The most international first names

One name, three countries, sometimes three different feast days. In our world directory a handful of names turn up everywhere: they're spelled almost identically in France, Italy and the United States, yet each keeps its own local story. Here's a tour of the greatest travelers.

Names that cross borders

Cross the data from all three countries and a few names surface in each: Anna, Emma, Laura, Sofia, Elena… That's no accident. Most trace back to a shared well — Latin, Greek or Hebrew — common to Europe's cultures and, by extension, America.

Emma comes from the Germanic ermen (“universal”); Anna, from the Hebrew Hannah (“grace”); Sofia, from the Greek sophía (“wisdom”). Short, soft on the ear and easy to say in several languages, these names cross borders without losing their shape.

Same name, different feast

Traveling doesn't mean being identical everywhere. The same name can be celebrated on different dates depending on the national calendar: the saint isn't always the same from one country to the next, and the name-day tradition runs strong in France and Italy while it's quieter in the United States. That's exactly what Ucy documents: for every name, the feast day of each country.

The Italian wave

For a few years now, a generation of Italian names has been winning hearts far beyond the Alps: Leonardo, Enzo, Bianca. Their singing sound and their air — at once chic and timeless — explain the international success. Proof that today a name is chosen as much for its music as for its roots.

Curious which ones travel the most? The “🌍 World” view on our homepage ranks names by how many countries you find them in. Go explore.