Given names used in the most languages
These names appeared in the largest variety of languages or cultures (out of 58 checked). The top ones here should sound familiar to people all around the world.
Naming a pet? Top dog names · Top cat names on FurryName
Names appearing in 21 languages
Names appearing in 19 languages
Names appearing in 18 languages
Names appearing in 17 languages
Names appearing in 16 languages
Names appearing in 15 languages
Names appearing in 14 languages
Names appearing in 13 languages
Names appearing in 12 languages
Names appearing in 11 languages
Names appearing in 10 languages
Names appearing in 9 languages
Names appearing in 8 languages
Names appearing in 7 languages
Names appearing in 6 languages
Names appearing in 5 languages
Names appearing in 4 languages
Names appearing in 3 languages
Featured in baby name books
Abraham
Abraham is a Hebrew name meaning “father of many” or “father of nations,” with forms like Abe, Avram, and the Arabic Ibrahim. The biblical Abraham, first called Abram, is regarded as a forefather of both the Jewish and Arab peoples through his sons Isaac and Ishmael.
Sources: 10,000 Baby Names, 1,107 Baby Names That Stand the Test of Time, Baby Names Book, Baby Names (Laura Emerson), Baby Names Made Easy, Baby Names Your Child Can Live With, The Best Baby Names for Boys, Classic Biblical Baby Names, The Everything Baby Names Book, Numerology for Baby Names, Unusual Baby Names
Alexander
Alexander is a Greek name meaning “defender of men” or “protector,” with countless forms worldwide, including Alessandro, Alejandro, Alistair, and Sasha. Alexander the Great made the name a byword for strength and leadership, and it has never been more popular; other famous bearers include Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.
Sources: 10,000 Baby Names, Baby Names Book, Baby Names (Laura Emerson), Baby Names Made Easy, Baby Names Your Child Can Live With, The Best Baby Names for Boys, Classic Biblical Baby Names, The Everything Baby Names Book, Numerology for Baby Names, 1,107 Baby Names That Stand the Test of Time
Alice
Alice is a Germanic name meaning “noble” or “nobility,” originally a form of Adelaide, with variants such as Alys and Alyce. Alice is also linked to a Greek word for “truthful.”
Sources: 10,000 Baby Names, 1,107 Baby Names That Stand the Test of Time, Baby Names Book, Baby Names (Laura Emerson), Baby Names Made Easy, Baby Names Your Child Can Live With, The Best Baby Names for Girls, The Everything Baby Names Book, Numerology for Baby Names
Ariel
Ariel is a Hebrew name meaning “lion of God” or “lioness of God,” used for boys and girls, with Arielle and Ariella as feminine spellings. In the Bible Ariel is a symbolic name for Jerusalem in Isaiah and the name of a leader sent by Ezra to find Levites.
Sources: 10,000 Baby Names, 1,107 Baby Names That Stand the Test of Time, Baby Names (Laura Emerson), Baby Names Made Easy, The Best Baby Names for Boys, The Best Baby Names for Girls, Classic Biblical Baby Names, The Everything Baby Names Book, Numerology for Baby Names, Unusual Baby Names, Baby Names Your Child Can Live With
Arthur
Arthur is a Celtic name usually traced to artos, “bear,” and glossed as “bear-hero” or “rock,” with Arturo and Artur as other forms. The legendary King Arthur made the name famous, and the Duke of Wellington and Tennyson’s Idylls of the King boosted it; it was in the U.S. top fifteen around 1900.
Sources: 10,000 Baby Names, Baby Names Book, Baby Names (Laura Emerson), Baby Names Made Easy, Baby Names Your Child Can Live With, The Best Baby Names for Boys, The Everything Baby Names Book, Numerology for Baby Names, 1,107 Baby Names That Stand the Test of Time
Daniel
Daniel is a Hebrew name meaning “God is my judge,” with Dan and Danny as nicknames. The biblical Daniel was an exiled Israelite who rose in Babylon by interpreting dreams and survived a night in the lion's den.
Sources: 10,000 Baby Names, 1,107 Baby Names That Stand the Test of Time, Baby Names Book, Baby Names (Laura Emerson), Baby Names Made Easy, Baby Names Your Child Can Live With, The Best Baby Names for Boys, Classic Biblical Baby Names, The Everything Baby Names Book, Numerology for Baby Names
David
David is a Hebrew name meaning “beloved,” “cherished,” or “darling.” The biblical David was a shepherd boy who slew Goliath, wrote psalms and music, and became a mighty king of Israel.
