International Baby Names: 12+ Basque Country Beauties
By Emily Cardoza, Nothing Like a Name
While scrolling through the 2015 names list (because what else would one do in their spare time?) a lovely name caught my eye – Arantxa. Also spelled Aranza or Arantzazu, it’s a Basque name meaning “thornbush”. I’ve never seen this name before, and a cursory glance around name sites showed it indeed to be a rarity.
As a matter of fact, Basque name imports from that area of northern Spain and southern France are few and far between. Here are some other choice international baby names picks for your consideration!
Most x’s are pronounced as “sh” in Basque. English (or other well-known) equivalent names are included in italics!
Girls’ Names
Alazne
Pronounced “al-az-neh,” it means “miracle.” While the pronunciation might be a bit difficult for English-speaking audiences, Alazne feels like an updated version of Alana. It’s also a roundabout way to get to the nickname Ally. Other feminine names meaning “miracle” include Harika and Nasia.
Pronounced “El-i-sha-neh”, it looks a lot like “elixir”, and may be mistaken as such. Still, it could be a pretty way to honor a familial Elizabeth or Elaine. It also sounds like the female equivalent of Elisha. Elixane means “pledged to God”, and has one celebrity endorsement – a French tennis player, Elixane Lechemia.
Mariska Hartigay introduced us to the adorable “sk” sound, and Saskia has been trending overseas and starting to catch on in the US. This cute variation of Josepha offers the same unexpected sound, as well as the nickname Jo or JoJo. And Joska has never been recorded in US data, for all you fans of the uncommon!
The form may fool you, but Leire actually sounds like Lay-ree and fits in with popular “ay-ee” names: Kaylee, Daisy, Maisie. It’s the name of a mountain in Navarre, site of a monastery since the eighth century. Leire and its alternate spelling Leyre were given to 14 girls each in the US last year.
Want to accentuate the x-factor but keep a soft sound? Xuxa is for you! Pronounced Shoo-shah, Xuxa means “lily” and was only used for about 30 children total in the 1990’s. An eponymous Brazilian entertainer brought the name to US attention, but I haven’t been able to find out whether the name ranks highly in Brazil.
A few others are Aiaia, Berezi, Elixabete, Erlea, Esti, Frantziska, Garden, Izar, Jone, Katalin, Lorea, Nahia and Zorine.
Boys’ Names
Argider
With both Archer and Arthur in the Top 300, Argider may not be as absurd as one might think. It means “beautiful light” in Basque, and it could use Darry or Argie as nicknames. It would definitely raise some eyebrows, but its meaning and heritage are fantastic.
Eneko – Inigo
A sweet name with a sweet meaning: “my little one.” Eneko fits in with the current ends-in-O trend – think Nico, Milo, Emilio – and has an easy spelling-pronunciation connection. It’s not super relevant, but I like that the Japanese word for cat, “neko,” is included too.
Both Ilario and Ilaria are recorded names, but Ilari is elusive – the Basque name means “cheerful”, and definitely has an upbeat vibe. It may be confused with Hilary, so I’d recommend waiting until after the election to use it.
While Unai ranks in the Top 50 in certain parts of Spain, it’s all but unheard of in the US. It’s an attractive, vowel-heavy name meaning “cowherd,” and fits in with other new classics like Noah and Kai. Feminine Una has been slowly increasing on the charts, so why not Unai?
Like Ilari, Zorion means “happiness”. It may sound like a modern invented name, but it has a history in other countries and has been used occasionally in the US since 2001. I personally think Zor and Zori are cool nicknames, too. If you like Orion, try adding a Z!
Also: Bakar, Basajaun, Eder, Ekain, Ganix, Ibai, IkerJakes, Josu, Juken, Luken, Marko, Mikel, Mitxel, Patxi, Peio, Peru, Xanti, Zeru and Zuzen.