International names

[name_m]Hi[/name_m]!
I’m a long time name fan and looking for international names. I’m not pregnant yet, #TTC2018.
So in short, I’m Finnish and my wife is from USA. I would like to find girl names that work in both countries to add on my lists.
I have some criteria:

  • No Å, Ä, Ö, because they’re not used in English.
  • Preferably no C, G, Q, W, X, Z because they’re rarely used in Finnish.
  • Preferably no J or Y because the pronunciations are too different in the two countries.
  • I would prefer something not super popular, but not weird either. But popularity isn’t the most important thing.

Some names that I like and would work in both countries:
[name_f]Matilda[/name_f]
[name_f]Mia[/name_f] - But it’s super popular
[name_f]Emilia[/name_f] - Has been very popular in Finland for a long time
[name_f]Amanda[/name_f] - [name_f]Kinda[/name_f] 80’s
[name_f]Emma[/name_f] - Super popular in both countries
[name_f]Linnea[/name_f] - But does it really work in English or is it just weird (not just on a name forum but in everyday life for a child)
[name_f]Tilda[/name_f] - Too tied to one celebrity?

Some Finnish names that I like:
[name_f]Lotta[/name_f]
Venla
Minea
Pinja
Milja
Meeri
Saimi
Tuuli
[name_f]Aino[/name_f]

Some English names that I like:
[name_f]Daisy[/name_f]
[name_f]Tamsin[/name_f]
[name_f]Alice[/name_f]
[name_f]Edith[/name_f]
[name_f]Ivy[/name_f]

If you could give me some new ideas, it would be much appreciated!
(I realize that most people on here probably know pretty much nothing about Finnish language or baby names, but if you can give me some international names, I can weed out the ones that won’t work in Finnish)

I’m from Norway and will have the same issue when I have to start naming my future children!

I’ve found that vintage classic names work pretty well for girls in both countries/languages such as [name_f]Agnes[/name_f], [name_f]Clara[/name_f] and [name_f]Esther[/name_f] which are my current favorites. The English pronunciations differ from the Norwegian of course, but you’re able to pronounce them in both languages. I’ve always had a harder time finding boy names that I love and can be used in both countries.

I see all of the names you mention that would work in both countries all end with the letter a. I especially like [name_f]Matilda[/name_f], [name_f]Linnea[/name_f] and [name_f]Tilda[/name_f] from that list. [name_f]Lotta[/name_f], Minea and Milja are all wonderful names and I think [name_f]Lotta[/name_f] and Minea could work in the US as well as Finland. All of your English name have that vintage-y old lady name feel to them, which I adore btw. Maybe you’d like [name_f]Nora[/name_f], [name_f]Zelda[/name_f], [name_f]Klara[/name_f], [name_f]Vera[/name_f], [name_f]Greta[/name_f] and [name_f]Agatha[/name_f]?

Other suggestions:
[name_f]Luna[/name_f]
[name_f]Mina[/name_f]
[name_f]Mira[/name_f]
[name_u]Misha[/name_u]
[name_f]Sunniva[/name_f]
[name_f]Juno[/name_f]
[name_f]Ada[/name_f]
[name_f]Ida[/name_f]
[name_f]Margot[/name_f]
[name_f]Milla[/name_f]
[name_f]Lina[/name_f]/[name_f]Lena[/name_f]
[name_f]Eva[/name_f]/[name_f]Ava[/name_f]
[name_f]Hanna[/name_f]
[name_f]Emmy[/name_f]
[name_f]Jemima[/name_f]
[name_f]Maria[/name_f]
[name_u]Mika[/name_u]
[name_f]Thea[/name_f]
[name_f]Alba[/name_f]
[name_f]Leah[/name_f]
[name_u]Arlo[/name_u]

Good luck!

International names I can think of:

[name_f]Lia[/name_f]
[name_f]Uma[/name_f]
[name_f]Luna[/name_f]
[name_f]Maia[/name_f]/[name_f]Maya[/name_f]/[name_f]Maja[/name_f] (these are all pronounced the same)
[name_f]Una[/name_f]/[name_f]Oona[/name_f]
[name_f]Mira[/name_f]
[name_f]Ana[/name_f]/[name_f]Anna[/name_f]

Good luck!

I think [name_f]Linnea[/name_f] is a totally wearable name. I live in the US. The first time I ever met a [name_f]Linnea[/name_f] was in kindergarten almost 20 years ago and literally no one had trouble pronouncing it or made fun of the name or anything like that. [name_f]Linnea[/name_f] in [name_f]Monet[/name_f]'s garden is a pretty famous book, so I think it’s familiar in a lot of places.

