Nameberry's Favorite Unique Names

Alcyone was the wife of Ceyx, but the happy pair angered the gods by calling each other Zeus and Hera. Ceyx's ship was sunk, Alcyone hurled herself into the sea, but then in sympathy for their grief the gods made the lovers halcyon birds or kingfishers.

A warm-sounding word and virtue name used by the Puritans and still popular in parts of Africa, especially with the Favour spelling. It might be used as a nickname for the longer, perhaps even bolder form, Godfavor (as in, "favored by God").

This diminutive of Valeria has a strong and striking sound to match its meaning. It has also been used in Brazil in recent decades.

A fresh, green, rising nature name for girls that would make a cool possibility for a baby boy as well. It has ranked in the US Top 1000 for boys a handful of times since naming records began.

Alcott evokes shades of nineteenth-century New England, and memories of the author of the books Little Women and Little Men. Louisa May Alcott was the daughter of Amos Bronson Alcott, noted educator, writer and philosopher, and colleague of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau.

In Norse mythology, the valkyries decided the fate of men in battle and conveyed the spirits of the fallen to Valhalla, to dwell with the god Odin. Often associated with ravens, swans, and horses, over time the valkyries have been portrayed as strong, female figures, callous and monstrous creatures, and sometimes both at the same time.

Shakespeare seems to have coined this name for the Prince of Bohemia in his late tragicomedy The Winter's Tale by drawing inspiration from the Latin floris meaning "flower". It's rarely been used as a name in real life, but we think it has potential. The flowery sound will appeal to parents looking for less conventionally masculine boys names, but the "Z" gives it an edge and cool factor lacking in, say, Florian. Plus, the Shakespeare connection obviously gives it a lot of literary cred.

Finja Is a Josephine nickname that ranks among the Top 100 girl names in Germany.

Skadi is an anglicized spelling of Skaði, a Scandinavian goddess associated with winter, skiing, bowhunting and mountains. This mythological choice is enjoying the limelight of names like Odin and Thor: it first appeared in the US charts in 2017 and is given to a few more girls each year.

Sweet-smelling Honeysuckle is the ultimate quirky floral name, so called because of its tubular flowers full of sweet nectar. Honeysuckle Weeks is a British actress whose siblings, also actors, have equally eye-catching names: Perdita and Rollo.

Feminine spin on Moses and European river name that's also the name of a wine.

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus appears to two of his disciples on the road to Emmaus after his death, burial and resurrection.

A bit syllable-heavy, but a pretty name for a springtime baby.

Gwenonwy is a poetic and intriguing member of the Gwen- family, taken from a Welsh word for the flower, lily-of-the-valley. According to legend, King Arthur had a sister named Gwenonwy and there is a large rock in Wales known as Maen Gwenonwy named after her.

In Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queene, Marinell is a knight and the son of a water nymph. He is wounded in battle against the valiant female knight Britomart.

Bird names have taken flight, and Cardinal is a new addition recently used by Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden for their son. The red bird was named for the color of the robes worn by the religious cardinals.

Derived from the French word for "alone", Solitaire could have potential as a bold word name, thanks to its use on a character in the James Bond franchise and its similarity to the names Sol, Solomon, and Salvatore. While some may be put off by the potential loneliness in the meaning, others might associate it with independence instead .

A cozy short form of Ambrose and co., Brosie could make a sweet nickname for a kid, but as a stand alone, it might be best reserved for a pet.

A rarely used member of the Ken- family, Kenelm has a rugged, surname-style feel. Borne by a 9th century martyr and a member of the Mercian royal family, it could make an intriguing namesake for a Kenneth, a Kendra, or a Kendrick.

Gwyniveth feels as if it could have stepped out of Arthurian, however, it is in fact a compound name, combining the Welsh element gwyn with Iveth, a French variation of Yvette.