Looking for girl baby names beyond the US top 10 lists? There are so many pretty baby name choices for girls for all around the world. Cases in point: Aurora (Norway), Mei (Japan), Lesedi (South Africa), Catalina (Argentina), and Sienna (Australia). The structure and sounds of these names make them stand out among the names we hear very often. Yet their global appeal makes them fit right at home here in the US, whose fabric is made of so many different cultures.
There are many reasons to pick a baby girl name that’s common in another part of the world.
“Some parents want to honor some part of their ancestry — we see that in families of different heritages, especially when the baby will have one culture’s last name and they want to honor the other culture with the first name,” says Laura Wattenberg of Baby Name Wizard. “Or they simply want to show pride in their own culture.”
But Wattenberg also says folks don’t have to have heritage of a certain country to use a name that’s common there.
“This is melting pot name culture,” she explains. For example, we “don’t meet a Sean and assume he’s from Ireland. Names popular in other countries give parents fresh ideas that still have some roots behind them.”
So what are parents in other countries naming their babies? Lucky for us, Wattenberg and her team tracks the stats for many different countries. We combed through their lists to find 50 names that are hot in other parts of the world that could be a perfect fit for an American girl as well.
Comb through the 50 baby girl names on this list — we tried to include something for everyone from many different countries. Wattenberg explains that not every country makes its official baby name data public, so not every place is represented here. (Still, we’ve covered every continent.)
We hope this list helps expectant parents find the perfect name for their own future world traveler.
Camille
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A version of Camilla, Camille sounds oh-so-stylish. (Or should we say très chic?) It means “pure” or “of unblemished character.” It’s a common choice in Quebec and other countries with French-speakers, including Belgium, Switzerland, and (of course) France.
Farah
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Meaning “joy” in Arabic, Farah is the perfect name for a happy little bundle, and it’s currently the #12 baby girl name in Jordan.
Aurora
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Latin for “dawn,” the name Aurora makes us imagine the natural beauty of the aurora borealis. The celestial name is popular in Norway and several other European countries.
Mei
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Mei is short and super sweet. It ranks in the top 10 baby names in Japan, where it means “bud” or “sprout.” In Chinese, the name means “beautiful.”
Tess
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Tess was once only considered a nickname for Theresa — meaning “harvester” — but it’s become so popular, it’s being given to little girls as their full first name. This name ranks high in the Netherlands.
Lesedi
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The #8 name for baby girls in South Africa, Lesedi means “light” in Tswana.
Amaia
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A more unconventional alternative to Maya, Amaia means “the end” in Basque, and it’s popular in Puerto Rico.
Freya
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Freya was the goddess of fertility in Norse mythology. The name is currently #14 for girls in Wales and is common throughout the UK.
Catalina
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Catalina is a Spanish version of Catherine, which means “pure” or “unsullied.” It’s popular in Argentina and Chile.
Aoife
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Irish names can sometimes be tough for Americans to pronounce, but with this name — pronounced EE-fa — just tell them, “It’s like Eva with an F.” It means “beauty” in Gaelic and was the moniker of a legendary warrior princess. Sounds like a strong choice to us!
Nina
Currently the #2 most popular girl name in Slovakia, Nina is a Russian nickname for Anne and Antonia. It is also used in a variety of other languages.
Aisha
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Meaning “alive” in Arabic, Aisha is one of the most popular baby girl names in Kazakhstan.
Tamar
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Tamar is currently the #1 baby name for girls in Israel. It’s Hebrew for “palm tree.”
Isidora
Isidora seems perfect for parents who love the name Isabel but are looking for something less common in the US. The name is popular in Chile and is a combo of the name of the Egyptian goddess of fertility (Isis) and a Greek word meaning “gift.”
Ramona
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Ramona is the female version of Ramone, which means “wise protection.” It’s a chart-topper for girls’ names in Paraguay.
Sienna
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Sienna is a brownish orange-red color and is a type of clay of the same color. It’s a popular name choice for baby girls in several different regions of Australia.
Tui
Tui (pronounced Twee) is an adorable baby girl name that’s popular in New Zealand. It comes from the Maori word for a type of bird.
Zahra
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Meaning “brilliant” or “bright,” Zahra is currently the #1 baby name for girls born in Azerbaijan.
Astrid
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A common name for girls in Sweden and Denmark, Astrid is a compound name meaning “a god” and “beautiful” or “fair.”
Venla
Venla isn’t a name we hear every day but it seems familiar and is easy to pronounce. It’s a feminine form of the name Wendel, which means Vandal, a name of a fifth-century Germanic tribe. The name is common for baby girls in Finland.
