Nickname help!
We want to name our baby Penelope but we can’t decide on a nickname? Help!
Whether you have Romanian heritage or whether you would like to pay homage to the land of sunflower fields, Dracula, and enchanting forests, these Romanian baby names offer the perfect picks.
This beautiful land has ancient roots and deep ties to the Roman Empire.
And it goes back even further than that.
Early human remains found in the country date back to 40,000 years ago, giving us a record of some of the oldest Homo sapiens we know of in Europe.
So let’s dive into this deep history to find some traditional Romanian names along with some more modern monikers.
In this article: 📝
- Why do Romanian names end in u?
- What is a typical Romanian name?
- What is a Romanian girl name?
- What are Romanian boys names?
Why do Romanian names end in u?
If you’ve come across several Romanian surnames in your time, you may have noticed a particular feature.
If you’re wondering why the surnames Popescu, Ionescu, and Constantinescu end in the same way, you’re not alone.
This -scu ending means “the son of” or “belongs to.” It may come from the Latin suffix “iscus” meaning “belonging to the people.”
Other word endings that stem from this source are the French “esque” and the Italian “esco.”
And what about Romanian first names?
Romanian names sprout from various roots, most notably Latin, Russian, and German.
All these influences have ensured that there is a lot of diversity in contemporary Romanian naming practices.
Why do Romanians have 3 names?
The reason Romanians have three names is because they just can’t decide on just one!
Just kidding, the real reason is actually quite interesting.
Traditionally, Romanian names consist of a given name, a middle name (which is usually the father’s given name), and a surname.
This naming convention is similar to other European countries, such as Spain and Portugal.
The middle name serves to distinguish individuals who have the same given name and surname.
It’s also a way to honor the father and maintain a connection to one’s family history.
Plus, with three names, Romanians always have a spare one to use in case they forget someone’s first or last name!
In a nutshell, having three names is a unique and meaningful tradition that adds depth and character to Romanian names.
What is a typical Romanian name?
Drumroll, please! The number one name in Romania is:
- Maria. With its Latin origins, this timeless name has a few different meanings, including “of the sea,” “beloved,” and “rebellious.” Use Maria as is or as one of these variations:
- Mara
- Mariana
- Maricela
- Maricica
- Marieta
- Marilena
- Marina
- Marinela
- Marioara
- Marisa
- Marita
- Măriuca
- Marusia
- Mia
- Mioara
What is a Romanian girl name?
Choose from one of these delightful Romanian girl names ‒ you’ll notice that pretty much all of them end in “a”, as is traditional in Romanian culture:
- Adelina. “Beauty.”
- Adriana. This name is the feminine version of Adrian and refers to someone from Hadria, a city in Northern Italy.
- Alina. From Old German, Alina means “noble.”
- Amalia. Meaning “hardworking”.
- Ana. A version of Anna, this name means “favor” or “grace.”
- Anca. This sweet alternative also means “favor” or “grace.”
- Andreea. The Romanian version of the name Andrea, this name means “masculine” and “brave.”
- Bianca. Meaning “white”.
- Camelia. This name honors the Camelia, a beautiful pink flowering plant.
- Carmen. This popular name means “song,” “truthful,” and “poetry.” Other versions include Carmelita and Carmela.
- Catalina. Meaning “pure”.
- Caterina. Like the English name Katherine, Caterina means “pure.”
- Codrina. “Woods.”
- Codruta. This one’s a diminutive of Codrina and also means “woods.”
- Crina. “Water lily.”
- Cristina. “Follower.”
- Daria. Meaning “ocean”.
- Diana. Meaning “heavenly”.
- Doina. This cheerful option refers to the type of Romanian folk song of the same name.
- Delia. “Noble.”
- Ecaterina. This name is the Romanian version of Catherin and means “pure.”
- Elena. “Bright, shining light.”
- Elvira. “Truth” or “beautiful.”
- Emilia. Meaning “eager”.
- Florentina. With its Latin roots, Florentina means “blossoming.”
- Floriana. From the same Latin origins, Floriana means “blossoming.” Another option is Florina.
- Floarea. “Flower.”
- Forina. “Bloom.”
- Gabriela. Meaning “God is my strength”.
- Iinca. Meaning “bluebell”.
- Ioana. This form of the name Joanna, Ioana means “God is gracious.”
- Iulia. Meaning “youthful”.
- Lăcrămioara. “Lily of the valley.”
- Lavinia. Meaning “purity”.
- Luiza. A powerful name of Spanish origin, Luiza means “glorious war hero.”
- Luminita. This delightful name means “little light” or “illuminating.”
- Magdalena. Meaning “from Magdala”.
- Melania. Meaning “dark”.
- Mihaela. Meaning “who is like God”.
- Mirela. Meaning “admired”.
- Nadia. With its Russian roots, Nadia means “hope.”
- Narcisa. From its ancient Greek roots, Narcisa means “numbness.”
- Oana. A shortened form of Ioana, Oana means “God is gracious.”
