Popular in Basque

Mara is the evocative ancient root of Mary, appearing in the Book of Ruth, in which Naomi, devastated after the death of her two sons, says "Call me not Naomi, call me Mara." It's one of the girl names starting with M that both fits in and stands out.

Simple and universal, Marco is a Latin classic that would make a much livelier namesake for an Uncle Mark. It was used for her son by actress Jill Hennessy and goes well with surnames of any nationality.

Tennis-related name popular throughout Europe that's never caught fire here.

A very popular girls' name in the Basque country and Puerto Rico. It is among the Top 100 Spanish baby names, so it's a girls' name that's widely used in Spain.

A variation of the name Nere, both choices are distinctive and accessible. In the Top 20 in Spain.

Popular in Croatia, Spain, New Zealand, and Slovenia, Niko has also been rising up the US popularity charts for boys since the late 2000s. Fresher than Nicholas, spikier than Nico, it currently ranks just outside the US Top 300.

Nora is a lovely, refined name that conjures up images of Belle Epoch ladies in fur-trimmed coats skating in Central Park. Long seen as a quintessentially Irish name though its roots are not in Ireland, Nora is a quietly stylish favorite that's tiptoed to the top of the popularity ladder.

An unusual-sounding name used in Basque-speaking parts of France and Spain.

An unexplored choice, evocative of the snowcapped Andes, with a pleasant, catchy sound.

Popular Arabic name for boys and sometimes girls too, that's also a term of authority in India.

Sua is a short and sweet name with many different origins, including Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Basque. It would make a fresh and offbeat honor name for a familial Sue.

The names Telmo and Elmo were historically interchangeable. San Temlo is the name of both a Mexican city and an island in Panama. Telmo was chosen by Spanish writer Borja Sémper and actress Barbara Goenaga Bilbao for their son born in 2016.

Some high-profile soccer stars, such as Thiago Silva, have contributed to its success. The correct Portuguese pronunciation is chee-AH-go. Thiago is ranked Number 2 for boys in Puerto Rico.