International Baby Boy Names

Emir can be a title of honor in Arabic-speaking nations. In Turkey and the Balkan countries, Emir is one of the fairly popular Arabic names for boys.

Japanese writer Haruki Murakami, well known in the U. S. , might inspire some namesakes.

Thierry, which is very popular in France, would make an interesting import; it's somewhat familiar through designer Thierry Mugler and international soccer star Thierry Henry. It almost sounds like Terry, but not quite.

Depending on your cultural references, you may think of Phantom of the Opera author Gaston Leroux, or the macho villain of Beauty and the Beast. While he's hardly a role model (unless you too use antlers in all of your decorating), his name was likely chosen because it's a classic in France. It's been used there since the middle ages, partly in honor of the Frankish bishop St Gaston. It went out of style in France mid-century, but now it's having a revival, entering the Top 300 in 2017.

Mime Marcel Marceau actually had two versions of the same name. Marcel, Marceau, Marcella, Marcus, Mark -- all are variation of the Roman mythological name Mars, the god of war.

Feels as strong and international as Roman, with none of the popularity. Arman might be a form of the German Herman or of the Persian/Kazakh/Armenian Armen or Arman, meaning wish or hope.

Mustafa is a name widely used in Turkey, as it was the given name of the man popularly known as Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey. Mustafa is also an epithet of the prophet Muhammad and was the name of four Ottoman sultans. Other spellings include Mostafa, Moustafa, and Moustapha.

Adriano is a dashing Italian name which gets around the possible gender confusion of Adrian.

This euphonious Italian Italian name for boys, often associated with the painter Modigliani, makes a recommended creative choice. The Spanish tend to spell it Amadeo.

Torquil, is a quirky but intriguing option that evolved from an ancient Scandinavian nameand was imported into Scotland by the Vikings. The Gaelic form of the name is Torcaill.

This Dutch form of the ancient Greek saints' name Tycho is in the Top 100 in The Netherlands. While largely unknown in the English-speaking world, it's got a cool sound and ancient roots, which equals a winning choice.

A definite improvement over the English Humbert, Umberto has nevertheless been rarely heard outside the Italian community.

An everyday name in France, a charismatic possibility here.

The phonetic spelling of Eyþór, without the thorn that would trip up many English-speakers.

Ikenna's meaning makes it a subtle way to honor a father or grandfather. Ikenna is the name of a popular YouTube star.

Nikau is among the most popular Maori names for boys in New Zealand. It sounds like a cousin to Nicholas, but Nikau is actually the name of a palm tree native to the islands.

Soundalike cousin of Sammy, cute but slight on its own.

Has a lot of energy and charm, as does the Italian form, Taddeo.

Also a synonym for the Hebrew month of Iyar, which usuually falls in May, would work and play well with others like Zev and Lev.

With its gentle but solid sounds, Musa is a name that feels both dignified and energetic. The Arabic, Turkish, and Persian form of Moses, Musa is popular internationally, from The Netherlands to Turkey to The UK.