[name_f]Linnea[/name_f] would be my choice from your list, but here are a few more ideas:

[name_f]Luisa[/name_f]
[name_f]Lucia[/name_f]
[name_f]Lena[/name_f]
[name_f]Clara[/name_f]
[name_f]Julia[/name_f]
[name_f]Elisa[/name_f]
[name_f]Elise[/name_f]
[name_f]Viola[/name_f]
[name_f]Anneli[/name_f]
[name_f]Milla[/name_f]
Essi
[name_f]Lilia[/name_f]
[name_f]Lilja[/name_f]
[name_f]Noora[/name_f]

Hmm, how about:

[name_f]Adela[/name_f]/[name_f]Adele[/name_f], [name_f]Alanna[/name_f], [name_f]Alisa[/name_f], [name_u]Allison[/name_u], [name_f]Alma[/name_f], [name_f]Analisa[/name_f]/Analeise, [name_f]Anika[/name_f], [name_u]Ariel[/name_u], [name_f]Astrid[/name_f], [name_f]Audra[/name_f], [name_f]Avril[/name_f]
[name_f]Bella[/name_f], [name_f]Brianna[/name_f], [name_f]Brielle[/name_f], [name_f]Britta[/name_f]
[name_f]Kara[/name_f], [name_f]Kate[/name_f], [name_f]Katja[/name_f]/[name_f]Katia[/name_f]
[name_u]Dara[/name_u], [name_f]Della[/name_f]
[name_f]Eda[/name_f]/[name_f]Edie[/name_f], [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f], [name_f]Elena[/name_f], [name_f]Eliana[/name_f], [name_f]Elin[/name_f], [name_f]Elsa[/name_f]/[name_f]Elsie[/name_f], [name_f]Elspeth[/name_f], [name_u]Eloise[/name_u], [name_f]Estelle[/name_f], [name_f]Etta[/name_f]
[name_f]Fiona[/name_f], [name_f]Freya[/name_f]/[name_f]Freja[/name_f]
[name_f]Heidi[/name_f], [name_f]Helen[/name_f]/[name_f]Helena[/name_f]
[name_f]Iris[/name_f], [name_f]Isobel[/name_f]
[name_f]Karina[/name_f], [name_f]Katrina[/name_f], [name_f]Kirsten[/name_f]
[name_f]Leila[/name_f], [name_f]Leona[/name_f], [name_f]Lila[/name_f], [name_f]Liliana[/name_f]/Lilijana
[name_f]Madeline[/name_f], [name_f]Mara[/name_f], [name_f]Maribel[/name_f], [name_f]Marielle[/name_f], [name_f]Mariska[/name_f], [name_f]Marta[/name_f], [name_f]Mila[/name_f], Minija, [name_f]Minka[/name_f], [name_f]Mirabel[/name_f]
[name_f]Nella[/name_f]/[name_f]Nelle[/name_f], [name_f]Nina[/name_f], [name_f]Noelle[/name_f]
[name_f]Olivia[/name_f]
[name_f]Petra[/name_f], [name_f]Portia[/name_f]
[name_f]Renae[/name_f]/[name_f]Renee[/name_f], [name_f]Rosa[/name_f]/[name_f]Rose[/name_f]
[name_f]Saskia[/name_f], [name_f]Selah[/name_f], [name_f]Serena[/name_f], [name_f]Sonia[/name_f], [name_f]Stella[/name_f]
[name_f]Tara[/name_f], [name_f]Tessa[/name_f], [name_f]Tia[/name_f]

Here are some names that feel international to me:

[name_f]Annika[/name_f]
[name_f]Kristina[/name_f]
[name_f]Freya[/name_f]
[name_f]Aurora[/name_f]
[name_f]Eva[/name_f]
[name_f]Mila[/name_f]
[name_u]Malin[/name_u]
[name_f]Lea[/name_f]
[name_f]Lyra[/name_f]
[name_f]Pippa[/name_f]
[name_f]Sabine[/name_f]
[name_f]Beatrice[/name_f]
[name_f]Renee[/name_f]
[name_f]Liv[/name_f]
[name_f]Alina[/name_f]
[name_f]Elin[/name_f]
[name_f]Kaia[/name_f]
[name_f]Katrina[/name_f]
[name_f]Suvi[/name_f]
[name_f]Lara[/name_f]
[name_f]Stella[/name_f]

I would say, though, that as long as they can be pronounced in both Finnish and English, it would be okay if they’re pronounced differently in each language. I know a number of people with ethnic names that had an English pronunciation and the original pronunciation in their language, and it was never a problem for them.

Ideas…

[name_f]Ada[/name_f]
[name_f]Adelaide[/name_f]
[name_f]Adeline[/name_f]
[name_f]Alessia[/name_f]
[name_u]Alva[/name_u]
[name_f]Annika[/name_f]
[name_f]Elena[/name_f]
[name_f]Eliana[/name_f]
[name_u]Eloise[/name_u]
[name_f]Eva[/name_f]
[name_f]Iris[/name_f]
[name_f]Isla[/name_f]
[name_f]Lainie[/name_f]
[name_f]Leonie[/name_f]
[name_f]Lettie[/name_f]
[name_f]Lilia[/name_f]
[name_f]Mila[/name_f]
[name_f]Rose[/name_f]
[name_f]Sarai[/name_f]
[name_f]Talia[/name_f]
[name_f]Violet[/name_f]
[name_u]Vivian[/name_u]