Basque first name: rare, old, for girl or boy… The list

The Basque Country is full of ideas for naming a baby boy or a baby girl! The French, Spanish and Basque languages ​​meet there, as well as a whole history, a literature, a very particular culture… And these are as many sources of inspiration which make it possible to nourish a great library of Basque first names for girls and boys !

Basque feminine first names

In the list of female Basque first names, there are classics and common popular names in the region, such as Amaya, AlinorAna, Anais, Beatriz, who evokes Spain, ElenaEnea, Andrea, Ida, Ines, Santxa, Joana too. Some have very beautiful meanings, like Aintzine which means “the woman of fire”, or Alaia which refers to joy. bidane is the one who asks herself questions, who thinks, when Elaia refers to the swallow. Iekora is the one who surrounds and Leire, the one who sings. If you are looking for a first name that evokes passion, there is Hegoa, the one who has fire!

Basque male first names

Naturally, the library of Basque first names also has something to delight those who are expecting a baby boy. There are loads of Southwestern names for a baby boy, short names, like Xanti, Etor, Eder, Egun, Aritz, Bizen, Urko or Ur. But also popular first names, such as: Jon, Mattie, Mikel, BixentePatxi, Sanxo, Andoni, Eneko or even Leandro, which means “lion”. By the way, many of them have very nice meanings, like Mantxo which means “man who rides a horse”, or Paxkal who is the “patient”, Unai is the one who sings of life, and Yorick the worker of the earth. Leheren is the man who decides, the one who makes the choices.

What are the old Basque first names?

In the library of Basque first names there are modern first names, but there are some that are also very old, with a strong history, such as Ainhoa which is the translation of the Virgin Mary in Basque, Elixabete which refers to Elizabeth, Erregina, or even Hirune. On the boys’ side, Iban, which means Jean, is an old first name, like Bixentewhich refers to Vincent. Yorickthe earth worker is also an old first name, like Andre, agustine or Alesander which refers to Alexander, which was the name of kings.

These rather rare Basque first names

Some Basque first names are uncommon, one could even say that their occurrence is rare. This is the case, on the side of the girls, of the first names Atharratze which refers to the notion of balance, or even Agerkunde, which is literally “the one that flies over”. Other rarities: BakarnDulantzi (“beauty queen”), Frantziska, Irargarn, Goizargi, Iekora. On the side of the boys, we also find some, with Aingeru, which means “the solitary man”, or Anbortsi“the one who shines”. Argider is a rare first name for a man, like ArkaitzBalendin, Basajaunor Edorta.