10 Vietnamese Names You Never Thought of Using: Girls

Kerstin Sterl via Dribbble

Names from Asian cultures are some of the trickiest to import into the English-speaking world. Many of them use sounds we can't pronounce, or have slightly "off" translations. However, Vietnamese uses an alphabet rather than characters, so many of their native names are ripe for American use. The following ten names would work very well on a mixed-culture baby, for first or middle names.

Cam- Though it may sound nickname-y to American ears, the name Cam is very much complete by Vietnamese standards. The Vietnamese version means "orange," like the fruit. She is the perfect Vietnamese-American name, since she's familiar in both countries.

Chau- Chau is a sweet and delicate Vietnamese name meaning "pearl." She shares this meaning with the Marg- names, so Chau could be a subtle way to honor both Vietnamese heritage, and Grandma Margaret.

Chi- Lovely Chi means "branch" in Vietnamese. The Igbo tribe in Western Africa also uses the name Chi, but there it means "spiritual being."

Hoa- Looking for an exotic alternative to Noa? Hoa is your girl. She means "flower," and unlike Noa, is strictly feminine.

Hue- While she might be considered a word name by American standards, in Vietnam, Hue is a well-known given name. She means "intelligence" or "lily."

Linh- Linh looks like she'd be pronounced like Lynn, but she is actually said more like LEEN or LEENG, depending on the region. Either way, she's an easy import. Like so many Vietnamese names, Linh has a lovely meaning--"soul."

Mai- Mai is one of my favorites on this list. She has roots in Japan and Vietnam, but the pronunciation varies slightly. The Japanese version is two syllables, MAH-ee, but the Vietnamese version sounds more like "my." Mai is one of the few Vietnamese names to ever break the top 1000--in the late eighties and early nineties she got as high as #793. Mai means "apricot blossom."

Phuong- Phuong is one of the most consistently popular names in Vietnam. If you live in an area with a lot of Vietnamese Americans, you've probably heard this one quite a bit (I know I have). Phuong actually have two meanings, depending on the accent marks. The more common spelling means "phoenix," while the other means "direction." Though they have slightly different pronunciations depending on the accent marks, in English, they'd both be said as "FOON"

Tien- Tien is a fantastic Vietnamese name. She's one that would translate well in America. She means "spirit" or "fairy," which is almost too adorable to pass up.

Yen- Speaking of wonderful meanings, Yen means "peaceful." I'm not usually a fan of Y names, but I really like Yen.

10 Japanese Names You Never Thought of Using: Boys

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Japanese names are super fun. They are lively, cheerful names with fabulous meanings. If you're looking for dapper Japanese names that you won't hear in the U.S., check out the following list.

Fuji- Ever since the renaming of Mt. McKinley to Denali, mountain names have been on my mind. Fuji is one of the most distinctive of the bunch. He is strong yet gentle--a tough balance to strike.

Haruki- Many people will instantly recognize Haruki as the first name of Murakami, author of famous books such as 1Q84. Fans of his writing might be instantly motivated to use Haruki, but even if you're not a literature fan, he's still a great choice. Haruki means "born in the spring," so he'd be an extra special name for an April, May, or June baby.

Iku- It's not often that I find and "I" name that I'm excited about, but I was thrilled to learn about Iku. He's simple, stylish, and not too difficult for English speakers. Iku means "nourishing," which I find quite endearing.

Issey- On the same note, Issey is also a wonderful "I" name. He has a slighly feminine feel, but it's not too concerning, considering plenty of boys respond to Izzy. Issey is traditionally used for the first born child in a family.

Jiro- Jiro is a nice, upbeat name that means (but is not reserved to) "second born son." Jiro Ono is the Japanese sushi chef that is featured in the documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi, and might be a good namesake.

Kenji- Like Jiro, Kenji is also a name that means "second born son." He's part Benji, part Ken, a useful combination when it comes to honoring people fashionably. There are many famous Japanese Kenjis, ranging from professional athletes to musicians. Kenji was briefly in the United States top 1000 from 1978-1979.

Ren- Ren is a popular unisex name in Japan, though more often than not, he's used for boys. Americans have mostly male associations with the name as well, from Ren & Stimpy to the protagonist in Footloose. Ren doesn't have an overwhelming Japanese sound. He'd fit in with many names, from most (if not all) cultures.

Sanjiro- If Jiro was just a little bit slight for you, Sanjiro might be a better option. The two are completely unrelated. Sanjiro even has a different meaning--"admired." Of course, Jiro would still work as a nickname, but I think Sanji is pretty cute as well.

Seiji- Seiji (SAY-jee) comes from the Kanji characters meaning "truth" and "just," making him a virtue name of sorts. He shares a lot of sounds with Sage--a name rising for both girls and boys--but is a bit more masculine.

Yukio- Depending on how you translate it, Yukio can mean "happy man," or "snow boy." Either one is fantastic--it's a win-win situation. Yukio is considered strictly masculine in Japan (the -o ending makes it so), although there is a female Marvel character with the name. There also appear to be other Yukios in comic series who are male, though none as prolific as Marvel's Yukio Okumura.

