A very old name with a fascinating history, Aimar is now most often used as a boys' name in the Basque country. Its status as a Top 100 name in Spain may also be related to the enduring popularity of retired Argentinian soccer superstar Pablo AImar.

Aimar

Ainara is among the Top 100 <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls' names</a> in Spain and is just starting to take off in the US. 
 
Ainara was one of the fastest rising girl names of 2023 in the US, jumping into the top 1000 for the first time.
 
A distinctive nature name and member of the newly trendy bird category, Ainara might make an unusual choice with a lovely secret (to English speakers, anyway) meaning.

Ainara

Name of the French town where a vision of the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared, this name, virtually unknown elsewhere, is in the Spanish Top 100.

Ainhoa

A common Basque name first used in French Basque writer Agosti Xaho's 1845 work "The Legend of Aitor."

Aitor

Alaia, a fast riser in the US, sounds just like several other popular stylish names, many of them with different origins and meanings.  There's Arabic Aaliyah, like the late singer, and the Hebrew Aliya and the Sanskrit Alaya.  Azzedine Alaia is a high-fashion Parisian designer of Tunisian origin.

Alaia

Alain gives the midcentury Alan a bit of gallic dash.

Alain

A well-used Spanish saint's name with a lot of flair that could definitely cross over to more general usage. It reached its peak in the United States in 1985, when it ranked Number 456. In Spain, Alvaro is a Top 20 boys' name.

Alvaro

Ander

Ariane

Adei

Amets

Aratz

This is one Basque name that is very transferable to the American context — and it has a great meaning, too. The feminine version is Eider or Ederne.

Eder

With Norse (and pseudo-Norse) names such as Thor, Odin and Magnus growing in popularity, this one, which refers to warriors destined for Valhalla on account of their bravery, might have some appeal outside Scandinavia. Its slightly Eeyore-ish sound is balanced out by connections to some major historical figures, including a Norwegian prime minister.

Einar

This Welsh nature name that can be pronounced exactly like the male Ira. Or, to avoid confusion, you could just name her Snow. 

Eira

Despite Eneko's very sweet meaning, it packs a lot of historical punch. Eneko Aritza was the first Basque king of Pamplona. It is somewhat related to the more well known Inigo.

Eneko

Enzo originated as the Italian variation of Heinz, a German name derived from Heinrich, related to Henry. It has historically been used as a short form for Italian names such as Vincenzo and Lorenzo. The most famous bearer of the name is Enzo Ferrari, founder of the luxury sports car brand.
 
Like Leonardo and Luca, Enzo is one of the confident and captivating Italian names beginning to be used by parents of all ethnic backgrounds, including Patricia Arquette and Annabeth Gish. In addition to its native country, Enzo is currently mega popular in France and is one of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/166/italian-names">top Italian baby names</a> in the US.

Enzo

Ekain

Ekhi

Enara

This cross-cultural name, found in Wales, Brittany, and Spain, is a surprise star in the U.S. in recent years, largely thanks to actor Gael Garcia Bernal. It's especially popular in Texas.

Gael

Festive name of the wife of Salvador Dali. In Spanish, Gala comes from the Roman name Galla, a feminine form of Gallus meaning "rooster" or "a person from Gaul".

Gala

Haizea

This short, cool nature name has been very popular in its native region in recent years, making the Basque Top 10 for the last few years on record.

Ibai

Long an extremely <a href="https://nameberry.com/popular-names">popular name</a> in Spain, Iker (usually pronounced EE-kuhr in the English speaking world) is the rare Basque name that's starting to make it big in the States also, thanks to soccer player Iker Casillas. Indeed, it's been one of the fastest growing boys' names of the decade.

Iker

Iraia is one of those uncommon names that have two different meanings and derivations, one female and one male. The girls' version is a Basque name found throughout the Mediterranean with a nature meaning. As a boys' name, Iraia is  a tradtiional Maori name.

Iraia

For the parent who genuinely wants something different, this nature choice is popular in Spain. Downside: connection to words irate and irritation.

Irati

Iria is a diminutive version of Eirene / Irene and is therefore associated with the Greek goddess of peace.

Iria

Izan, pronounced with the same vowel sounds and emphasis as Ethan, ranks among the Top 20 <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boys' names</a> in Spain, where it's been popular for two decades. The US is starting to catch onto this energetic variant, as Izan was amongst the fastest-rising boy names of 2023 and one of the newest additions to the US Top 1000.

Izan

A bright and sparky Basque name with a lovely celestial meaning.

Izar

Among the Top Ten Basque baby girls' names, this is actually the place name of an island and is related to other such names as Isla. An unusual O-ending girls' name.

