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Switzerland is known for its stunning mountains, impeccable watches, and delicious cheeses. But did you know that it’s also linguistically diverse, with four official languages? This means that Swiss baby names are as varied and interesting as a box of fine Swiss chocolates.
So whether you’re drawn to French, German, Italian or traditional Swiss Romansch names, dive with us into our list of 133 Swiss names for babies.
In this article 📝
- What are the most popular names in Switzerland?
- Common Swiss-German names
- Common Swiss-French names
- Common Swiss-Italian names
- Traditional Swiss Romansch names
What are the most popular names in Switzerland?
As of 2021, one of the most popular Swiss girl names is Mia. For boys, it’s Liam.
The rest of the names on this list are popular across all the different cantons, or regions, of Switzerland, whatever language people speak at home.
Swiss baby boy names
- Alexander: Meaning ‘defender’ or ‘protector’.
- Alvarez: Meaning ‘son of Alvaro’.
- Dorian: Meaning ‘from Doris’.
- Elijah: A biblical prophet.
- Eric: Meaning ‘ever ruler’.
- Finn: Meaning ‘fair’.
- Giovanni or Gian: Meaning ‘God is gracious’.
- Jakob or Jacob: The son of Isaac in the Old Testament.
- Jason: Meaning ‘healer’.
- Jean: Meaning ‘God is gracious’.
- Joel: Another prophet.
- Levi: Meaning ‘joined’ or ‘attached’.
- Nikolas: Meaning ‘victory of the people’.
- Noah: Meaning ‘rest’.
- Oskar or Oscar: Meaning ‘spear of God’ or ‘dear friend’.
- Timeo: Meaning ‘honor’.
Swiss baby girl names
- Agatha: Meaning ‘good’.
- Albina: Meaning ‘white’.
- Anna: Meaning ‘graceful’.
- Carmen: Meaning ‘poem’ or ‘song’.
- Celia: Meaning ‘heaven’.
- Clara: Meaning ‘clear’.
- Clarissa: Developed from Clara.
- Claudia: A feminine form of Claudius.
- Elsa: A form of Elizabeth meaning ‘oath to God’.
- Emilia: Meaning ‘rival’.
- Emma: Meaning ‘strength’.
- Flurina: Meaning ‘flower’.
- Irene: The goddess of peace in Greek mythology.
- Isabella: An Italian variation on Elizabeth.
- Joelle: A biblical name.
- Julia: Meaning ‘youthful’.
- Laetitia or Letitia: Meaning ‘joy’.
- Leonie: Meaning ‘lioness’.
- Luisa: Meaning ‘warrior’.
- Lydia: A name with biblical roots.
- Lys: Another name derived from Elizabeth.
- Malea or Malia: Meaning ‘bitter’.
- Maria: Meaning ‘of the sea’.
- Marie: The French variation on Mary.
- Nina: Meaning ‘baby girl’ or ‘pure’.
- Sarah: Another biblical name meaning ‘lady’.
- Sophia or Sofia: Meaning ‘wisdom’.
- Yasmina: Meaning Jasmine.
- Zoey or Zoë: Meaning ‘life’.
Common Swiss-German names
German is the most widely-spoken language in Switzerland. Almost two-thirds of the population have it as their mother tongue, including most of the people in the big cities of Bern, Basel, and Zurich.
Lots of German speakers from other countries struggle to understand the strong Swiss dialect, and the difference from standard German is so big that some of these German girl names are rarely heard outside of Switzerland.
Swiss-German baby boy names
- Bruno: Meaning ‘brown’.
- Conrad: Meaning ‘brave’.
- Elias: From the Hebrew Elijah, which means ‘Jehovah is God’.
- Gerfried: Meaning ‘the spear of peace’.
- Hans: Related to the Italian Giovanni - ‘God is gracious’.
- Julian: Of Latin origin, meaning ‘youthful’.
- Koloman: Meaning ‘dove’.
- Levin: Of Hebrew origin meaning ‘joining or adhesion’.
- Wolfgang: Meaning ‘traveling wolf’.
Swiss-German baby girl names
- Adelheid: Meaning ‘noble’. Heidi is the shortened form.
- Aloisia: Meaning ‘famous fighter’.
- Elena: Meaning ‘light’ or ‘torch’.
- Ella: A first name that has many meanings; in English ‘fairy’, in German ‘all’ and, in Hebrew ‘goddess’.
- Laura: Of Latin origin, meaning ‘laurel’.
- Lea: Of Hebrew origin, meaning ‘weary’ or ‘to tire’.
- Sara: An alternative to Sarah.
Common Swiss-French names
French is the second most commonly spoken language in Switzerland. About 23% of the population speaks it at home. They mostly live in the west of the country and the city of Geneva.
You can find more French baby girl names and French baby boy names on our other lists.
Swiss-French baby boy names
- Francisque: A variation of the name Francis.
