525+ European Names for Girls and Boys

An interesting and appealingly international spin on Barbara, with a lot of charm and energy.

Bence has been the most popular boy name in Hungary for over a decade — it’s held the top spot since 2003, the year Hungary began releasing its baby name data. Bence is the Hungarian translation of Vincent and is also occasionally used as a nickname for Benedek.

Popular name in Spain's Basque country, thanks to cowboyish meaning, virtually unknown elsewhere.

Katharina is an attractive form of Katherine and a great way to update a classic. But English speakers may want to choose the Katerina or Katarina spelling to avoid pronunciation confusion.

Octave shortens Octavius to a more manageable length, keeping the "eighth" meaning. In English speaking countries, however, people could easily confuse this with the musical term octave.

Despite its ancient sound and meaning, this is a relatively modern coinage from two ancient Norse elements. A strong and striking choice.

Lovro originated as a short form of Lovrenc — the Slovene variation of Laurence — but is now used more often in its own right.

A cool-soungin ancient Armenian name which has belonged to several historical kings.

Agostino is the Italian form of this increasingly popular ancient name.

A newly-coined diminutive of Titou, which is itself a Gascon diminutive of Antoine. It entered the French Top 500 in 1990 and peaked at #54 in 2009.

This could be a fresh way to honor an ancestral Walter.

Toma is one of the handful of names that has different versions for boys and girls. For boys, it's the Romanian and Croatian short form of Thomas.

This Basque name is quite popular in Spain, where it has long been in the Top 100 names. This is likely due to its pleasant meaning; the sound, dignified in Spanish and Basque, may not fare so well in English-speaking countries.

Panna is a name with many allusions — in addition to those above, a serene and sacred city in India and the Italian word for cream. Panna might make a fresh alternative to Anna or Hannah.

Romola is a literary name most notably used by George Eliot for her eponymous 1862 novel set in fifteenth-century Florence. It just may appeal to the parent looking for a name that embodies the ideal blend of the feminine, unusual, and strong. A current bearer is British actress Romola Garai.

Finja Is a Josephine nickname that ranks among the Top 100 girl names in Germany.

Strong and unusual Nordic name that would make a cool addition to the N-ending boy name trend.

Diminutive form of Tholf

An attractive and popular choice in the Netherlands, but not one we see making it to the Top 50 in the US anytime soon.

Sif, or sometimes Siv, was the name of Thor's wife and is popular in modern Scandinavia. In Norse mythology, Sif was the goddess of fertility and agriculture.