Small world

Elena

Spanish, Italian, German, Greek variation of Helen

"bright, shining light"

Elena is at its most popular point ever in the US, thanks to its cross-cultural appeal and the overall popularity of El- names. It's more international than Ellen or Eleanor, but still accessible. A…

Itzel

Mayan

"rainbow lady"

This name, stemming from the Mayan mythological figure of the Rainbow Lady, is a surprising pop hit, primarily among Hispanic parents. Variation Alitzel was the second fastest-rising name in the US…

Iliana

Greek, Spanish variation of Helen

"from Ilium or Troy; shining light"

Iliana is one of the vaguely but usually undefinably international names that have a wide range of spellings and pronunciations. Ilium was the poetic name of the city of Troy, and variations of this…

Araceli

Spanish

"altar of the sky"

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.

Yusra

Arabic

"prosperous, ease"

A strong and simple Arabic name, popular in the UK and more recently in the US where it entered the Top 1000 in 2024. Yusra comes from the Arabic yasira meaning "to be rich, prosperous", adding an…

Petra

Greek

"rock, stone"

A strong Greek name with pan-European charm, Petra is a relatively recent feminization of Peter, though it relates back to an incredible ancient city in Jordan that was rediscovered in the early…

Fabiana

Italian and Spanish feminine variation of Fabian

"bean grower"

The fashion for elaborate girly-girl names, especially those that end with -ella or -ana, has put this distinctive Latin favorite into play.

Yuki

Japanese

"snow; happiness"

Succinct and memorable, Yuki is a Japanese name, which may relate to winter or joy, depending on the kanji used. It is a unisex choice, notably borne by singer Yuki Kuramochi (stylized as YUKI).

Anh

Vietnamese

"flower, petal, brave, hero"

This simple, unisex Vietnamese name has multiple possible meanings, including "hero", "petal", "brave", and "bright", depending on the characters used to write it. A study in 2014 found the Anh was…

Elke

Dutch, German, and Frisian diminutive of Adelheid

"noble"

Though she has long stood on her own, Elke has many longer cross-cultural connections, to the Dutch/German/Scandinavian Adelheid and Alice and the English Adelaide, as a feminine version of Elkanah…

Nagisa

Japanese

"beach; shore"