Top 40 ideas for Basque names: Photo album

Ancient, variations of French names, inspired by Greek mythology, atypical, the Basque names are full of charm and mystery. Often derived from older names with Latin, Greek or Italian origins, these names are unique and very popular in the Basque Country. Basque names are rather recognizable since they often end in "a" or even in "o".

These sun-drenched names are linked to nature, but they can also be variants or diminutives of French names. To find the first name that suits you, you can simply choose a first name of French origin and then find its improved version in Basque. On the boy side, we can find old names such as Saverio which is the Italian form of Xavier, Eneko which means "mine", Yorick which means "earth worker", Iban which would be the Basque derivative of the name Jean, Bixente which is the Basque form of Vincent or Léandro which means "the lion" and "the lion man". On the female side, we will have Elaia which means "swallow", Lorea which means "light", "flower" or even "Dieu est ma lumière", Maïka which represents the combination between Maria and Karmele, Elaura which is a derivative of the French first name Hélène , Nahia which means "to desire" or Milia which means "worker".

The Basque names pay homage to the original and creative culture of the Basque Country, lulled by Basque dances, social practices such as the game of pelota or singing, but also the gastronomic heritage of the country. Namely: in Basque, the spelling is phonetic: all the letters are pronounced unlike the French language. Thus the E is pronounced "é", the U "or", the J "i" and the Z "ç"; S is pronounced "sh" and X is "ch".

For the holidays, no worries, you just have to rely on the calendar of the French Saint. If the Basque first name is a derivative of a French first name, you will simply have to trust this date. To help you, there are guides to find the perfect Basque first name for your child and the associated holiday, like Izendegia – Basque names available on Cultura.