- Otilia. “Wealth” or “fatherland.”
- Raluca. “Ray of light.”
- Rodica. This Slavic name refers to fertility, but means “rose”.
- Roxana. Meaning “dawn”.
- Sanda. “Defender of mankind.”
- Simona. Meaning “heard”.
- Smaranda. Like the name Esmeralda, Smaranda means “emerald.”
- Sofia. Meaning “wisdom”.
- Sorina. From the Romanian word soare, Sorina means “sun” or “little sister”.
- Stefania. A name found in various parts of Europe, Stefania means “crown” or “wreath.”
- Tatiana. This popular Eastern European name has Roman origins and means “fairy queen.”
- Teodora. With its Greek roots, Teodora means “God’s gift.”
- Vasilica. From the Romanian word vasile, Vasilica means “king.”
- Violeta. With its Latin roots, Violeta means “purple.”
What are Romanian boys names?
And here are our favorite Romanian boy names:
- Adrian. Adrian is a popular boy’s name but works just as well for girls. It means “son of Adria” or “dark one” from its Latin roots. From its Greek origins, it means “rich.”
- Alexandru. This Romanian version of the popular name Alexander means “protector of men.”
- Alin. Likely the masculine version of the name Alina, Alin means “to soothe.”
- Andrei. With its Russian roots, Andre means “manly,” “brave,” and “warrior.”
- Aurel. Derived from the Latin name Aurelius, Aurel means “golden.”
- Bogdan. This name has Slavic roots and is a combination of Bog, meaning “God” and dan meaning “given.” Put that all together and the name means “given by God.”
- Calin. Meaning “strong”.
- Cãtãlin. With its Greek roots, Cãtãlin means “pure.”
- Cezar. The Romanian form of the Latin name Caesar means “emperor” or “ruler.”
- Ciprian. Meaning “from Cyprus”.
- Claudiu. Like the Greek name Klaudios, Claudiu means “lame.”
- Codruta. From the Romanian word codru meaning “forest,” this fresh name means “little forest.”
- Constantin. This means “constant” or “steadfast.” Constantine (or Constantine the Great) was the Roman emperor from 306 to 337 AD. Costel is a diminutive of this name.
- Cornel. With its Latin roots, Cornel means “hornblower.”
- Cristian. This name means “follower of Christ.”
- Daniel. This biblical name means “God is my judge.”
- Darius. Meaning “wealthy”.
- Doru. From the Romanian word dor, Doru means “longing.”
- Dragos. “Beloved.”
- Emiian. Meaning “eager”.
- Eusebiu. “Virtue.”
- Filip. From the Greek name Philippos, Filip means “horse lover.”
- Florin. This sweet-sounding name means “flower” or “flourishing.”
- Gabriel. Meaning “God is my strength”.
- Gheorghe. A Romanian variant of the name George, Gheorghe means “farmer” or “earth-worker.”
- Grigore. “Watchful” or “vigilant.”
- Horia. “Angel.”
- Iacob. The Romanian form of Jacob, Iacob means “supplanter.”
- Ion. Like the English name John, Ion means “graced by God.”
- Ilie. “The Lord is my God.”
- Laurentiu. This Romanian name is linked to the Italian name Lorenzo and refers to someone from the ancient Roman city Laurentum.
- Luca. This name refers to someone from Lucania and means “light.”
- Lucian. Meaning “light”.
- Marcu. From the ancient Roman name Marcus, Marcu means “dedicated to Mars.”
- Marius. Like the name Maria, Marius means “from the sea.”
- Matei. “Gift of God.”
- Mihail. The Romanian form of the name Michael, Mihail means “gift from God.”
- Nicoleal. “Victory of the people.”
- Octavian. From the Latin name Octavio, Octavian means “eighth.”
- Ovidiu. This one has Latin roots, too, and means “shepherd.”
- Pavel. A Russian version of the name Paul, Pavel means “small.”
- Petre. Like the name Peter, Petre means “rock.”
- Radu. Meaning “happy”.
- Remy. Meaning “oarsman”.
- Sebastian. Meaning “revered”.
- Stefan. “Crown” or “garland.”
- Trajan. This Slavic name means “enduring” or “permanent.”
- Titus. With its ancient roots, Titus refers to being given a “title of honor.”
- Tudor. Meaning “ruler of the people”.
- Valentin. Meaning “strong”.
- Vasile. “Royal” or “kingly.”
- Victor. Meaning “winner”.
So there you have it, mama-to-be!
A list of beautiful, meaningful, and unique Romanian baby names to choose from.
Whether you’re celebrating your Romanian heritage or just looking for a unique name for your little one, there’s no denying the charm and cultural significance of Romanian names.
From classic names like Alexandru and Maria, to more modern choices like Luca and Remy, there’s a name out there for every mama and baby.
So go ahead and explore the wonderful world of Romanian names, and find the perfect name for your little bebelus.
And if you’re pondering over a few of our Romanian names on the list, why not ask the other moms-to-be of Peanut for a second opinion?