Mostly feminine, though "Office" star Rainn Wilson gives it a slight masculine twist. You might also use this as a short form of Raines.

The Forest variation of Forrest, used by actor Whitaker, nudges the meaning more toward the woods and away from the woodsman.

Poetic and handsome with a hint of mystique and magic around it, this rugged Welsh name may appeal as an alternative to Tristan or Taran.

Unspecific place name with a wonderfully wide-open, spacious, western feel; used for a character in Thomas Pynchon's novel Vineland.

This body of water runs deep; the best of a group of new possibilities that includes Bay, Ocean, River, and the more established Brook. It has received attention via the actress Lake Bell. Lake would make a particularly cool and refreshing middle name, as Gisele Bundchen and Tom Brady did for daughter Vivian.

The name of a heavenly planet and the Roman goddess of beauty and love was an intimidating no-no until tennis champ Venus Williams put an athletic, modern spin on it.

Canyon is a unique baby name evocative of natural splendor and the old Steve Canyon comic-strip heroism, making it an intriguing new word-name possibility.

This name of a giant tree, itself named for a nineteenth-century Cherokee who invented a way to write his tribe's language, makes a strong, stately statement.

Starbaby name that might prove too supercharged for real life, but if like director Robert Rodriguez you're interested only in boys' names starting with R, you may need to add Rocket (and Rebel and Racer) to your list.

Starla is a feminine name that emerged in mid-20th century America as a creative elaboration of the word 'star.' This celestial-inspired name peaked in popularity during the 1970s and early 1980s, reflecting the era's interest in nature-themed and inventive names. With its glamorous connotations and cosmic imagery, Starla suggests brilliance, aspiration, and uniqueness. The name carries a distinctly Americana quality while evoking the beauty of the night sky. Though never extremely common, Starla developed a steady following, particularly in Southern states. The melodic combination of 'star' with the feminine 'la' ending creates a name that feels simultaneously familiar and distinctive.

Tied to the bluesy southern city and to the world heritage cite in Egypt after which it was named, Memphis is a modern choice with ancient history. Currently significantly more popular for boys in the US, as a place name with sounds reminiscent of Paris, Meredith and Emma, it has plenty of potential as a unisex choice.

Jupiter's partner Juno has entered the mainstream, so it's possible that her divine mate could follow. But not necessarily for boys — Jupiter is currently mostly female in the US, thanks to its similarity to Juniper. Stars including Ed Sheeran and Ashley Tisdale recently welcomed daughters named Jupiter, which could shift the balance even more towards the girls.

A spiritual word name used by actor Zoe Saldana for her son as well as more recently Nick Cannon and Alyssa Scott for their late son. Zen has been trending in recent years along with other spiritual names such as Bodhi and Zion, and recently entered the US Top 1000 for the first time in 2022.

Most parents today would prefer the softer-sell Stella. But Star has symbolic power related to Christmas, so this could make one of the perfect names for December babies.

A name with some sterling qualities, most associated with the British currency and silver markets, though it could easily be read as virtuous, celebratory choice, like Merritt or Goldie.

Adventurous parents are starting to look back to names of ancient gods like Mercury, Zeus, and Apollo. This one is also a planet and a metallic element, and has a friendly nickname, Merc. The Roman god Mercury, which derives from the Latin words for trade or wages, is the patron of tradesmen and travelers and the fastest-moving planet in the solar system. Mercury is the planet associated with the sign of Virgo, so this is one of the prime names for Virgo babies.

The nature boy version of the Scandinavian Leif, which actually means "heir". In the creative-naming Phoenix family, Leaf is the former name of the actor we know as Joaquin.

In the beginning there was Nevaeh, created as a name by spelling the word heaven backwards, and Nevaeh rose to fame in the 2000's, becoming a mainstream choice by 2004.

A recently entered name on the roster, Poet was used for her daughter by Soleil Moon (Punky Brewster) Frye, who obviously appreciates the advantages of an unusual name. This is a possible middle name choice for verse-loving parents who want to skip specifics like Auden or Poe or Keats or Tennyson and go with the generic.

Dhani is a haunting Hindi name for boys that's a million miles away from the similar-sounding Danny or Donny. One notable namesake is musician Dhani Harrison, look-alike son of Beatle George. He is named after the sixth and seventh notes of the Indian music scale, 'dha' and 'ni'. 'Dhani' is also a raga in north Indian classical music. Another noted bearer is longtime NFL linebacker Dhani Jones.