Sources: 10,000 Baby Names, Baby Names Book, Baby Names (Laura Emerson), Baby Names Made Easy, Baby Names Your Child Can Live With, The Best Baby Names for Boys, Classic Biblical Baby Names, Numerology for Baby Names, 1,107 Baby Names That Stand the Test of Time
Edward
Edward is an Old English royal name meaning “wealthy guardian” or “prosperous protector.” Edward is also glossed as “guardian of property,” and bearers include playwright Edward Albee, painter Edward Hopper, and actor Edward Norton.
Sources: 10,000 Baby Names, Baby Names Book, Baby Names (Laura Emerson), Baby Names Made Easy, The Best Baby Names for Boys, Numerology for Baby Names, 1,107 Baby Names That Stand the Test of Time, Baby Names Your Child Can Live With, The Everything Baby Names Book
Elizabeth
Elizabeth is a Hebrew name meaning “God is my oath,” “pledged to God,” or “God’s promise.” Elizabeth has more spin-offs than almost any name, from Beth, Betsy and Liz to Elsa and Isabel, and it has stayed near the top of U.S. charts for well over a century.
Sources: 10,000 Baby Names, 1,107 Baby Names That Stand the Test of Time, Baby Names Book, Baby Names (Laura Emerson), Baby Names Your Child Can Live With, The Best Baby Names for Girls, The Everything Baby Names Book, Numerology for Baby Names, Baby Names Made Easy
Eric
Eric is a Norse name meaning “eternal ruler” or “ruler of the people.” Erik the Red and several Scandinavian kings bore the name, and it peaked in the 1970s helped by Eric Clapton and speedskater Eric Heiden.
Sources: 10,000 Baby Names, 1,107 Baby Names That Stand the Test of Time, Baby Names Book, Baby Names (Laura Emerson), Baby Names Made Easy, Baby Names Your Child Can Live With, The Best Baby Names for Boys, The Everything Baby Names Book, Numerology for Baby Names
George
George is a Greek name meaning “farmer” or “one who works the earth.” Despite its humble meaning, George is a proud, royal name, carried by many kings and by Saint George, the dragon slayer and patron saint of England.
Sources: 10,000 Baby Names, 1,107 Baby Names That Stand the Test of Time, Baby Names Book, Baby Names (Laura Emerson), Baby Names Made Easy, Baby Names Your Child Can Live With, The Best Baby Names for Boys, The Everything Baby Names Book, Numerology for Baby Names
Grace
Grace comes from the Latin gratia and means “grace,” “favor,” or “pleasing,” with Gracie as a beloved pet form. A virtue name loved by the Puritans and frequent in the Bible, Grace was seen as dowdy in the 1970s but is now as popular as in the late 1800s; it also recalls the mythological Graces.
Sources: 10,000 Baby Names, 1,107 Baby Names That Stand the Test of Time, Baby Names (Laura Emerson), Baby Names Made Easy, Baby Names Your Child Can Live With, The Everything Baby Names Book, Numerology for Baby Names, Classic Biblical Baby Names, The Best Baby Names for Girls, Unusual Baby Names
Hector
Hector is a Greek name meaning “steadfast,” “holding fast,” or “restraint.” In The Iliad Hector was the brave, honorable prince of Troy who led its army and was killed by Achilles; in Arthurian legend, a Hector raised the young Arthur.
Sources: 10,000 Baby Names, Baby Names (Laura Emerson), Baby Names Made Easy, Baby Names Your Child Can Live With, The Best Baby Names for Boys, The Everything Baby Names Book, Numerology for Baby Names, Unusual Baby Names, 1,107 Baby Names That Stand the Test of Time, Badass Baby Names
Iris
Iris is Greek for “rainbow,” and is also a flower name. In Greek myth Iris was the rainbow goddess who carried messages between heaven and earth; the stylized iris is the fleur-de-lis of France.
Sources: 10,000 Baby Names, 1,107 Baby Names That Stand the Test of Time, Baby Names Book, Baby Names (Laura Emerson), Baby Names Made Easy, Baby Names Your Child Can Live With, The Best Baby Names for Girls, The Everything Baby Names Book, Numerology for Baby Names
James
James is a form of Jacob and shares its meaning, “supplanter” or “he who replaces.” James grew out of Jacob through Latin and Greek forms; in the New Testament two disciples bore it, chief among them James son of Zebedee, part of Jesus’s inner circle.
