Nameberry Favorites · Unusual, Rare, and Unique Baby Names
Nameberry's Favorite Unique Names
Across 6 pages
of 6
Kindred
English word name
"family; connectedness"
This unusual English word name and surname was the middle name of American sci-fi writer Philip K. Dick, after his mother's maiden name. Its striking sound and appealing meaning make it a promising…
Odelia
Hebrew, German
"I will praise the Lord or wealth"
Pretty Hebrew name that would create a strong but feminine impression, as well as a variant of the Germanic name Odilia or Ottilie.
Iselilja
Norwegian
"ice lily"
A wintery name, with a fairy tale feel, Iselilja blends the Norwegian is with lilja to give the pretty meaning "ice lily". Quietly used in Norway as a middle and given name, it appears in a medieval…
Maëlle
Feminine form of Maël, French, Breton
"chief, prince, lord"
A warm and stylish name, Maëlle is currently in the Top 150 in both France and Belgium. The feminine form of the even more popular Maël, it traditionally means "prince, lord", though this variant…
Jules
French form of Latin Julius
"youthful; soft, downy"
Though Jules hasn't been on the US popularity list in fifty years, it is a current hit in its native France—where it's currently in the Top 10—and we can definitely see it making a comeback here,…
Lilliandil
Popular culture
"sea of lillies"
Ethereal, yet with the familiarity of Lily about it, Lilliandil is a name created by Douglas Gresham for the movie adaptation of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader , based of C.S Lewis's Narnia novels.…
Ben-ami
Hebrew
"son of my people"
Combining the feel of sturdy Benjamin with the contemporary interest in Bellamy and Amias, this classic feeling double-barrelled name is of Hebrew origin. It blends the elements ben meaning "son"…
Rigel
Astronomy, Arabic
"foot, leg"
This might sound and look like a blend of Ryan, Riley, and Nigel, but it is in fact the name of the seventh brightest star in the sky. Found in the constellation of Orion, its name comes from the…
Madelief
Dutch
"daisy"
Madelief is an uncommon name but not unheard of in the Netherlands, where 123 girls were called Madelief in one recent year. With its soft sounds and similarities to all those "Madeleine" type names…
Oslo
Norwegian place name, Old Norse
"meadow at the foot of a hill"
Oslo, the capital city of Norway, makes for an intriguing new place name, especially with its bookended O's, as in Otto and leads to cool nickname Ozzie. One Berry has already used it and we predict…
Caradoc
Welsh
"amiable, beloved"
Derived from the name Caradog, the handsome ancient Celtic name was worn by one of the Knights of the Round Table, as well as a semi-legendary Welsh King. Possibly a cognate of Cedric and Carys,…
Loxley
English
"lynx glade"
An English place and surname with a fierce natural meaning. Loxley is a village and river name from Yorkshire, England, famous for being the purported birthplace of Robin Hood. Loxley Chase was an…
Somerled
Norse, Scottish Gaelic, “summer traveler”
A rare and evocative name which calls to mind warm, endless summer days. This is an Anglicized form of the Old Norse name Sumarliði, also found in Scottish Gaelic as Somhairle (pronounced SO-ar-lee).…
Noxli
Modern invention, English
"night; meadow by the round hill"
Noxli is an ultra-modern choice but with a hint of history borrowed from the Roman Nox and the feel of choices like Tesni and Mabli. On one hand, it may be considered a spelling variation of Knoxley…
Averick
Manx form of Aifric, English surname
"dappled, speckled; elf ruler"
Sharing the sounds of Maverick, Averill, Avery, and Alaric, Averick is a rugged and unexpected name of Manx origin. It's a variant of the Irish names Aifric and Aithbhreac , both of which can come…
Elswyth
Anglo-Saxon
"strong temple"
An Anglo-Saxon name borne by the queen of Alfred the Great. American novelist Helen Ricker wrote under the pen-name Elswyth Thane. Variants include Elswith, Ealswith and Ealhswith.
Ælfwynn
Old English
"elf joy"
An ancient elfin name borne by a granddaughter of Alfred the Great. The name appeared on a character in The Lost Kingdom , a ruler of Mercia.
Phlegon
Greek
"burning"
A name with links to mythology and the Bible, Phlegon is a distinctive Greek name with a blazing meaning. It was borne by one of the seventy disciples in the New Testament, by an Ancient Greek…
Cecily
Feminine variation of Cecil
"blind"
Cecily is as dainty as a lace handkerchief. Cecily has a wide assortment of namesakes. One Cecily was the mother of King Richard III, whose beauty gained her the title "the Rose of Raby," Cecily…
Fern
English
"plant name"
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.