Our favourite international baby names

royal baby names

When it comes to choosing the perfect baby name, inspiration can come from anywhere. Different countries and cultures have their own naming traditions and preferences. Some names are popular all around the world while others have distinct regional variations. Borrowing a name from another language or culture can also provide an unusual and exotic choice.

21 international baby names from around the world

1. Aidan

This comes from Irish and Scottish Gaelic. It is derived from Aodhán, who was a Celtic sun god. There is also a Turkish name with variations including Aiden, Aydin and Ajdin, meaning ‘enlightened’ or ‘bright’.

2. Alexander

This comes from Greek for ‘Defender of men’ and was taken worldwide by Alexander the Great. Variants include Alejandro (Spanish), Alastair (Scottish), Alessandro (Italian) and Aleksandr (Russian).

3. Ana

Anna is the more common British form but it derives from the Hebrew Hannah while Ana is popular in much of the world, including Spain, Portugal, South America and Croatia.

4. Arya

This has become a popular girl’s name in the West on the strength of Maisie Williams’ character in Game Of Thrones. It’s also a Hindu unisex name and a masculine name in Iran and Indonesia.

5. Asa

This primarily masculine name has a number of different origins. There’s a Hebrew version meaning ‘healer’ and a Scandinavian one related to Æsir, the old Norse gods. Then there’s a Japanese Asa meaning ‘morning’, an Igbo Nigerian name meaning ‘Beautiful’ and a version from SouthEast Asia meaning ‘Hope’.

6. Asha

This is another name that featured in Game of Thrones but has a couple of real-world equivalent. There’s an Indian Asha from the Sanskrit word for ‘wish’ or ‘desire’ and a Swahili version meaning ‘Life’.

7. Elizabeth

Elizabeth comes from the Hebrew Elisheba meaning ‘pledged to God’. International variations include Isabelle (France, the Netherlands), Elżbieta (Poland, Lithuania) and Ealasaid (Scottish Gaelic).

8. Evander

Popularised by boxer Evander Holyfield, this is a name with dual roots. It can come from a Greek word for ‘good man’ but can also be an anglicization of the Gaelic name Iomhar – itself a variant of the name Ivor.

9. Henry

You might think Henry couldn’t be any more English. There have been eight English kings with the name after all, but it actually derives from the Old French Henri and the Germanic Heimeric. Other international variants include Henrik (Netherlands, Croatia), Enzo and Enrico (Italy) and Enrique (Spain).



10. Idris

There are two identical but unrelated forms of this name, popularised recently by actor Idris Elba. There’s a Welsh version meaning ‘Ardent lord’ and an Arabic one meaning ‘studious’.

11. Jacob

Jacob derives from Latin, Greek and Hebrew and there are variations of it all over the world. These include Jakob (Sweden, Germany and others), Yakup (Turkey), Tiago (Spain), Jakov (Serbia) and Jaakko (Finland).

12. James

James is another traditional name with plenty of regional variations, including Giacomo (Italian), Jaime (Portuguese, Spanish) and Séamus (Gaelic).

13. Kai

There are lots of cultural variations on the name Kai. In German it’s a derivation of the Frisian ‘Kaimbe, meaning ‘Warrior’. In Hawaii it’s a unisex name for ‘Sea’ and there are also Chinese, Finnish and numerous other takes on Kai. There’s also a Welsh version that is more usually spelled Cai.

14. Kim

Kim has a number of different roots. In the West it can be a unisex name in its own right or short for names like Kimberley and Kimball. In Vietnam, it can be a feminine name derived from the word for gold and in Scandinavia a boys’ name that is short for Joachim.

15. Kylie

Former Neighbour actress and pop icon Kylie Minogue popularised this name outside Australia. It’s from an Australian Aboriginal language for ‘boomerang’. Variations include Kylee and Kiley.

16. Linné

We love this beautiful Swedish boy’s name, named in honour of 18th Century Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus. Many parents also opt for the full Linnaeus while the most common female variant is Linnéa.

17. Malai

This is another beautiful name, this one distinctively feminine and derived from the Thai word for a type of flower garland.

18. Malia

This is distinct from Malai, being a Hawaiian variation of Mary. Barack and Michelle Obama chose the name for one of their daughters and it is also the name of a town in Crete, Greece.

19. Michael

Michael is a name of Hebrew origin meaning ‘Who is like God?’ There are numerous regional variations including Mikkel (Norway, Denmark), Miguel (Spain), Mihailo (Serbia) and Michel (France).

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20. Vinh

In the West you might think of The Fast and the Furious star Vin Diesel or a diminutive of Vincent like Vinnie. Vinh is actually a lovely unisex name from Vietnam, meaning ‘Glory’.

21. Zahara

Angelina Jolie chose this name for her adoptive daughter. It has dual roots, meaning ‘to shine’ in Hebrew and also ‘flower’ in Swahili.


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