Sources: 10,000 Baby Names, Baby Names Book, Baby Names (Laura Emerson), Baby Names Made Easy, Baby Names Your Child Can Live With, The Best Baby Names for Boys, Classic Biblical Baby Names, The Everything Baby Names Book, Numerology for Baby Names, 1,107 Baby Names That Stand the Test of Time
Jane
Jane is the feminine form of John and means “God is gracious” or “God’s grace.” Jane was the dependable everygirl from the 1920s to the ’50s, faded in the sixties, and now sits mid-pack, suited to literature lovers (Jane Eyre, Jane Austen) and Anglophiles alike.
Sources: 10,000 Baby Names, Baby Names Book, Baby Names (Laura Emerson), Baby Names Made Easy, Baby Names Your Child Can Live With, The Best Baby Names for Girls, The Everything Baby Names Book, Numerology for Baby Names, 1,107 Baby Names That Stand the Test of Time
John
John is a Hebrew name meaning “God is gracious” or “God is good,” with forms across Europe such as Juan, Jean, Johann, and Sean. John was a top-five name for centuries until 1980; it remains sturdy and authoritative, evoking leaders like John Kennedy and John Adams as well as artists like John Lennon.
Sources: 10,000 Baby Names, Baby Names Book, Baby Names (Laura Emerson), Baby Names Made Easy, Baby Names Your Child Can Live With, The Best Baby Names for Boys, Classic Biblical Baby Names, The Everything Baby Names Book, Numerology for Baby Names, 1,107 Baby Names That Stand the Test of Time
Jordan
Jordan is a Hebrew name meaning “to descend” or “flowing down,” after the River Jordan where Jesus was baptized. Jordan caught on during the Crusades, when soldiers brought Jordan River water home to baptize their children.
Sources: 10,000 Baby Names, Baby Names (Laura Emerson), Baby Names Made Easy, Baby Names Your Child Can Live With, The Best Baby Names for Boys, The Best Baby Names for Girls, Classic Biblical Baby Names, The Everything Baby Names Book, Numerology for Baby Names, Unusual Baby Names
Joseph
Joseph is a Hebrew name meaning “God will add” or “God will increase.” In the Bible, Joseph was Jacob’s favorite son, sold into slavery in Egypt, and another Joseph was the carpenter husband of Mary.
Sources: 10,000 Baby Names, Baby Names Book, Baby Names (Laura Emerson), Baby Names Made Easy, Baby Names Your Child Can Live With, The Best Baby Names for Boys, Classic Biblical Baby Names, The Everything Baby Names Book, Numerology for Baby Names, 1,107 Baby Names That Stand the Test of Time
Joyce
Joyce is usually read as “joyous,” from Latin or French. Joyce originally meant “lord,” from a Breton name that became an Anglo-Norman surname borne by one of the Galway “tribes.”
Sources: 10,000 Baby Names, Baby Names (Laura Emerson), Baby Names Made Easy, Baby Names Your Child Can Live With, The Everything Baby Names Book, Numerology for Baby Names, The Best Baby Names for Girls, 1,107 Baby Names That Stand the Test of Time, Baby Names Book, Irish Names for Children
Mary
Mary is linked to the sea, read as “drop of the sea” and later “star of the sea,” from Latin stella maris. Mary also traces to the Hebrew Miriam, meaning “bitter” or “sea of bitterness.”
Sources: 10,000 Baby Names, 1,107 Baby Names That Stand the Test of Time, Baby Names Book, The Best Baby Names for Girls, Baby Names (Laura Emerson), Baby Names Made Easy, Baby Names Your Child Can Live With, The Everything Baby Names Book, Numerology for Baby Names, Classic Biblical Baby Names
Michael
Michael is a Hebrew name posing the question “who is like God,” and is the name of an archangel. Michael is the archangel who protects Israel in Daniel and leads heaven’s angels against the devil in Revelation; he is also patron saint of soldiers and appears in the Koran.
Sources: 10,000 Baby Names, Baby Names Book, Baby Names (Laura Emerson), Baby Names Made Easy, Baby Names Your Child Can Live With, The Best Baby Names for Boys, Classic Biblical Baby Names, The Everything Baby Names Book, Numerology for Baby Names, 1,107 Baby Names That Stand the Test of Time
Paul
Paul is a Latin name meaning “small” or “humble,” with forms around the world such as Pablo, Paolo and Pavel. The apostle Paul, born Saul, persecuted Christians until a blinding vision on the road to Damascus, then became a central figure of the early Church and wrote much of the New Testament.