Yuna
Yuna is a pretty name that’s easy to pronounce. It’s the #3 baby name for girls in Japan, and it is sometimes used in other languages too, such as Chinese, Brazilian Portuguese, and Korean.
Valentina
What a romantic name! Who doesn’t think of Valentine’s Day when they hear Valentina? The name is #2 for baby girls born in Mexico and it’s popular in other Spanish-speaking countries as well.
Ines
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Ines is a French version of Inés or Agnes, and it’s currently in the top 10 baby names given to girls in France. This sophisticated moniker is a fitting choice for parents that love the sound of French names but don’t want one that’s heard often in the US (such as Chloe, Eva, Sofia, etc.).
Defne
Defne is popular in Turkey, where it’s a translation of Daphne meaning “bay leaf” or “laurel”
Luciana
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The #2 baby name for girls in Colombia, Luciana is also used in Italian and Portuguese and in other Spanish-speaking countries.
Julieta
A popular name choice for baby girls in Uruguay, Julieta is another form of Julie or Juliet, which make us all think of the romantic yet tragic Shakespeare play.
Noemi
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The Spanish version of Naomi, which is Hebrew for “my delight,” this pretty name is currently popular in Italy and several other European and South American countries.
Tia
Tia is sometimes short for Letitia, which means “happiness,” but it is used in lots of different languages and has a variety of meanings. It’s often used in New Zealand, where Tia was a historical Maori explorer and chief.
Mariana
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Mariana is sometimes used as a combination of Maria and Ana, but it originated as a female form of Marianus, meaning “Mars” — aka the Roman god of War. It’s a popular baby name in Portugal.
Daniela
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Daniela comes from Daniel, of course, meaning “God is my judge.” It is on the top 10 list of baby girl names in Spain.
Matilda
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Matilda is a popular girl name in several different regions of Australia and in Tasmania, and you’ll find Matildas in many countries throughout the world. This strong Germanic name means “powerful in battle.”
Marija
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The J is silent in this Slovene version of Maria/Mary. It’s the #1 baby name in Bulgaria and is used often in Croatia as well.
Luisa
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Luisa comes from the name Louis, which means “famous in war.” Baby girls named Luisa can be found in Germany and several other European countries.
Ana
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Ana is a simply beautiful name meaning “gracious” or “merciful.” Number one for baby girls in Austria, the name is also common in Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Serbia, and other countries.
Nora
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Nora is sometimes short for Honora (meaning “honor”) or Eleanor (meaning “light”). It’s used in many languages including Dutch, English, German, Irish, Italian, Norwegian, and Swedish. Nora is currently a chart-topper in Hungary and several other European countries.
Sóley
We’re loving the too-cute Icelandic name Sóley, which is the word for buttercup, a yellow wildflower.
Isla
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Isla comes from the name of a Scottish island; it comes in at #4 for baby girl names in both Scotland and England.
Yasmine
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Yasmine comes from an Arabic name for the sweet-smelling jasmine bush. Yasmines can be found in Belgium, France, and Quebec.
Adele
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Adele originated as a short form of Adelaide, meaning “nobility.” It is on the list of top 10 baby names in France.
Liliana
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According to Baby Name Wizard, Liliana probably means “lily,” which also makes a cute nickname for this pretty four-syllable name. It’s popular in Poland, and there are also Lilianas found in Hungary and Portugal.
Mila
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Among the top baby girl names in Switzerland is Mila, which means “gracious, dear.” It’s a common name in many other countries too.
Tereza
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The number two baby name in the Czech Republic, Tereza comes with a Z that offers an interesting twist on Theresa, which means “harvester.”
Alise
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Alise means Alice in Latvia, where it’s the #3 most popular baby name.
Bianca Maria
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Bianca means “white,” and Maria means “Mary.” Together they form this very lovely name, which is common for baby girls in Romania.
Polina
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If Polina seems like a dainty name, maybe it’s because it’s a female version of Paul, which means “small.” Polina is the #3 baby name in Belarus.
Katarina
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Katarina is a top name for girls in Serbia (and it’s well-known in the US). It’s another form of Katherine, which means “pure” or “unsullied.”
Linnea
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Linnea is one of the top 10 names in Sweden. It’s the name of a flower that Swedish botanist Karl von Linné named after himself.
Aylin
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Aylin (pronounced like Eileen) means “of the moon” and is popular in Turkey and Azerbaijan.
Anastasia
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Anastasia means “of the resurrection” and is popular among Eastern Orthodox Christians. Currently, it tops baby name charts in Russia, Ukraine, and Georgia.
This article was first published on CafeMom and was republished on theAsianparent with their permission.
