International Forms of Classic Names

What with Paul Simon's classic lyric about Julio down by the schoolyard and several distinguished bearers, this livelier Spanish version of Julius is completely familiar to the non-Hispanic community and would make a great choice for a bicultural family. Popular in Brazil, it also ranks in the US Top 600 and given to more than 500 boys each year. NFL Atlanta Falcons star Julio Jones bears this name.

Shortening Francisco somehow makes it sound even cooler. Cisco is also the name of a digital security company.

A feminine multicultural nickname name perfectly able to stand on its own.

Giulio is a Top 50 name in Italy, and we think Giulio is a good candidate to follow, especially now that Giovanni and Gianni are in up in the US charts. It's an interesting alternative to popular cousins Julian and Julius. And of course the most famous Giulio of all is the Emperor, Giulio Cesare.

Delicately pretty name all but unknown here.

While the (male) French form is pronounced in English like the girls' name Michelle and the German form had a hard k-like sound in the middle, this variation of Michael is distinguished by being used evenly for girls and boys in the U.S. For either gender, though, pronunciation issues will dominate.

Spelled Alastríona in its native language, this Irish cousin of Alexandra is little-known but fairly intuitive.

This international variation was publicized by Olympic skater Ekaterina Gordeeva.

Remember Zuzu, the adorable little girl you watch every Christmas in "It's a Wonderful Life"? Here's a direct path to that nickname, a lot more zesty than the more familiar Susannah.

This pretty palindrome name is rarely heard in the US, but could make an interesting namesake for an aunt or grandma Ann. It's also a German diminutive form of Anna.

Incredibly handsome and super smooth, Duarte sounds like it came straight out of a romance novel. You almost wouldn’t believe it’s derived from Edward.

A very common name in Catalonia, in the northeast of Spain, in no small part because it translates as "peace" in the Catalan tongue. Alec and HIlaria Baldwin used it as one of the middle names for their son Eduardo.

Kalindi is a lovely, rhythmic name refers to one of the seven sacred rivers of India.

Sidonia is an international spin on the recently-trendy Sydney. Plus Sidonia has an advantage over the French Sidonie in that it sounds more distinct to the English speaker. An original way to honor grandpa Sid.

For English speakers, Gabi is usually short for Gabrielle. Elsewhere - such as Spain, Latin America and Israel - it can also be a male nickname for Gabriel. For rock musician Gabi Hun, it's short for Gábor.

Rolando, along with brother name Orlando, are among the most attractive and appealing of Latinate names. It has been in the US Top 1000 every year since 1946.

Goodbye Uncle Vanya and hello...It Girl baby name? It's true — style icon Chloë Sevigny chose the name Vanja for her son, born in 2020. The name honors Vanja's paternal heritage — Chloë's partner is the Croatian-born gallerist Siniša Mačkovic.

Appealing, lively, and distinctive.

As Sophia gets more popular, parents search out more unusual spins, and the Z makes this qualify.