New international names are entering the American lexicon from around the world at an ever-faster pace, as parents look for names that connect to their countries of origin or ancestral heritage.

　　The boundaries of what we think of as “international” names are constantly changing. It’s beyond old-fashioned to divide the world into white Christian English names versus everything else. In today’s Top 100 baby names, names of diverse origins such as Aaliyah and Leilani, Mateo and Dylan, rub shoulders with traditional anglo options like Elizabeth and William, as well as modern additions like Kinsley and Grayson… and we consider all of them American names.

　　Still, there are many names that are better known in their country of origin than in the States. They may appeal to parents looking to honor their culture, or simply looking for names with more international reach and meaning than the usual English choices.

　　Celebrities and athletes often popularize their names internationally. The current interest in multicultural mythology and religion is another source of international names.

　　We analyzed the Social Security list to find international names becoming more popular in the US. Most of the choices here were given to at least 100 babies in the US last year, but retain a distinctive flavor of their original culture.

New International Names A-E

　　Ainara – Basque nature name meaning the swallow bird, popular in Spain

　　Alya – Elegant, simplified spelling of Aaliyah

　　Aurelio – Aurelia is rising fast, and its masculine form may follow. Short form Elio is also a stylish international option

　　Avi – Meaning father in Hebrew, this fits the trend for short, light-sounding names

　　Ayaz – This boy name means frost in Turkish and Azerbaijani

　　Belén – Spanish form of Bethlehem

　　Celine – A French classic on the rise, best known for the fashion house and singer Celine Dion

　　Cillian – This saintly name has long been popular in Ireland; now actor Cillian Murphy has brought it to the wider world’s attention too

　　Dario – Hot in Spain and Italy, and starting to be discovered in the US

　　Dua – Meaning prayer in Arabic, made famous by singer Dua Lipa

　　Elif – A popular Turkish girl name, from the first letter of the Arabic alphabet (also called Aleph)

　　Elowen – This Cornish nature name has long been a name nerd favorite, and it’s finally starting to see more real-world use

　　Emiko – Meaning smiling child in Japanise, Emiko is stunningly similar-yet-different to other Em names

　　Emil – This European masculine form of Emily is starting to see a revival

　　Eren – Popular boy name in Turkey, meaning saint

Multicultural Names F-J

　　Fiadh – A Top 3 girl name in Ireland and Northern Ireland. Both Fiadh and its anglicized spelling Fia have broken into the American charts in recent years

　　Gio – Short for Giovanni, but becoming popular in its own right

　　Giulia – Italian spelling of a classic

　　Hadassah – Hebrew nature name that makes a fresh alternative to her alter-ego, Esther

　　Halima – Gentle in both sound and meaning, Halima is used throughout the Muslim world

　　Hamza – Another popular Arabic name, possibly meaning strong, that’s gaining ground in the US

　　Ingrid – A Top 10 girl name in Norway, but hovering around the bottom of the Top 1000 in the States

　　Irie – An upbeat choice from the Caribbean and Rastafarianism, used for both sexes but especially rising for girls

　　Isidro – Dreamy Spanish version of Isidore

　　Ivo – Pan-European name that’s both Germanic (relating to the yew tree), and a Slavic form of Ivan, making it a cousin of John. Either way, it has huge potential

　　Jai – Short, snappy Indian name meaning victory, used for both genders in the USA

　　Jamila – A beautiful Arabic-origin name literally meaning beautiful

　　Jannat – From an Arabic name for paradise, used by South Asian Muslims

Modern International Names K-O

　　Kamaria – Used in East Africa, originally from the Arabic word for the moon

　　Kenji – Friendly Japanese name meaning second son

　　Koa – A super-cool Hawaiian choice, meaning warrior

　　Leonie – This feminine form of Leo is common in Europe and Quebec, but never widely used in the States

　　Lev – Short, sweet, and with roots in both Russian (meaning lion) and Hebrew (meaning heart)

　　Lucien – Lucian is a hot trending name right now, and we love the French form too

　　Mael – A saintly name from Brittany that (spelled Maël) is a Top 10 boy name in France

　　Mustafa – Arabic classic meaning the chosen one

　　Naia – A popular choice in Spain, meaning wave or sea foam in Basque

　　Noelani – Less popular than many of the “lani” names for girls, but this is an authentic Hawaiian choice meaning heavenly mist

　　Noor – Arabic for light, becoming more popular in Europe and America

　　Orla – Irish name popular in the British Isles but slow to take off Stateside

　　Osman – Turkish name, best known as the founder of the Ottoman Empire

Rising Global Names P-Z

　　Pia – Sweet mini-name meaning holy, popular in several European and Latin American countries

　　Qasim – The name of a son of the Prophet Muhammed, whose name is slowly gaining ground in the US

　　Ren – Unisex Japanese name meaning the lotus flower; it could also be short for names like Soren, Lorenzo, or Renata

　　Rivka – Hebrew form of Rebecca that’s fresher than the English version

　　Soraya – Starry Persian name for the Pleiades constellation

　　Stellan – Swedish name that feels pleasingly like a masculine form of Stella; made famous by actor Stellan Skarsgård

　　Tadeo – Fast-rising Spanish name that’s less weighty than Thaddeus

　　Tariq – Arabic name for the morning star

　　Uri – Hebrew name meaning my fire, or my light

　　Vihaan – Positive Indian name meaning dawn

　　Viktor – A classic with a spelling that looks novel to English speakers

　　Winifred – Welsh saint and a vintage revival

　　Xiomara – Popular in many Spanish-speaking countries, and rising in the US

　　Zamir – Hebrew, meaning the nightingale bird

　　Zelie – Saintly name that’s popular with French parents

　　Read next: International Baby Names list, Popular Names around the world.

　　Go here to see the top baby names a-z on Nameberry and in the US.

About the Author

Clare Green

　　Clare Green has been writing for Nameberry since 2015, covering everything from names peaking right now to feminist baby names, and keeping up-to-date with international baby name rankings. Her work has featured in publications such as The Independent and HuffPost. Clare has a background in linguistics and librarianship, and recently completed an MA dissertation researching names in multilingual families. She lives in England with her husband and son. You can reach her at [email protected]

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