Izaro

Izei

The Basque form of Julian is pared down and may appeal to parents looking for a less-syllabic option. It’s not typically used outside of Spain, but it would make an easy import.
 
Julen is also a surname found in Switzerland.

Julen

June, a sweetly old-fashioned month name derived from the goddess Juno, was long locked in a time capsule with June Allyson (born Ella) and June Cleaver, but is rising again especially as a middle name. 
 June was a Top 100 name from 1915 to 1941, peaking in 1925 at Number 39. It fell off the U.S. Top 1000 in 1987 and returned in 2008 after a two-decade hiatus. Now, we'd call it one of the vintage girls' names starting with J due for a comeback. Balthazar Getty has a daughter named June and Amanda Peet used it as her daughter Molly's middle name.
 Juni is the Scandinavian version; other related choices are Junia, Juno, Juna and Djuna.

June

Saint Eulalia was born in Spain and is the patron saint of Barcelona, so her name and its derivatives are popular throughout the land — especially in her native Catalonia.

Laia

Lucia is a lush, rich Latinate equivalent of Lucy, popular in Spain and throughout Latin America and also a cross-cultural favorite. You might be surprised to know that Lucia has ALWAYS ranked among the Top 1000 girl names in the US, though she's really taken off only since the turn of this century.
 
Derived from lux, the Latin word for light. Lucia is considered to be the feminine form of Lucius. Due to its connection to light, Lucia was traditionally given to babies born as daylight was breaking.
 
A variety of references include Santa Lucia, a fourth century martyr who was revered in the Middle Ages and the Caribbean island named for her, and the tragic opera Lucia di Lammermoor by Gaetano Donizetti.
 
Lucia has for several years ranked as the Number 1 name in Spain. It was chosen for their daughters by James Joyce, Mira Sorvino, Giovanni Ribisi, Mel Gibson, and Sasha Alexander and Eduardo Pointi, among others.

Lucia

Luken

Lier

Lorea

Maddi

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 <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/m">girl names starting with M</a> that both fits in and stands out.
 Mara is a multicultural name, also a Kiswahili word meaning "a time," and could be conceived as a geographical name, being a river flowing through Kenya and Tanzania.
 As a child actress, Mara Wilson played leading roles in Matilda and Mrs. Doubtfire.

Mara

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.
 Marco, related to the Roman god Mars, has long been associated with Marco Polo, the thirteenth century Venetian merchant-traveler who was instrumental in introducing Europeans to Asian culture. Eugene O'Neill wrote a play called Marco Millions, based on the life of Marco Polo.
 More recent noteworthy Marcos are Marco Andretti, Indy race car driver grandson of the legendary Mario, and Marco Rubio, Florida senator. The name can also be found in two early Dr. Seuss books.

Marco

Markel

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

Martina

Malen

Manex

A very popular girls' name in the Basque country and Puerto Rico. It is among the Top 100 <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/161/spanish-names">Spanish baby names</a>, so it's a girls' name that's widely used in Spain.

Nahia

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

Nerea

Niko has been rising up the US popularity list for boys since the early 2000s, and floated lazily along at the bottom of the list since the 1980s.

Now, Niko ranks among the Top 300 boy names in the US, just a little behind twin brother Nico. Over 1100 baby boys were named Niko in the US last year and nearly 1500 names Nico, making the name as popular as Ashton and Zion, Jason and George.

Are Niko and Nico the new Nicholas and Nick? Not far off in popularity, and certainly more de la mode.

Niko

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.
 
Nora has two separate origin stories, as a derivative of both Honora and Eleanor. The Irish and Anglo-Norman version derives from Honora, based on the Latin word honor. The Hungarians spawned Nora as a short form of Eleonora, a variation of Eleanor.
 One of Nora's most prominent contemporary namesakes is the late witty writer Nora Ephron. Other notable Noras are the independent Ibsen heroine of A Doll's House, and the female half of the witty Nick and Nora Charles duo, adding up to a most desirable choice. 
 It can also be spelled Norah, as in Norah Jones.

Nora

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

Oihan

Oier

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

Peru

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

Rayan

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.

Telmo

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.

Thiago

Udane

Unax

Uxue

Another astral name, this one relating to one of the largest and brightest stars in the heavens, is popular in Scandinavia and Spain, where it ranks among the Top 50 <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls' names</a>. Although still very rare in the US, we think it has serious potential to follow the likes of Luna and Lyra up the charts.

 In Spanish, the name means "meadow" and is taken from a title for the Virgin Mary (La Virgen de la Vega, The Virgin of the Meadow).

Vega

Xabier

gabhart's list "Popular in Basque" of 64 great name ideas: Aimar - Xabier!