes"
In Choctaw culture, people could have multiple names over a lifetime. New names would be bestowed upon tribe members after major life events.
"owl"
Choctaw, Native American, meaning unknown
A rare name from Choctaw culture that is no longer in use.
"deer"
Word name or nickname
Boo as a first name first achieved notoriety as the name of the child-man in Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird. Arthur "Boo" Radley was meant to be frightening, but only in a simple, non-threatening…
American place-name and Arabic
"peace"
Zuma was entered in the American name lexicon when musicians Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale chose it for their son. Californians will recognize Zuma as the name of a beautiful beach in Malibu, and…
Choctaw, Native American, English
"deer; pledged to God"
As a Choctaw name, Issi is an animal inspired choice, in which the double S is pronounced with a pause between like in "dress suit." As an English name, it is a short form of Isabella or Isabelle, or…
"crow"
A strong and simple nature name from the Choctaw culture.
