By Linda Rosenkrantz

　　Why would you choose a girls’ name name from another culture? There are several good reasons. First of all, there is the sheer beauty of so many of them. Then there is the honor factor. Say you have a beloved grandmother named Barbara you want to pay tribute to, but you can’t quite see yourself as a parent of a baby Barbara. Then how about the more vibrant Russian version, Varvara?

　　Or maybe there’s a name you love but find too common or popular or plain? There are countless lovely foreign variations of Elizabeth and Margaret and Katherine that are still substantive but more distinctive.

　　So here’s a start on the almost endless possibilities for romancing a name.

　　Ailis—Alice in Irish—AY-leesh

　　Alejandra—Alexandra in Spanish—al-le-KHAHN-dra

　　Alessandra—Alexandra in Italian

　　Aliz—Alice in Hungarian—ah-LEEZ

　　Amelie—French for Amelia

　　Anais—Provincial French/Catalan form of Anna—a-na-EES

　　Anakela—Hawaiian for Angela

　　Aniela–Polish form of Angela

　　Anika—A Czech, German, Dutch and Danish form of Ann—AH-nee-ka

　　Anouk—Dutch and French diminutive of Anna

　　Aziliz—Breton form of Cecilia—ah-ZEE-leez

　　Barabal—a Scottish form of Barbara

　　Barbo—Swedish for Barbara

　　Beatriz—Spanish for Beatrice

　　Bertille—French for Berta

　　Bethan—Welsh diminutive of Elizabeth

　　Bianca—Italian for Blanche

　　Britt—a Swedish form of Bridget

　　Catalina—Spanish form of Catherine

　　Catriona—Gaelic form of Catherine—ka-TREE-na

　　Charlotta—Swedish variant of Charlotte

　　Chiara—Claire in Italian

　　Cinzia—Italian for Cynthia—CHIN-zee-a

　　Devorah– Hebrew form of Deborah

　　Eabha—Irish form of Eva—Ay-va

　　Eilis –Irish Gaelic form of Elizabeth and/or Alice—AY-leesh

　　Eleni—Greek for Helen

　　Edwige—French for Hedwig

　　Elisabetta—Italian for Elizabeth

　　Elisheva—Hebrew for Elizabeth

　　Elspeth—Scottish form of Elizabeth

　　Enrica—Italian for Henrietta

　　Esperanza—Spanish for Hope

　　Fe—Spanish form of Faith —Fay

　　Fiorenza, Fiorella—Italian for Florence

　　**Floris –**Dutch form of Florence

　　Francesca—Italian for Frances

　　Giada—Jade in Italian—JAH-da

　　Gioia—Italian for Joy

　　Ginevra—Italian form of Guinevere/Genevieve, also the city of Geneva

　　Gladez—Welsh variation of Gladys

　　Grazia, Graziella—Italian for Grace

　　Ilaria—Spanish for Hillary

　　Ileana—Hungarian for Helen

　　Ines, Inez, Ynez—Spanish, Portuguese for Agnes

　　Irina—Russian for Irene

　　Isabeau—Isabel in French

　　Ishbel—Scottish variation of Isobel

　　Jacinda—Greek for Hyacinth

　　Jelica—Serbian diminutive of Helen

　　Jovana—Serbian form of Jean

　　Kalea—Hawaiian form of Claire

　　Kalola—Hawaiian form of Carol

　　Kelyn—Cornish for Holly

　　Kiana—Hawaiian for Diana

　　Kikilia—Cecilia in Hawaiian

　　Klementina—Russian form of Clementine

　　Leni—German diminutive of Helene or Magdalena

　　Lilia—Spanish and Hawaiian for Lily

　　Lilias—Scottish version of Lillian

　　Llora—Catalan form of Laura

　　Lujza–Hungarian for Louisa—loo-EE-zha

　　Lydie—French for Lydia

　　Magdalena—Madeline in Polish, German, Dutch, Swedish and more

　　Mai—Scandinavian pet form of Maria—MI

　　Maire—Irish form of Mary

　　Malia—Hawaiian form of Mary

　　Manon—French pet form of Marie

　　Mared—Welsh form of Margaret

　　Margit—Hungarian and Scandinavian form of Margaret

　　Mariska—Czech form of Mary

　　Marja—Dutch and Finnish form of Maria—MAHR-ya

　　Marya—Russian variant of Maria; Cornish for Mary

　　Moira—Scottish form of Mary

　　Morna—Scottish version of Myrna

　　Nanou—Dutch and French derivative of Anne

　　Noemi– Italian, Spanish, German and Czech form of Naomi

　　Ona—Lithuanian for Hannah

　　Onora—Irish Gaelic for Honor

　　Ottavia—Italian for Octavia

　　Paola, Italian for Paula

　　Patrizia, Italian for Patricia

　　Phyllida, old English form of Phyllis

　　Raina–Polish and Czech form of Regina

　　Roisin—Irish form of Rose—ro-SHEEN

　　Roza—Polish and Russian form of Rose

　　Sandrine—French for Sandra

　　Sanna—Scandinavian short form of Susannah, used independently

　　Shoshana—Hebrew form of Susanna, also means lily and rose

　　Sian—Welsh form of Jean, Jean—SHAN

　　Sinead—Irish form of Jane—shin-AID

　　Siobhan–another Irish form of Jane shi-VAWN

　　Tamsin—British contracted form of Thomasina

　　Varvara—Russian for Barbara

　　Verona—Czech form of Veronica, in addition to being the Italian city name

　　Veronique –French form of Veronica

　　Vika—Polynesian form of Victoria

　　Zabel—Armenian form of Isabel

　　Zofia—Czech, Polish and Ukranian forms of Sofia

　　Zuzana, Zuzanna—Polish, Czech for Susannah