Baby Names So Far Out They're In

  1. Duarte
    • Origin:

      Portuguese variation of Edward, English
    • Meaning:

      "wealthy guardian"
    • Description:

      Incredibly handsome and super smooth, Duarte sounds like it came straight out of a romance novel. You almost wouldn’t believe it’s derived from Edward.
  2. Misha
    • Origin:

      Russian, diminutive of Mikhail
    • Description:

      Brought into the American consciousness as the nickname of ballet great Mikhail Baryshnikov, it more recently took on a unisex air via TV and screen actress Mischa Barton. Could become the next Sasha.
  3. Diggory
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "Lost one"
    • Description:

      This buoyant name has the same bouncy rhythm as Rafferty and Barnaby, but is virtually unused. It has plenty of literary cred, too: characters in The Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter and Thomas Hardy’s The Return of the Native have all borne the name.
  4. Cameo
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      This evocative term for a stone or shell carved in relief could make a striking first name for a girl, though she would have a starring role in her story, rather than a cameo.
  5. Zooey
    • Origin:

      Literary name
    • Description:

      The original Zooey, hero of J.D. Salinger's Franny & Zooey, was male, but nowadays the name is more closely associated with actress/singer Zooey Deschanel. With Zoe at number 31 for girls and Zoey in the Top 50, the related Zooey feels more female than ever. But it's distinctively quirky for either sex.
  6. Saro
    • Origin:

      English
    • Description:

      While in Armenia, Italy and Nigeria Saro is regarded as a masculine name, in English Saro is a rare feminine name, familiar because of the old English folk song Pretty Saro, which was rediscovered in the 20th century, having been preserved through Appalachian oral tradition. In the song, Saro is a girl whom the singer has had to leave behind in his home country after emigrating, which might give an indication as to how it came to be found in North America. Saro in this case is generally thought to be a diminutive of Sarah.
  7. Annis
    • Origin:

      Variation of Agnes
    • Meaning:

      "pure, virginal"
    • Description:

      Annis and Anice are both antique variations of Agnes that have fallen out of use, perhaps because of pronunciation problems (ANN-is, or an-EES?)
  8. Quitterie
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "the red one"
    • Description:

      Quitterie is a quirky saint’s name which is considered très chic in France at the moment. St Quiteria was a 5th century virgin martyr who was killed after refusing to renounce her Christian faith in order to marry.
  9. Ashwin
    • Origin:

      Sanskrit, Old English, "possessed of horses; ash friend"
    • Meaning:

      "possessed of horses; ash friend"
    • Description:

      A cultural crossover with multiple roots. Ashwin is an English surname from the Anglo-Saxon male name Æscwine, meaning "ash tree + friend". It's also a popular Hindi name: in Hindu mythology, the Ashvins or Ashwini are twin Hindu gods of the sunrise and sunset. Either way, it has a soft, strong sound and great nickname potential in Ash or Win
  10. Basel
    • Origin:

      Swiss place name
    • Meaning:

      "king"
    • Description:

      The Swiss city of Basel was first Basilia, thought to have been dubbed in honor of the Roman castle of the same name. The castle's name would have derived from Basilius, a Roman personal name from which the name Basil also originated.
  11. Magenta
    • Origin:

      Color name
    • Description:

      Magenta is a vivid Crayola color name, that could make a vivid, colorful choice. It was named in 1859 after the Napoleonic Battle of Magenta, a town in Northern Italy.
  12. Pemma
    • Origin:

      Tibetan
    • Meaning:

      "lotus flower"
    • Description:

      Variation of Pema.
  13. Margalo
    • Origin:

      Greek variation of Margaret
    • Meaning:

      "pearl"
    • Description:

      Margalo could make an intriguing spin on Margaret, with Margo as a nickname. The name appears in E. B. White's Stuart Little — as a bird. Margalo Gilmore (born Margaret) was a well-known British-born Broadway actress.
  14. Marais
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "marsh"
    • Description:

      This hip Parisian neighborhood name would make a delightful middle for a baby girl.
  15. Rosamond
    • Origin:

      German
    • Meaning:

      "horse protection"
    • Description:

      The kind of serious old-school name that sounds appealing again; perfect for the intrepid baby namer. More commonly spelled Rosamund but highly unusual these days in either version, with fewer than 20 baby girls named Rosamund in the US last year while Rosamond didn't even register with five.
  16. Pipaluk
    • Origin:

      Greenlandic
    • Meaning:

      "sweet little thing who belongs to me"
    • Description:

      Consistently among the top 5 girls' names in Greenland for the past four decades, Pipaluk has one of the most adorable meanings going, and could make for a quirky route to Pip or Pippa. A famous bearer in Greenlandic-Danish author Pipaluk Freuchen.
  17. Zadok
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "righteous"
    • Description:

      A rarely heard biblical name, Zadok is borne by no less than nine Old Testament men.
  18. Everild
    • Origin:

      Old English
    • Meaning:

      "boar battle"
    • Description:

      A halfway house between full-on Anglo-Saxon Eoforhild, and the modern-day version Averil. Everild makes for an interesting blend of medieval with the on-trend "Ever" sound.
  19. Osmo
    • Origin:

      Finnish
    • Meaning:

      "young man"
    • Description:

      Cosmo's Finnish cousin.
  20. Ogden
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "from the oak valley"
    • Description:

      Rarely used surname, associated with humorous poet Ogden Nash.