International model names

Elodia

Spanish variation of Alodia, German

"foreign riches"

As Elodie filters into the mainstream, parents may turn to the rarer Spanish form Elodia as an alternative.

Elza

Hebrew

"God is my joy"

Intriguing twist on several familiar names, though many people will mistake this for Elsa, Eliza, and so on.

Esti

Hebrew diminutive of Esther, Persian, or Basque

"star; sweet honey"

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…

Fia

Irish, Portuguese, Italian

"wild, weaver"

Fia may be most notable at this moment as the Anglicized version of the Irish Fiadh, one of the fastest-rising names in the Republic of Ireland. The meaning of Fia or Fiadh is sometimes given as…

Flo

Diminutive of Florence, Latin

"flourishing, prosperous"

Flo is an antiquated nickname not often used these days, possibly because "Aunt Flo" is a euphemism for a period.

Florine

French

This rare and archaic French name is a little too close to Chlorine for our liking. Despite its flowery origins, Florine has a warrior history - Florine of Burgundy was a female French crusader, who…

Franzi

Franzi is a feminine name with Germanic origins, primarily used in German-speaking countries. It functions as a diminutive or nickname form of Franziska, the German equivalent of Frances, which means…

Hadassa

Hadassa is a feminine name of Hebrew origin, being a variant spelling of Hadassah, which means 'myrtle tree.' In the biblical Book of Esther, Hadassah was the Hebrew name of Queen Esther before she…

Harleth

Surname; modern invented name

Harleth is a name which probably stems from combining the oh-so-trendy Harlow with the evergreen Elizabeth. However, literary parents may also remember the beautiful but difficult character Gwendolen…

Heloise

French from German

"healthy; wide"

Heloise is an ancient name related to sleek, peppy classic Eloise. Both ultimately derive from the Germanic name Helewidis, which became Helewis in medieval England. In the twelfth century, the name…

Henna

Color name, Finnish feminization of Henry, English from German

"estate ruler"

Reddish dye that sounds as if it could be a real name — of the outdated, Old World, Yetta-Hedda variety.

Hildie

Diminutive of Hilda, German

"battle"

A short form of Hilda, or any name containing the hild or hildr element, from Mathilda to Swanhild and Hildegard. Hildie has never ranked as a stand-alone name, but with names like Birdie, Bonnie,…