The big appeal of International Girl Names

Names hold a special significance in every culture. Each country and people group have their own historical names with beautiful meanings and messages. It’s not always clear where names come from, because some names we call our own even originated from another language! However, many international girl names are distinctly foreign to English speakers, and they can be quite appealing.

History and Origins of International Girl Names

There are so many different sources of international baby girl names that it would be difficult to tell you exactly where they come from or what their importance is to the culture. In many cases, foreign names come from sacred religious texts and stories. Catholic names in their different forms are spread around Europe, the US, and Latin America while Hindu names can be found in India and east Asia and Islamic names originate from the Middle East.

Many historic names have their roots in religious beliefs of various cultures. But word names are arguably just as common. Word names usually come from root languages like Latin, Arabic, Gaelic, Greek or Bantu. These names tend to change and evolve a bit as languages reform, resulting in a variety of different spellings of the same base name. Despite the different spellings, each name will have the same roots and meaning.

International Baby Girl Names Trending in 2016

Between 2010 and 2016, parents in the US, UK, Australia, and Canada sought out more and more international names for girls. Statistics (e.g from SSA.GOV) from these years show an increased usage of a lot of international variations of traditional names, as well as unique international names being brought to other countries. French, Spanish, and Italian names appear to be on the rise in English-speaking countries around the world.

Why You Might Want to Give Your Daughter an International Name

The world is becoming more diverse all the time. Although it can be nice to give your daughter a family name passed down through the years, it’s also a wonderful tribute to your roots if you give your baby girl an international name from a culture you are related to. You may know that your ancestors came from a certain part of the world that isn’t your home country now, so why not give your little girl a special name from their culture? There are plenty of international girl names available for you to pick your favorite.

Another thing that an international name gives your baby girl is the ability to fit in around the world. She will have something unique about her that helps to identify with other people from different cultures than her own. Even as she grows up, your daughter won’t feel so separate from everyone else in the world, because her name binds her to other places and other cultures.

Celebrities that Chose International Names for Girl

Even celebrities like to give international girl names to their babies. Here are some of the prettiest international names given between 2014 and 2016:

Victoria’s Secret model Candice Swanepoel and Brazilian model Hermann Nicoli named their baby Anacã.

Liv Tyler and David Gardner named their daughter Lula Rose Gardner

Zooey Deschanel and Jacob Pechenik revealed their daughter’s name is Elsie Otter

Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Choose Bianka Bella for Third Daughter

@vanessabryant and I are beyond excited to welcome our newest baby girl, Bianka!! #BabyBlessing #SweetBaby #AnotherAngel ❤ Bianka Bella Bryant December 5, 2016 7 pounds 5 ounces 20 inches A post shared by Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) on Dec 21, 2016 at 5:20pm PST

Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling’s Baby Name Amada Lee Gosling

James Van Der Beek and his wife, Kimberly, chose the name Emilia (a variation of Emily and Amelia)

The daughter of reality-TV alum Audrina Patridge and her husband, professional BMX dirt bike rider Corey Bohan, named their girl Kirra Max

John Legend and Chrissy Teigen Welcome Daughter Luna Simone

Dancing star Kristina Rihanoff and her partner, former rugby player Ben Cohen, named their daughter Milena

It’s national baby swimming week! Take your babes to @waterbabiesuk classes ! Mila absolutely loves them !!??? A post shared by Kristina Rihanoff (@krihanoff) on Oct 31, 2016 at 1:55am PDT

Model Coco Rocha and husband James Conran named for their baby girl Ioni

Emilie de Ravin, the ‘Once Upon a Time’ star, and her boyfriend, director and writer Eric Bilitch, named thei baby girl Vera Audrey

Make the Best Choice for Your Family

Ultimately, it’s up to you what you want to do for your daughter on her naming day. An international baby girl name can be a wonderful gift to give her on her very first day in the world, if that’s what you decide on. Whatever you do, be careful to choose something that will define her beautifully and make her proud to hear her name throughout her life.

Top 50 Popular International Girl Names List

Amelie (French name meaning “Hard Working, Industrious”) Katrin (Swedish form of “Katherine”, meaning “Virginal purity”) Bronwen (Welsh name meaning “Dark and Pure”) Decima (Latin name meaning “Tenth”) Persis (Biblical name meaning “That Which Cuts or Divides”) Viveca (Scandinavian name meaning “Life”) Sarita (Spanish name meaning “Princess”, a form of the name “Sarah”) Zuzanna (Hebrew name meaning “Lily”, a variant of the name “Susannah”) Ilse (Dutch name meaning “Oath of God”, a form of the name “Elizabeth”) Isa (Spanish name meaning “Beautiful”, a form of the name “Isabella”) Fleur (French name meaning “Flower”) Belita (Spanish name meaning “Beautiful”) Aurora (Name of a mythical Roman goddess) Veera (Indian name meaning “Brave”) Nia (Swahili name meaning “Will”) Salome (Biblical name meaning “Peace”) Faustine (Latin name meaning “Fortunate One”) Elodie (Germanic name meaning “Foreign Riches”) Ambrette (French word name, taken from a pear dessert) Reine (French name meaning “Queen”) Nyala (Bantu name meaning “Antelope”) Abena (Ghanaian name meaning “Born on a Tuesday”) Salana (Latin name meaning “Sun”) Minerva (Etruscan name meaning “Intellect”. Also, a Roman goddess of wisdom and war) Alekko (Slavic name meaning “Defender of Men”. A form of the name “Alexandra”) Anya (Russian name meaning “Gracious” or “Bringing Goodness”) Zola (Zulu name meaning “Quiet, Tranquil”) Bruna (Italian name meaning “Dark Haired”) Lavanda (Italian name meaning “Lavender”) Moira (Greek name meaning “Destiny, Fate”) Sevilla (Spanish place name, the name of a coastal city) Marcela (Spanish name meaning “Warring”) Avita (Latin name meaning “Life”) Iona (Old Norse name meaning “Island”) Aberdeen (Scottish place name, the city of Aberdeen) Estrella (Spanish name meaning “Star”) Candela (Catalan name meaning “Candlemaker”) Kalindi (Sanskrit name meaning “The Sun”. Also, a Hindu name referencing the Sacred Kalindi river) Xia (Greek name meaning “Welcoming, Hospitable”) Teagan (Irish name meaning “Poet”) Orla (Irish name meaning “Golden Princess”) Abella (French name meaning “Breath”) Odette (Germanic name meaning “Wealth”. Feminine form of the name “Otto”) Paloma (Latin name meaning “Dove”) Tierra (Spanish name meaning “Earth”) Catalina (Portuguese name meaning “Pure”) Giulia (Italian name meaning “Youthful”) Verona (Italian place name for the city of Verona) Matilde (French name meaning “Strength for Battle”) Chiara (Italian name meaning “Light”)

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