32 Cool Foreign Names You Wish Your Parents Gave You

32 Cool Foreign Names You Wish Your Parents Gave You 32 Cool Foreign Names You Wish Your Parents Gave You Imagine if we were all named Bob or Sue.From  Bangkok to Montreal, say every man and every woman had the exact same name.Bob and Sue.Feeling a little uncomfortable about the idea of global name homogeneity? Yeah, me too.Of course, theres  nothing wrong with Bob and Sue. Theyre great names that are surely attached to some great people. Still, the idea of everyone being labeled with these two  designations  sounds  like something out of a young adult dystopian novel.Thats because we value diversity. We seek out what weve never seen or heard before. We want to experience something different. We yearn to be enriched by the foreign and new.Luckily were not all named Bob or Sueâ€"that would be boring. Were fortunate in that we can actually taste the rainbow. You wont find a pot of gold at the end of it,  but youll get to satisfy your  craving for  foreign culture (which is worth way more!).All it  takes is one simple question: Hey, whats your name?Here youll find 32 awesome foreign names, plus why they  should matter to  you, a  dedicated language learner. Why Youll  Be Extra  Interested in  Cool Foreign Names as a Language LearnerWe dont think about it too often, but names are a major part of our being.When it comes to naming babies, expectant parents spend countless hours poring over  baby-naming websites,  making up lists and receiving adviceâ€"whether  invited or notâ€"from pretty much anyone who feels bold enough to offer up their opinion on such a personal matter (at least in some cultures, more on that in a second).The reason that this process  becomes so involved is  because theres a general awareness of how important names are. They are deeply tied to our identities. Everyone wants to make sure that they get it right, since, really, you  only get one shot. Therefore, choosing  a name  that the parents, the child and even society can live with can turn quite stressful.This is especially true in the Western  cultures where parents have the freedom to name th eir child almost anything that they want. From the biblical to the bizarre, when your options range from James to Jermajesty, things can get a bit overwhelming.In other cultures, names are chosen more ceremoniously.  Parents  pick from the family tree, they look to events that occurred during or after pregnancy, they perform  rituals, magic and incantation, and a whole host of other processes to decide the perfect name for their person-to-be.Its clear that no matter the avenue chosen for naming a baby, every culture takes this process very seriously.So what does this have to do with learning a language?Lots.  In addition to  personal significance, names bear huge cultural significance as well. They dont just represent you, they represent where you come from, where your parents came from, entire ethnic groups and nationalities. Its tribal.There are names that we instantly associate with a culture or region just by seeing or hearing them.  Take a  look at the  name John  in alternate forms: Juan, Jean, Giovanni. No doubt you automatically made the associations with Latin America/Spain, France  and Italy.This is intentional.  Theres a reason  why we dont know a  ton of French Giovannis. Were hard-wired to preserve our cultural identities, and, generally, the first place people start is with the name.Keep that in mind  when youre learning a new language. You arent  just learning nouns, adjectives and verbs. Youre learning a new culture. Youre getting a taste of how people in that culture think, what they believe and how they express themselves. Names are an important part of that.Therefore, taking the time to appreciate the significance of foreign names is going to set you on the right path, and that path continues right on to authentic language learningâ€"i.e., learning with materials where characters names in dialogues arent exactly the same in every language. So find out whats really behind the interesting-sounding names in the language you want to learn by sta rting with the real-world videos on FluentUâ€"like music videos, movie trailers, interesting talks and moreâ€"which double as personalized language learning lessons.There is, however, another aspect that we shouldnt overlook. Foreign names are just  freakin cool.Yes, sometimes they can be shocking to our ears, and maybe they can be a little hard to pronounce.  Ill give you that.  