Sources: 10,000 Baby Names, Baby Names (Laura Emerson), Baby Names Made Easy, Baby Names Your Child Can Live With, The Best Baby Names for Boys, Classic Biblical Baby Names, The Everything Baby Names Book, Numerology for Baby Names, 1,107 Baby Names That Stand the Test of Time
Peter
Peter comes from the Greek Petros, “rock,” and has countless international forms, including Pierre, Pedro, Pyotr and Pieter. The apostle Peter, a Galilean fisherman born Simon, was renamed by Jesus as the rock of his church and is regarded as the first pope.
Sources: 10,000 Baby Names, Baby Names Book, Baby Names (Laura Emerson), Baby Names Made Easy, Baby Names Your Child Can Live With, The Best Baby Names for Boys, Classic Biblical Baby Names, The Everything Baby Names Book, Numerology for Baby Names, 1,107 Baby Names That Stand the Test of Time
Rose
Rose comes from the Latin name of the flower, with many forms such as Rosa, Rosie, Rosalie, and Rosetta. Rose was the earliest flower name, probably because of its connection with the Virgin Mary, and it stands for love and purity, while the Bible refers to the “rose of Sharon.”
Sources: 10,000 Baby Names, Baby Names Book, Baby Names (Laura Emerson), Baby Names Made Easy, Baby Names Your Child Can Live With, The Best Baby Names for Girls, Classic Biblical Baby Names, The Everything Baby Names Book, Numerology for Baby Names, 1,107 Baby Names That Stand the Test of Time
Samuel
Samuel is a Hebrew name meaning “God has heard” or “asked of God.” The biblical Samuel, born to Hannah who had asked God for him, became Israel’s last judge and first prophet.
Sources: 10,000 Baby Names, 1,107 Baby Names That Stand the Test of Time, Baby Names Book, Baby Names (Laura Emerson), Baby Names Made Easy, Baby Names Your Child Can Live With, The Best Baby Names for Boys, Classic Biblical Baby Names, The Everything Baby Names Book, Numerology for Baby Names
Sarah
Sarah is a Hebrew name meaning “princess,” with nicknames such as Sally and Sadie. In Genesis, the beautiful Sarai was renamed Sarah and, late in life, bore Isaac to Abraham, earning the title “mother of nations.”
Sources: 10,000 Baby Names, 1,107 Baby Names That Stand the Test of Time, Baby Names Book, Baby Names (Laura Emerson), Baby Names Made Easy, Baby Names Your Child Can Live With, Classic Biblical Baby Names, The Everything Baby Names Book, Numerology for Baby Names
Tobias
Tobias is a Hebrew name meaning “God is good,” with Toby as its classic nickname and Tobiah and Tobin as related forms. In the Book of Tobit, Tobias travels with the angel Raphael, defeats a demon, and marries Sarah.
Sources: 10,000 Baby Names, 1,107 Baby Names That Stand the Test of Time, Baby Names Book, Baby Names (Laura Emerson), Baby Names Made Easy, Baby Names Your Child Can Live With, The Best Baby Names for Boys, Classic Biblical Baby Names, The Everything Baby Names Book, Numerology for Baby Names
Veronica
Veronica is a Latin name meaning “true image,” with Veronique and Veronika as foreign forms and Ronnie and Vera as nicknames. By legend, Saint Veronica wiped Jesus’s face with her veil as he carried the cross, and the cloth kept the image of his face, though she never appears in the Bible itself.
Sources: 10,000 Baby Names, 1,107 Baby Names That Stand the Test of Time, Baby Names Book, Baby Names (Laura Emerson), Baby Names Made Easy, Baby Names Your Child Can Live With, The Best Baby Names for Girls, Classic Biblical Baby Names, The Everything Baby Names Book
Walter
Walter is a German name meaning “ruler of the army” or “army commander,” though some books render it “ruler of the people.” The name was a U.S. top-fifteen pick in the early 1900s and is tied to Walter Scott, Walter Raleigh, Walter Cronkite, and Walt Disney; Walt and Wally may make it fresh again.
Sources: 10,000 Baby Names, 1,107 Baby Names That Stand the Test of Time, Baby Names Book, Baby Names Made Easy, The Best Baby Names for Boys, Unusual Baby Names, Baby Names (Laura Emerson), Baby Names Your Child Can Live With, The Everything Baby Names Book
Book links are affiliate links; we may earn a commission on purchases.
Sources
您好！要切换到中文版网站吗？
切换到中文