International Baby Names
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 34 pages
of 34
Arabic
"skilled"
A dynamic Arabic name with a strong meaning.
Arabic; Italian; Lithuanian
"returning visitor; happy; echo"
Aida is a melodic name largely associated with the title character of the 1871 Verdi opera, an enslaved Ethiopian princess who dies to save her people. In the past, her name was rarely heard outside…
Khadijah is a feminine name of Arabic origin with deep historical and religious significance in Islamic tradition. It honors Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, the first wife of the Prophet Muhammad and the…
"mountaintop, splendid, brilliant"
One of the most easily imported Arabic names.
Hindi or Arabic
"law; given by God; blessing"
With Liam at the top of the boys' popularity list, parents might discover the still-rare Niam. A name with various origins, Niam can be a Hindi name, deriving from the word niyam meaning "rule" or…
Variation of Rahim, Arabic
"empathetic, merciful"
A strong Arabic choice with a covetable meaning — one of the most important considerations in the Muslim baby name practice.
"gathering; young lioness"
Concise but versatile, Hafsa is a popular name for girls among Muslims, that appears in the charts in the UK, France, Belgium, Turkey, and the Netherlands. It is a significant name in Islamic…
"nocturnal journey"
An Arabic name with a powerful and alluring meaning, in Islamic tradition, Isra refers to one part of the Night Journey that the Prophet Muhammad, in which he led other prophets such as Ibrahim, Isa,…
"read"
Beautiful Arabic name that's important in Islamic culture — Iqra is the name of a chapter in the Quran. Iqra is a Top 500 name in England and Wales.
Tree name or Arabic,"beauty, grace"
"beauty, grace"
Zaynab, from the Arabic word for beauty and the name of a flowering tree, was the name of a granddaughter, daughter and two wives of the Prophet Muhammed. Related names include the simplified forms…
Zayna is a simplified spelling of Zaynab, the name of the eldest daughter of Muhammad, and also the feminine version of Zayn. Zaina is a widely-used spelling variation. Zainabu is another form of the…
Variation of Aysel, Turkish, Arabic
"moon flood, moon stream; gift of God, good fortune; noble"
This spikier form of the Turkish Aysel has a poetic meaning and a familiar sound. A rising star in the UK, it fits in with the popular Ayla. Ayzal may also be a variation of the Arabic Aizal, a name…
"judicious, wise"
Muhammad approved all ninety-nine attributes of Allah as worthy names, and this is one of the most popular. It was in the US Top 1000 for the first time since 1998 in 2016, when it was one of the 10…
"paradise, garden"
In Islamic tradition, Jannah specifically refers to the paradise or heavenly garden that awaits the faithful in the afterlife. This spiritual significance makes the name particularly meaningful in…
Zakaria is a masculine name of Arabic and Hebrew origin, serving as a variant of Zachariah or Zechariah, which means "God has remembered." This name appears in both the Bible and the Quran, where…
"guide"
Names that sound and/or are spelled like Dalila exist in several languages, from the Swahili Dalili to the Arabic Dalil to the Hebrew Delilah. A beautiful cross-cultural choice.
Variation of Noor, Arabic
"light"
Noor is the prevailing spelling of this beautiful Arabic name, while Nour is preferred in many European countries, including France and Spain.
"settler"
Adnan in the Muslim religion was an ancestor of Muhammad. More recently, the name was introduced to many Westerners via Adnan Syed, the young man at the center of the sensational Serial podcast.
"angel"
Although Malak can be used for both sexes, it's much more widely-used for girls in the US and throughout Europe, where it ranks on several popularity lists. More than 100 baby girls were named Malak…
Variation of Yusuf, Arabic
"Jehovah increases"
This alternate spelling of Yusuf leads the way in Spain, where it is among the 100 most popular baby names. In the US, streamlined Yusuf reigns.