10 Japanese Names You Never Thought of Using: Girls

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Japanese names are gorgeous, but unless you live in Hawaii or along the Pacific coast line, you won't often hear them in the United States (and even then, they're not as common as you'd think). I'm always encouraging people to go back to their roots when searching for names, so if you have Japanese heritage (or are just a Japanese name enthusiast like me) consider one of the following for your daughter.

Aneko- It's not always easy to find names from your culture that will be well-received in America. Aneko, however, would be perfect on a Japanese-American child. Her similarity to Annika and the like give Aneko a familiar feel--no mispronounciations likely. Bonus: she means "older sister," perfect if you plan to have a big family.

Haruko- Haruko is a classic Japanese name. But even though she's conventional in Japan, you'll rarely hear her around the U.S. Haruko means "Spring child" or "sun child," which would be a sweet meaning for those warmer month babies.

Kyoko- Yoko is a beautiful name, but unfortunately she's hard to use due to the heavy associations with Yoko Ono. But add one letter and you get a completely different name (though it is, in fact, the name of Yoko Ono's daughter). To stray away from Yoko even further, use alternate spelling Kyouko.

Mieko- Lovely Mieko--that's mee-ay-ko--has many many meanings. Nameberry claims she means "prosperous," while Behind the Name cites "three branch child," "three blessing child," and "beauty blessing child" as possible meanings. Either way, it's all good (and she would make a nice choice for a third child).

Naoko- You've probably noticed that many Japanese names end in the -ko suffix. In Japanese, ko means "child," hence all these names have child as a part of their meaning. As for Naoko, she means "obedient child" or "honest child," depending on how you translate it.

Nomi- I suspect Nomi will be the overall favorite of my readers. She's easy to like--it's that long o sound--but delightfully unusual. Multicultural families take note: Nomi has roots in both Hebrew and Japanese.

Sakura- Sakura is a name many people are familiar with, though not necessarily as a given name. If you're into mommy blogs, you'll probably recognize it from the sling brand Sakura Bloom. She means "cherry blossom," which begs the question: is this the perfect name for a springtime Washington D.C. baby?

Takara- Looking to honor a Tamara or Kara in an interesting way? Takara is a beautiful option. She means treasure or jewel, so unsurprisingly there are more than a few jewelry companies with the name.

Umeko- I have loved the name Umeko for ages. There's just something about her--I can't put my finger on it. Umeko means "plum child," which gives you another excuse to use one of my favorite nicknames--Plum.

Yuki- Yuki is a unisex name that most Americans are familiar with. Perhaps, then, you already know that she means "snow." However, Yuki has many possible meanings. "Happiness," "valuable reason," and "chronicled reason" are among them. Whatever meaning you decide is right for your little Yuki will be perfect.

Names for a Fourth Born

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Hooray! Yesterday, S, My Name is Sophie turned four! To celebrate, we are going to look at names that mean four--perfect for a fourth born child.

Anana- Anana is an African name meaning "fourth born." Ana or Annie would be sweet nicknames.

Chatura- If you are looking for a lovely Indian name for your fourth born daughter, Chatura is the one for you. In my opinion, she could easily be worn on an American baby.

Cuarto- Cuarto means "fourth" in Spanish, and would make a fun middle name for a boy or a girl. If you're brave enough, Cuarto could even be a first name.

Delta- Delta is the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet, and a recent celebrity baby name. All that makes her a subtle and fashionable choice for your fourth born.

Quade- Quade is the Latin word for four, and always on my list of suggestions for Q names. In fact, I talked more about him here.

Quartilla- This Latin beauty is ultra-feminine--ideal for a little princess. If all the frills aren't your thing, you could always use Quade for a girl.

Reba- Reba is definitely the most familiar name on this list, but I bet most of you didn't know that she means "fourth born." The Hebrew name is definitely dated--but she peaked in 1915, so she's due to come back sometime soon.

Shiro- Shiro is a sweet Japanese name meaning "fourth son." Like Chatura, Shiro would definitely work on an American boy.

Day Names

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Baby name inspiration can come from anywhere. Even the time of day your child was born. If you have (or plan to have) a daytime baby, consider some of the following names.

Asa--Asa means "born in the morning," so there's no better name for a daytime son. On top of that, Asa is very stylish right now, and has both Hebrew and Japanese roots. Perfect for families of mixed cultures.

Birdie--The early bird catches the worm--in this case, early Birdie. She's not popular at all, ranking at #3604, but I could see her becoming more mainstream in the near future.

Danica--Danica means "morning star," which is ideal for a baby born in the wee hours before dawn.

Dawn--Then again, you could always go with Dawn herself. She will soon be heading into grandma territory, so if datedness bothers you, I would use her as a middle.

Day--Day is another one that works better in the middle. Short, unisex word names are extremely popular for middle names right now, and Day fits all the criterion.

Dia--Dia is the Spanish word for Day, and works a little bit better as a name. With the popularity of Mia, Gia, and Lia, Dia would not be shocking as a first name.

Early--What better name for an early morning baby than Early? She's cute, upbeat, and a perfect way to honor an Earl.

Noon--Similarly to Day, Noon works best as a middle name. That's not to say you can't use it as a first--I would love to meet a baby named Noon (bonus points if he or she was actually born at 12).

Sunny--Sunny is an adorable, celebrity-endorsed name that would be lovely on a daytime baby.

I'm off next week for Spring Break, so I will see you all back here on the 13th. Happy Springtime holidays!