International Baby Names
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 34 pages
of 34
Ammar is a masculine name of Arabic origin with deep historical roots. It derives from the Arabic word 'āmir' meaning 'builder,' 'constructor,' or 'one who builds and establishes.' The name carries…
Arabic
"hope, inspiration"
Amal is an attractive name with a wonderful meaning that has long been used in many Middle Eastern countries, especially Lebanon (and migrant communities). It is of course getting a lot more coverage…
Swahili
"ruler"
Passé pasha image.
Variation of Arya, Sanskrit
"noble"
Arya has become a popular name thanks to the young heroine of Game of Thrones and because of the rise of similar Aria too. Variation Aarya has also seen increased use in English speaking countries,…
Sanskrit
"master, lord"
A short and sweet Hindi name which has been relatively popular in the UK – peaking at #280 there in 2003.
Japanese
"beauty, flow, lapis lazuli"
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…
Hebrew; Swahili
"to shine; flower"
Zahara, a delicate but strong multicultural name, came into the spotlight when Angelina Jolie bestowed it on her Ethiopian-born daughter, and we predict other parents will adopt it as well. If you…
"friendliness"
Anas is an Arabic name uncommon in the US -- it was given to 130 baby boys last year -- but popular in Spain, England and Wales, Italy, and especially France.
Arabic, Hebrew
"dove"
Yunus is the Arabic form of Jonah, also used in Turkish. In Islam, Yunus is a prophet.
"rider, knight"
A great uncommon English-Arabic crossover choice, easily pronounceable internationally.
Russian and Scandinavian variation of Sophia
"wisdom"
Early European import, well known in the 1940s via Norwegian skating movie star Sonja Henie, that has sailed back across the Atlantic, despite the rising popularity of other Russian names.
"sword, protector"
Classic Arabic name seen as both a first name and a surname. The pre-Islamic Arabian Sword is also called the Saif.
"happiness"
Back in the late '70s, Farrah Fawcett's name was as frequently copied as her hairstyle and even made the Top 200 in 1977! Like any trend, however, it promptly fell back out of style, only to…
"pure"
The soft and pretty name of one of the wives of the Prophet Muhammad.
"heavens, highborn, exalted"
Alya is most familiar in the US in its much-more-complicated form Aaliyah, the spelling used by the later singer. The traditional name of the star system Theta Serpentis, Alya is also an established…
"leader, guide"
Short and friendly in sound but with a strong meaning, Hadi is a name of Arabic origin, that appears in one of the names of Allah, al-Hadi.
Farah is a soft and lovely Arabic name, best known here in this original spelling via the last Empress of Iran, Farah Palavi. It's currently a Top 250 name in both France and the Netherlands, which…
Latin, Hebrew, Arabic
"like a star; order, sequence; lotus tree"
Sidra is an uncommon name shared by a gulf off the coast of Libya. Popular in the Jewish community of North Africa, its Hebrew meaning refers to a weekly reading portion of the Torah. In Arabic, it's…
Ameera is a feminine name of Arabic origin meaning 'princess' or 'leader.' Derived from 'amir' meaning 'prince' or 'commander,' the feminine form carries connotations of nobility, leadership, and…
"alive"
Variant of Aisha. In the 19th century novel She , Ayesha is a beautiful 2000-year-old queen of a lost city, and is known as "she who must be obeyed."
