Traveling Lite Baby Names

Davi is a Portuguese variant of David, meaning 'beloved'. It is especially popular in Brazil, where it ranks in the Top 10 names for boys. A rising star in the UK in 2023, Davi was also given to around 140 boys in the US in the same year. While some parents outside of Portuguese speaking communities might be using the name as a streamlined and modern twist on David, the original Portuguese pronunciation is slightly different to the English DAY-vee, and is said da-VEE.

A symbolic name for boys born during a period between Passover and Shavuot.

Mauro, a Top 100 name in Spain and Puerto Rico, is etymologically unrelated to the girls' name Maura, but that won't stop many English speakers from drawing the comparison.

In Germany and Finland, a common short form of names beginning with El-, including Elizabeth, Elina, and Elisa.

Although practically unheard of in the US, Lovi is a name you should consider borrowing from its native Sweden. It follows the on-trend formula of traveling lite names — four letters, ending in I — and could easily cross cultures. The visual similarity to the word "love" doesn't hurt either.

A girl named Liz on her birth certificate could feel deprived of her full identity. Call her Liz, but name her Elizabeth -- or at least Lizbeth or Eliza.

Streamlined spelling found all across Europe. The Spanish Filipo has extra zip.

Top 100 choice in Puerto Rico.

Adnan in the Muslim religion was an ancestor of Muhammad. More recently, the name was introduced to many Westerners via Adnan Syed, the young man at the center of the sensational Serial podcast.

An international possibility, heard from England and Israel to Poland, Latvia, and Albania. It is a name with a vast range of possible meanings and origins, including: a Polish variation of Jane, meaning "God is Gracious"; a Croatian, Bosnian, and Serbian short form of Susanna, meaning "lily"; a Persian name meaning "woman"; a Mongolian name meaning "bullfinch"; and a Shona name from Zimbabwe meaning "a hundred".

This perky Spanish nickname deserves to be more popular. Singer Michael Bublé recently used it as one of the middle names for his daughter Cielo, which may give Yoli a boost.

Short, sweet, and perhaps misleadingly simple, Sina is in fact a multicultural choice with a wide range of origins. In Samoan mythology, Sina is used for a number of figures, and notably appears in the creation story of the coconut tree, Sina and the Eel. In this case, the name means "white or gray haired" and appears in the Disney movie Moana.

A Top 20 choice in Bosnia and Herzegovina, this is a handsome variant of Arabic Amin.

Ido is a multicultural name seldom heard in modern America but popular in the Middle East. As transliterations, Ido and its other form Iddo are equally correct.

Friendly and charming international variation of Matthew, common in Estonia.

Karin was a fairly popular spelling variation of Karen in the US but fell off the Top 1000 in the late 80s, as Karen's popularity wained. Today, the Karen meme interferes with the otherwise appealing sound of this name.

Arabic form of Aaron, featured in the tales of The Thousand and One Nights. The name Harun also appears several times in the Quran.

In its original form, Shiloh is a soft unisex name, with connections to both the Bible and American history. While it is often associated with Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's daughter, born in 2006, Shiloh ranks in the US Top 500 for girls and boys.

This short form of classic Victor is popular in its own right in Belgium and the Netherlands.