Unique Baby Names That End in I
Updated Thu Sep 07 2023
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There are plenty of unique names that end in i along with popular i-ending names such as Naomi and Levi. Along with Naomi and Levi, other baby names that end in I in the US Top 1000 include Ari, Bodhi, Giovanni, Kai, Kali, Lorelei, Remi, and Zuri. Unisex names ending in I are trendy right now, including Amari, Azari, Camari, and Sakari.
Today's unique baby names ending in the letter i are a far cry from the Teri and Lori generation of the ‘60s and ‘70s as well as from today's popular Naomi and Levi. Biblical and Hawaiian I-ending baby names now reign supreme, but the unique names ending in I come from a range of cultures.
There are literally hundreds of intriguing I-ending international names out there, just waiting to be discovered. From sweet Scandinavian Astri to handsome Hebrew Zimri, here's a selection of trending unique baby boy and girl names ending in the letter I, ordered by current popularity on Nameberry.
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- Rumi
Origin:
JapaneseMeaning:
"beauty, flow, lapis lazuli"Description:
Rumi is a Japanese girl name, with a sweet yet substantial sound. Reminiscent of other popular choices in the West — think Ruby, Remy, and Romy — it is currently achieving more notice thanks to Beyonce and Jay-Z, who chose it for one of their daughters.
- Bambi
Origin:
Diminutive of Bambina, ItalianMeaning:
"child; baby girl"Description:
Although Disney's cute deer was a male, Bambi has always been used for girls. It first appeared on the charts in 1943, the year after the Disney movie was released. Bambi featured in the Top 1000 from 1954-1964 — a decade where girl names ending in I, like Lori and Teri, were big — and again from 1977-1982.
- Lumi
Origin:
FinnishMeaning:
"snow"Description:
Lumi may be a rare girls' name in the USA and England, but it comes in the Top 50 in Finland, where it means snow. Given the popularity of Winter, Holly, Ivy and many other wintery-christmassy names, we think that short and spunky Lumi definitely has potential for greater usage outside its home country as one of the more unusual names for Christmas babies.
- Capri
Origin:
Italian from Greek or LatinMeaning:
"wild boar; goats"Description:
Chosen by the late Kobe Bryant and his wife Vanessa for their youngest daughter, Capri is the name of an Italian island, lending it a light, bright and sunny feel. Derived from either the Greek kapros meaning "wild boar" or from the Latin capri meaning "goats", it has a contemporary feel to it, especially with that -i ending.
- Benji
Origin:
Diminutive of BenjaminDescription:
Benji is undeniably cute, much in the way of a — yes, an adorable movie mutt. Ben is the handsome traditional short form of Benjamin, but Benji makes a more unexpected nickname
- Yuri
Origin:
Russian variation of GeorgeDescription:
Common Russian name familiarized here via cosmonaut Yury Gagarin and a character in Dr. Zhivago, but we don't see it ever gaining permanent resident status.
- Suki
Origin:
Japanese or EnglishMeaning:
"loved one; lily"Description:
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.
- Nori
Origin:
Japanese, English short form or Eleanor, Leonora, Nora, Honora, or North, form of Nor or Nuri, Arabic, TurkishMeaning:
"ceremonial rites, doctrine, seaweed; unknown, honor, north; my light"Description:
Nori is one of those names with several origins that would have no trouble assimilating into a variety of cultures. It might also be associated with the dried seaweed used to wrap sushi or with the nickname Kim Kardashian and Kanye West use for their daughter North.
- Delphi
Origin:
Greek place nameMeaning:
"of Delphi; womb"Description:
An interesting unisex possibility, with an air of mystery connected to the Delphic Oracle, the most important oracle in ancient Greece; it was also a major site for the worship of the god Apollo.
- Araceli
Origin:
SpanishMeaning:
"altar of the sky"Description:
Once-obscure Spanish name inching back up into the US Top 1000 girl names after a short break. Araceli Segarra is a noted mountain climber.
- Nikolai
Origin:
Russian variation of NicholasMeaning:
"people of victory"Description:
Russian forms, like Russian supermodels, are hot these days. This is a strong, worldly way to make Nicholas new; it was chosen for his son by Barry Bonds, Jr. Nikolai also comes with several attractive nickname options, including approachable Nik, spunky Niko, or even hip Kai. A traditional nickname for Nikolai in Russia is Kolya.
- Uri
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"my flame, my light"Description:
This short but strong name, commonly heard in Israel, has a lot of crossover potential, and is among the most usable on the minuscule menu of U names.
- Esai
Origin:
Short form of Esaias or variation of Esau, HebrewMeaning:
"salvation of the Lord; hairy"Description:
An energetic and compact Spanish name, likely derived from Esaias or Esau, it is best associated with actor Esai Morales of American Family and Bad Boys fame. Pronounced as EH-sye in Spanish, it may also be said as ee-SYE in English.
- Esti
Origin:
Hebrew diminutive of Esther, Persian, or BasqueMeaning:
"star; sweet honey"Description:
Esti is most commonly a short form of Esther and Estelle, both making the big move from old lady name to cool young name. It's also a popular short form of the Basque names Estitxu and Estibalitz, or a name in its own right, meaning "sweet honey". In French Canada, it's an untranslatable swear word.
- Mordecai
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"follower of Marduk"Description:
Mordecai, although it has a noble heritage, has never caught on in this country, because of its rather weighty image. Nevertheless, with parents searching for rarer Biblical names that work as alternatives to Malachi and Matthew, Mordecai has seen increased interest in recent years and was given to 74 boys in the US in 2024.
- Eleni
Origin:
Greek variation of HelenDescription:
A common choice in Greece, Eleni is starting to rise in the US too thanks to its bouncy rhythm and cool -i ending. Also familiar in England and Wales, Eleni was chosen for 255 girls in the US in 2024, placing it just outside the Top 1000.
- Adlai
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"God is just"Description:
Adlai is an Old Testament name long associated with 1950's liberal presidential candidate Stevenson, who was named after his grandfather, who was Grover Cleveland's vice president in the nineteenth century. Now it's an unusual Biblical choice ripe for rediscovery.
- Tesni
Origin:
WelshMeaning:
"warmth from the sun"Description:
A sweet little name with one of the most poetic meanings around: it means "warmth from the sun" in Welsh. Though it's among the undiscovered Welsh names, it's one that deserves wider use.
- Pippi
Origin:
Norse variation of PhilippaMeaning:
"lover of horses"Description:
Pippi may be cute but isn't very practical. In addition to being forever Pippi Longstocking, there is that variant pee-pee spelling to consider. Try Pippa instead.
- Kairi
Origin:
JapaneseMeaning:
"sea"Description:
Kairi is the name of the main female character in the popular role-playing video game series, Kingdom Hearts. Voiced by Hayden Panettiere in the main series, Kairi is one of the seven Princesses of the Heart. Kairi entered the US Top 1000 in 2010 and was given to over 400 baby girls in one recent year.
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