However, putting pronunciation aside, there are many that just have an awesome sound, or  an interesting meaning or are attached to some pretty significant people.Its okay if youve felt a little bit of foreign name envy on more than one occasion. Weve all been there. You may  feel your simple  English  name is dull and uninteresting, but just remember  two things: (1)  Its your name. Celebrate that everyone else in the world doesnt have  it (even if you have to share it with a couple thousand others), and (2)  You may come across a list, just like this, written by someone thousands and thousands of miles aw ay, and your name might just be on it.Lets dive in.32 Cool Foreign Names You Wish Your Parents Gave YouChinese1. Ai (f)Pronunciation:  EyeShort and sweet. The meaning of this name changes depending on the accent. When spelled  Ã i, the name means love, affection. However,  ai means friendly. All around, its a pleasant name no matter how you say it.2. Tao (m)Pronunciation:  TaoThe Chinese dont need too many syllables or characters for a name to make a huge splash. Brief, yet bold, Tao translates to large waves.French3. Apolline (f)Pronunciation:  App-oh-LEENWho says only boys can be named after the son of Zeus? Certainly not the French. Theyve taken the god of musics name and given  it a feminine and melodic twist. Move over Apollo. Girls rule.4. Rapier (m)Pronunciation:  Rah-pee-AYThis name is about as badass as it gets.  Rapier is the term used for slim, pointy swords.  Ladies with bad-boy fever will be swooning for sure.German5. Leisl (f)Pronunciation:  LEE-slLiesl has been cool s ince the Von Trapps sang their way into Americas  hearts  all those years ago. It almost sounds like the name Lisa, but that extra sl sound at the end gives it a fun twist that we dont get to hear often in names that have more Anglo-Saxon based origins.6. Peppi (m)Pronunciation:  PEH-peeWhen you say this out loud doesnt it just make you want to skip? Or, dare I say, make you want to add some  pep to your step?Greek7. Cathenna (f)Pronunciation:  Cath-EN-naThis strong, bold, beautiful name  is a variant of the name Athena. If youre unsure of  who Athena is, she just so happens to be the strong, bold and beautiful goddess of wisdom and war in Greek mythology.8. Hrisovalantis (m)Pronunciation:  Hri-soh-vuh-LAN-tisI know exactly what youre thinking. Gosh, this name sounds a lot like the name Chris.  Well, youre on the right track. Thats because, in English, thats exactly what this name translates to. Upon first glance it looks impossible to pronounce, but its phonetic, so its a lot  easi er than it looks.Hawaiian9. Malia (f)Pronunciation: Muh-LI-yuhIt should be of no surprise that Barack Obama gifted his daughter with  a name from his home state. Its a sweet variant of the  name Mary.10. Ahe (m)Pronunciation:  Ah-HEHThe only onomatopoeic name on the list. Ahe nearly sounds like what it means, which is soft breeze.Hungarian11. Katoka (f)Pronunciation:  Ka-TO-kaJust as its meaning is pure, the name Katoka is also a pure delight to say. It easily rolls off the tongue, but also has a warrior princess feel to it.12. Arpad (m)Pronunciation:  AHR-padSpeaking of warriors,  if someone were to tell me that an Arpad is leading a  charge against my  enemies, Id feel like I were  in safe hands. Its just as well, Arpad is also the name of  a 9th-century Hungarian war hero.Indian13. Bhavika (f)Pronunciation: BAH-vih-kahIndian names always have the coolest sound, and this one is no different. Who wouldnt want to introduce her to every passerby just for the sheer pleasure of getting to say her name over and over again?14. Dev  (m)Pronunciation: DaivAlternate Pronunciation: swag. Just kidding.  Dev oozes cool.  While we may typically think of Indian names as being longer, this one is short and hip. And if it looks familiar to you, thats because it belongs to a popular actor of the same name. Ever heard of Slumdog Millionaire?Irish15. Radha (f)Pronunciation:  ROH-aIn the English language were all for the silent consonant. This is next level though. These letters  dont correspond to the sounds that were familiar with. All the fun in Irish names lies in getting the pronunciation downâ€"which tends to be quite simple in the end.16. Seamus (m)Pronunciation: SHAY-musDid your hearts skip a beat, Harry Potter fans? Youre welcome. There will always be great affection for the beloved, Gryffindor, Seamus.  So go ahead, flutter away hearts, flutter away.Israeli17. Elanie (f)Pronunciation:  Eh-LAN-eeFor a name that means oak tree, its one of the lighter sounding names on th is list. Elanie  is rooted (sorry, had to) in strength and fortitude.  Its an airy feminine name with the strength of  a forest to back it up.18.  Moshe (m)Pronunciation:  MOH-shehYou might not recognize this name in its Hebrew form, but youre probably familiar with the guy attached to it. He did this whole thing with the Red Sea, the Ten Commandments,  and  saved a whole race of people.  Some would say that hes  kind of a big deal.Italian19. Marielia (f)Pronunciation:  Ma-ri-EL-ee-ahLike the Italian language itself, this name is very melodic. Its a combination of both a female and a male name: Maria and Elia (Mary and Elijah). Whats not to love?20. Drago (m)Pronunciation:  DRA-gohIf the French Rapier is as close to tough  as a name can get, Drago  goes even further still. It means dragon. Enough said. With a name like this, any little boy  can conquer the world.Japanese21. Chiyo (f)Pronunciation:  CHEE-ohIn Japanese it means a thousand generations, which is both haunting and beauti ful.  