When Pithing Needle enters the battlefield, you name a card. According to CR 201.3, a player names a card by specifying any possible card name — the rules do not restrict named cards to those printed in English or even to cards that exist in physical print at all, as long as it is a real Magic card name.
The key rule is CR 201.3: 'If a player is instructed to name a card, that player must choose the name of a card that exists in the game.' 'Exists in the game' means it is a real, legal Magic card name — it does not require an English printing to be available.
So you could legally name a card such as 'Ach! Hans, Run!' (which was only printed in German in Unhinged — wait, that is actually English). More practically, cards like certain Judge promos or foreign-exclusive releases: as long as the card has an official name recognized by Magic rules, you may name it regardless of language availability.
Concrete example: You name 'Chaoslace' (a card with very limited printings) with Pithing Needle. This is perfectly legal. Any permanent named Chaoslace will have its activated abilities shut off, even though you may never have seen an English copy in person.
Note: You must name a real Magic card. Naming a fictional or non-existent card name is not allowed (CR 201.3). But language of printing is irrelevant to the legality of the choice.
Unofficial fan resource — not affiliated with or endorsed by Wizards of the Coast. Answers are AI-generated estimates grounded in the Comprehensive Rules and are not a substitute for an official judge. Verify anything match-critical.