User-created list
International Names That Work in the U.S.
Across 6 pages
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Lucie
French, English
"light"
The French spelling of Lucy feels particularly light and shimmery.
Lalaina
Maeva
Tahitian
"welcome"
Though it sounds like a variation of the Irish Maeve, Maeva actually hails from Tahiti, and is currently enjoying a wave of popularity in France, where it ranks in the Top 100, possibly via popular…
Malala
Pashto
"sad, grieved"
This name has a hauntingly appropriate meaning for its most famous bearer, Pakistani women and children's right activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Malala Yousefzai. The name itself is derived…
Naia
Hawaiian, Greek, Basque
"dolphin; to flow; wave, sea foam"
A multicultural option that's equally intriguing but more unusual than Maia. Connected to water and the ocean, it is a Top 100 choice in Spain and Puerto Rico and has been rising up the charts in…
Nara
Japanese place name or Celtic
"happy"
Soft, simple, and far more unusual than Tara or Farrah. As a Japanese place name, it's been used occasionally as a surname and is beginning to be used as a first. Nara is also the name of a Hindu…
Orla
Irish
"golden princess"
Orla is an Irish name closely associated with the high king Brian Boru, as it was the name of his sister, daughter and niece. It was very popular in the Middle Ages – the fourth most popular name in…
Pippa
English, diminutive of Philippa
"lover of horses"
Pippa, a peppy condensation of Philippa that turns it from serious to sprightly, has come into the public eye in a big way via the former Kate Middleton's sister. Pippa can and is given as a name in…
Raissa
Raissa is a feminine name with roots in several cultures. In Russian, it derives from the Greek name 'Raisa' meaning 'relaxed' or 'easygoing.' It also has Arabic origins where it means 'leader' or…
Rina
European diminutive of Catherine, Hebrew, Sanskrit, Japanese
"pure; joy, singing; melted; white jasmine"
One of those short, punchy names with its roots in a variety of different cultures and languages, Rina is sister to names like Mina, Mira, Lina, and Nina. Retro in feel, but never overused in the US,…
Sandrine
French variation of Alexandra, Greek
"defending men"
Sophisticated French choice. Or toxic petrochemical, as Ross on Friends famously joked when Rachel suggested it for their fictional daughter.
Tilda
Estonian and Spanish diminutive of Matilda, German
"battle mighty"
Actress Tilda Swinton injected this dated nickname name with some modern charm.
Vega
Arabic, Spanish
"swooping eagle; meadow"
Another astral name, this one relating to one of the largest and brightest stars in the heavens, is popular in Scandinavia and Spain, where it ranks among the Top 50 girls' names . Although still…
Vida
Spanish, Slovene, Lithuanian, Persian, Swedish, Serbian,"life, visible, willow, to see"
"life, visible, willow, to see"
Vida is a multicultural gem, familiar in a number of languages by not overly popular. It featured in the US Top 1000 in the first half of the 20th century, and in recent years, it has seen renewed…
Zala
Ethiopian or Slovene variation of Rozalija
"a people from southwest Ethiopia; rose"
Simple but sultry.
Zion
Hebrew
"highest point"
A Biblical place name and a unisex choice that has been on the rise in the US in recent years. With its bright sound and cool, zippy Z beginning, it blends religious significance and trendiness.…
Zofia
Czech, Polish, and Ukrainian variation of Sophia
"wisdom"
An international variation of Sophia that ranks in the Top 10 in Poland and the Top 1000 in England and Wales. Zosia is a charming diminutive.