International Baby Names
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 29 pages
of 29
Welsh and Galician variation of James and Jacob
Iago, the villain of Shakespeare's Othello , was so treacherously evil that his name has hardly ever been heard offstage. Try the much-more-benign Inigo.
Catalan variation of Martin or variation of Marty, Latin
"warlike"
Typically spelled with an accent over the I, as Martí, this name is a popular choice in the Catalan region of Spain. The I-ending spelling reads as feminine in many Anglophone countries — indeed,…
French feminine form of Axel
"father of peace"
Putting the emphasis on the "elle" softens a name that seems at once futuristic and medieval.
Czech and Polish
"happy, willing"
Radek is both a last name and a first name with an uplifting meaning. The -ek suffix makes is a diminutive of Rad, which means happy.
French
"wood, forest"
Doesn't everything sound better with a French accent? Sylvain, the French variation of the Roman wood god's name, sounds somehow cooler and more sophisticated than Sylvan.
Hungarian
"sultan"
Though a common name in Hungary, with the spelling Zoltán, the relatively rare Z sound is striking to English speakers. Penn Gillette used the Zolten spelling for his son; it was also the name of…
Hungarian, Polish
"brave"
Though the name Kinga has penetrated the international consciousness via the Slovakian model Kinga Rajzak, it's a rare choice for American baby girls: Only six were named Kinga last year. Is that…
Hanae is a feminine name of Japanese origin meaning 'flower' or more specifically 'blossom.' It combines 'hana' (flower) with 'e' (blessing or grace), creating a name that evokes natural beauty and…
Greek
"demi-god"
Despite the possibility of gender confusion, the Hero in Greek myth was a woman. Myleene Klass got that when she chose Hero for her daughter, and Sam Taylor-Wood and Aaron Johnson used it as their…
German; Scandinavian; Finnish; Dutch; Slovene; Croatian, from Greek
"pure"
A sweet and international short form of Catherine, pronounced like Katya and used in various European languages.
"blackbird"
A sleek, smooth, understated name off the grid in the US but among the Top 100 girl names in Germany. In the US, it is a unisex name, while in Germany and the Netherlands, it is predominantly…
Dutch variation of Marie
"bitter"
A Dutch version of Marie - this is a cute name that has potential.
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…
Polish variation of Xavier, Basque
"new house"
An international form of the Basque name Xavier, Ksawery ranks in the Polish Top 50 in a recent year. The original form of the name comes from a place name meaning "new house" or "castle" and was…
Croatian
"crown of glory"
Derived from the Serbo-Croatian kruna , meaning crown, and slava , meaning glory, Krunoslav is a handsome name with a strong meaning that can be shortened to the friendlier nickname Kruno.
French variation of Olympia
Finnish
"happiness, luck"
A popular Finnish name with an upbeat meaning, Onni is a popular choice in its native Finland where a recent year saw it rank at #6 — though it has ranked as high as #1 in the 2010s. Fairly intuitive…
"crown, crown of glory"
Kruno comes from the Serbo-Croatian kruna , meaning crown, and is usually a short form of the name Krunoslav. Pronounced like Bruno with a K, it's a cool and internationally undiscovered name that…
"from the mountain"
The Greek form of Orestes. An interesting and morally gray character from Greek myth, drama and literature, and a somewhat common name in Greece. It would be a handsome and unexpected choice for…
Polish variation of Cornelius, Latin
"horn"
Cornell, without the Ivy League prestige. Kornel is a Top 100 name in Poland and Hungary.