It also might ring a bell for many, as its the name of the protagonist in the popular book and movie Memoirs of a Geisha.22. Fumio (m)Pronunciation: FOO-mee-ohDoesnt it have a bit of an Italian ring to it?  Did you just imagine pasta and wine?  The name is actually quite Japanese. It belonged to  several notable people in  Japan  such as writers, musicians, politicians, artists and athletes.Middle Eastern (Arabic)23.  Zahra (f)Pronunciation:  ZAH-raThis name is appealing to many native English speakers, perhaps because its both simple  and exotic. Ive come across  several people whove mentioned their admiration of the name Zahra. It has two meanings. In Arabic it means white and in  Egyptian it means flower.24. Driss (m)Pronunciation:  DrissThe name alone evokes the image of a dude on a  motorcycle, wearing aviator sunglasses and smoking a cigarette. Ironically though, Driss comes from the Arabic verb darassa which means to study. But studying is cool too, right? Yeah, you kno w what,  scratch the irony.  Lets go with studying is cool.Nigerian25. Uchenna (f)Pronunciation: Oo-CHEN-aThis euphonic bit of Nigerian goodness is perfect for the modern monotheist. It means gods will. Shes got some big shoes to fill, but at least shes got a great name she can flaunt while filling them.26. Ajulo (m)Pronunciation:  Ah-JOO-lohMost of us probably would not want to be labeled by our birth order, unless that label was Ajulo. The name means second born, and the Ajulos of the world surely revel in it because of the awesome name that comes with it.Scottish27. Ailsa (f)Pronunciation: ALE-sahAilsa Craig is a tiny island off the coast of Scotland. The name Ailsa means Island of Alfisigr. Alfsigr means elf victory, so really, the name is quite enchanted on all fronts.28. Coinneach (m)Pronunciation: CON-akWith a name that means handsome and sounds like the name of a popular brandy, this Scottish moniker  screams masculinity.Spanish29. Adelina (f)Pronunciation:  A-deh-LEE-nahSpa nish names tend to always have a melodic sound that rolls off the tongue. This one is no different. Its both sweet and grandiose, two traits anyone would want in a name.30. Lucero (m)Pronunciation:  Loo-SER-ohLatinos love light. For example, in Spanish when you say to give birth, you say dar a luz which  literally means to give light. Also, Luz is a very popular name for girls in Spanish-speaking countries.  So, there  was no way the boys were being left out of this light show. Lucero is sure to shine with a name meaning bright light or bright star.Vietnamese31. Tuyet-Hanh (f)Pronunciation: DWIT-hahnHeres another combo name. Tuyet means snow or snow white and Hanh means apricot tree (lucky its not an apple tree!). Lame joke aside, youll find that this exotic name is quite fun to say, and youll be wishing that you had a friend named  Tuyet-Hanh so you could shout her name incessantly, like I do with my own Tuyet.32. Vinh (m)Pronunciation:  VinWho doesnt love a Vinny? Anytime American s hear the name Vin or Vinny, were thinking of the actor Vin Diesel or a slick-talking Brooklynite. Its unlikely that they make the same associations in Vietnam, but that  doesnt make the name any less exquisite.So, maybe youve heard some of these names before, and maybe theyre all brand new. Either way, your world has expanded and it can keep expanding. Go out and meet new people. Introduce yourself. Have a conversation. Embrace the similarities and differences between you and the people you meet. Most importantly, have fun.Now get out there and start making some foreign friends. And One More ThingIf you dont just want to talk the talk, but well, actually talk the talk, youll love learning foreign languages that can help you meet new people with FluentU. FluentU makes it possible to learn languages  from music videos, commercials, news and inspiring talks.With FluentU, you learn real languagesâ€"the same way that real people speak them. FluentU has a wide variety of videos, like movie trailers, funny commercials and web series, as you can see here:FluentU App Browse ScreenFluentU has interactive captions that let you tap on any word to see an image, definition, audio and useful examples. Now native language content is within reach with interactive transcripts.Didnt catch something? Go back and listen again. Missed a word? Hover over or tap on the subtitles to instantly view definitions.FluentU Interactive TranscriptsYou can learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentUs quiz mode. Swipe left or right to see  more examples for the word you’re learning.FluentU Has Quizzes for Every VideoAnd FluentU always keeps track of vocabulary that you’re learning. It uses that vocab to give you a 100% personalized experience by recommending videos and examples.