- Frédéric or Frederick: Meaning ‘peaceful ruler’.
- Gabriel: The name of an archangel meaning ‘God is my strength’.
- Laurent: From the name Laurel.
- Lucas: Of Latin origin, from the name Lucius, which means ‘light’.
- Luis: Meaning ‘warrior’.
- Nathan: Of Hebrew origin, meaning ‘God has given’.
- Renard: Meaning ‘fox’.
- Samuel: Of Latin origin, meaning ‘his name is God’.
- Theo: A short form of Theodore meaning ‘God’s gift’.
- Thomas: Of Hebrew origin meaning ‘a twin’.
- Yves: Meaning ‘yew’.
Swiss-French baby girl names
- Amelie: Meaning ‘hardworking’.
- Chantal: Meaning ‘stone’.
- Charlotte: The feminine form of Charles.
- Chloe or Khloe: Of Greek origin, meaning ‘blooming’.
- Eva: Of Hebrew origin, meaning ‘life’.
- Fabienne: Meaning ‘bean grower’.
- Francoise: Meaning ‘from France’.
- Geneva: A famous city in Switzerland.
- Gigi: Meaning ‘earth-worker’. Increasingly popular thanks to Gigi Hadid.
- Natalie: Of Latin origin, meaning ‘Christmas day’.
- Océane: Meaning ocean.
- Veronique: Meaning ‘who brings victory’, this is a form of Veronica.
Common Swiss-Italian names
8% of Swiss people speak Italian. They mostly live close to Switzerland’s mountainous Italian border.
By the way, another 49 Italian baby names are waiting for you right here.
Swiss-Italian baby boy names
- Adrian: Meaning ‘a man from Hadria’.
- Alessandro: Of Greek origin, meaning ‘defender or helper of mankind’.
- Desiderio: Meaning ‘desired’.
- Enea: The Italian form of the name Aeneas, the hero of Virgil’s Aeneid.
- Felix: Meaning ‘happy’.
- Florian: Meaning ‘flower’.
- Leo: Meaning ‘lion’.
- Leonardo: Meaning ‘lionheart’.
- Lorenzo: Of Latin origin, meaning ‘laurel’.
- Luca: Linked to Luke and Lucius, which mean ‘light’.
- Lugano: A town in southern Switzerland.
- Marco: Meaning ‘of Mars’, the Roman god of war.
- Matteo: Of Hebrew origin, it is an Italian take on Matthew, meaning ‘gift of God’.
- Noël: Meaning ‘Christmas’.
- Othello: An Italian name made famous by Shakespeare.
- Valerio: An old Roman last name.
Common Swiss-Italian girl names
- Aria or Arya: Meaning ‘melody’.
- Aurora: You might know it as a Disney name. It’s actually the Italian word for ‘dawn’.
- Cara or Kara: Meaning ‘dear’ or ‘beloved’.
- Emilia: Meaning ‘rival’.
- Fiorella: Meaning ‘small flower’.
- Giulia: Meaning ‘youth’.
- Ilaria: Meaning ‘happy’.
- Julie or Juliette: Another form of Julia.
- Luna: The Roman goddess of the moon.
- Noemi: Of Hebrew origin, meaning ‘my delight’.
- Valentina: Meaning ‘strong’ and ‘healthy’.
Traditional Swiss Romansch names
Only 0.5% of the Swiss population speaks Romansch, but it’s a fascinating language. It has its roots in the informal Latin that was spoken by the Roman soldiers who conquered Switzerland.
Traditional Swiss male names
- Andrin: A form of Henry.
- Antonin: A version of Anthony that means ‘beyond praise’.
- Aurel: Related to Aurelius, this name means ‘golden’.
- Balser: A form of Balthasar, related to the three wise men.
- Chasper: Another wise man (and a friendly ghost).
- Fadri: Meaning ‘peaceful ruler’.
- Jaronas: Meaning ‘sacred name’.
- Rapoto: A name that means ‘bold counsel’.
- Rico: A cool Romansch name meaning ‘ruler of the home’.
- Uorsin: Meaning ‘bear’.
Traditional Swiss female names
- Angiola: Meaning messenger, a Romansch form of Angela.
- Beate: Meaning ‘blessed’.
- Dorina: Related to Dorothy and Doris, meaning ‘gift’.
- Grettina: Meaning ‘pearl’.
- Guida: Meaning ‘guide’.
- Luzia: A form of Lucy or Lucille.
- Madlaina: Associated with Mary Magdalene.
- Mattia: Another name that means ‘gift of God’.
- Petrica: Meaning ‘a rock’.
- Ursina: The feminine form of Uorsin, also meaning ‘bear’.
- Varena: A saint’s name that’s very popular in the Romansch regions of Switzerland.
We hope you’ve found all the Swiss baby name inspiration you were looking for on this list. Feel free to shout it from the mountaintops if you have.
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