Traveling Lite Baby Names

A small but mighty modern Hebrew name, Rom ranks in Israel's Top 100.

Sasha in all its forms -- which include Sacha and Sascha -- is rising in popularity for both boys and girls, especially with the Sasha spelling attached to one of the First Daughters.

This Hebrew name deserves consideration by parents looking for a traditional by underused girls name with a gorgeous meaning.

Streamlined spelling of Sophie popular in several European nations.

An underused member of the Lily group of names. The spelling makes it clear you want it to rhyme with Willa.

Cato may have risen to new prominence in the English speaking world as an ancient Roman boys' name, popularized by The Hunger Games. But in the Netherlands, it's most widely used as a short form for Catharina and other forms of Katherine, ranking close to the Top 100, higher than any formal variation of the name. Cato for a girl is a cute idea and a fresh way to shorten the ubiquitous Catherine.

Still very Old European, conjuring up the image of a classical composer. But surprisingly, it's now been in the Top 600 in the U.S. since the turn of the 21st century, largely thanks to Heidi Klum and Seal's young son.

Very popular in its native Turkey (Top 20 since 2014), this beautiful, celestial name has international appeal. The meaning of Miray is occasionally debated, with "shining like the moon" as one interpretation and "commander of the moonlight" being another.

Milla originated as a diminutive of names like Camilla and Ludmilla, but has since become well established as a name in its own right in several European countries. Milla Jovovich is a Ukrainian-born actress and supermodel.

Tim is a boyish short form very rarely given on its own.

Haris is in the top 50 in Bosnia and Herzegovina and makes a good choice for the globetrotting child. It would make for an excellent and not overused Arabic-English crossover choice.

The chic Euro spelling of Henry is rising along with the original form.

This is one Basque name that is very transferable to the American context — and it has a great meaning, too. The feminine version is Eider or Ederne.

The name Kiri was made famous by New Zealand soprano Kiri Te Kanawa, whose original name was Claire. Cute but slight, Kiri is close to several other names from Kiriah to Keira to Kyra and its diminutive Kyrie.

Consistently popular Latina gem name; good choice for those who can't shake Pearl's grandmotherly vibe.

A great uncommon English-Arabic crossover choice, easily pronounceable internationally.

This bold and straightforward name is a common variant of Tariq in Turkey and Bosnia and is used as an alternate spelling in Arabic-speaking countries.

Elif is the Turkish form of Alif, the name of the first letter of the Arabic alphabet. Actor Natalie Portman gave another spelling to her son, Aleph.

Idra is one of the less obvious botanical names. In ancient times, a fig tree was a symbol of learning, peace, and prosperity.