A rarely heard flower name, Amapola comes from the Spanish word for "poppy", in turn associating with name with remembrance and the months of August and November. Pronounced as a-ma-POH-la, with the emphasis on the third syllable, it may feel similar enough to Amalia, Amaia, and Paula to work.

Marchesa, pronounced with a K sound rather than a CH, fits right in with all those boys named Messiah and King. In Italy, a marchesa is the wife of a marchese. In France, the equivalent titles are marquis and marquise, and in England, marquess and marchioness. The title is most familiar today thanks to Georgina Chapman and Karen Craig's fashion house, Marchesa.

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.

Actor Wilmer Valderrama and Amanda Pacheco adapted this Japanese surname for their daughter Nakano Oceana, born in 2021. The couple was inspired by female samurai Nakano Takeko (Nakano being her surname), who led a group of women warriors that fought on the front lines against samurai rules.

On trend for boys but with plenty of unisex appeal too, the place name Cairo was put on the map for girls when model Beverly Peele chose it for her daughter. Given to around 50 girls each year, it hasn't caught on just yet but with its similar sounds to Kaia and Skyler, it might do in the future.

Kove has the beachy feel of Ocean, Kai, and Koa, but unlike its more traditionally spelled counterpart, it looks less visually similar to Covid, at least. Associated with nooks and crannies, but perhaps more appealingly with small protected bays by the sea, Kove was given to 17 girls in a recent year, while Cove was chosen for 81.

Actress Milla Jovovich chose this uncommon but usable Welsh boy name for her daughter in 2020. Oisin is very popular in its native Ireland.

Ever Carridine chose this unusual name for her daughter, born in 2010. Chaplin has hovered in use around five baby boys each year — it's never made the charts for girls.

Wildflower may be the ultimate hippie name, added to the lexicon by Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden when they chose it as one of their daughter's middle names. It's generic in the way that Flora and River are, as opposed to Iris and Nile, say. But it has a certain free and creative charm.

Marli is a contemporary feminine name with multiple possible origins. It may be a modern variation of Marley, which has Irish roots meaning 'pleasant seaside meadow,' or it could be a creative blend of popular Mar- names like Maria and Lisa. The streamlined spelling gives it a fresh, minimalist appeal. Marli has gained popularity in recent decades as part of the trend toward shorter, versatile names with a bright sound. The name conveys a sense of cheerfulness and modern simplicity. Its brevity makes it globally accessible, while its ending sound gives it a distinctly feminine character. Popular in various Western countries, Marli appeals to parents seeking a name that feels both contemporary and approachable without being overly common.

A rarer spelling of Dashiell, a handsome route to the nickname Dash. Neither variation is common for girls — Dashiell, at its peak, was given to six baby girls in a single year — but actress Milla Jovovich chose this spelling for her daughter, born in 2015.

Baby is rarely seen as a given name — or even nickname — these days, although it did rank in the Top 1000 from 1989 to 2003. These instances can be accounted for in two ways. Firstly, infants whose birth certificates are not filled out on time are given generic placeholders for registration, such as Infant, Unknown, or Baby. But more influential during this decade was the 1987 movie Dirty Dancing, starring Jennifer Grey as Frances "Baby" Houseman. It's the origin of the famed line, "Nobody puts Baby in a corner."

Used by Kerry Washington as the middle name for her daughter Isabelle.

This phonetic spelling of a traditional Scottish male name wasn't seen until used by Vince Vaughn for his daughter. As Lachlan becomes more of an established boy's name in the US, more parents are turning to the Locklyn spelling on the girl's side.

Olympic athlete Usain Bolt introduced this unusual and electric nature name to the lexicon when he chose it for his daughter's middle name: Olympia Lightning Bolt. Now there's a name with layers of meaning!

Austin Powers famously said "Danger is my middle name," and for more and more children this is ringing true. Some babies are receiving Danger as their first name, in the style of lively word names like Wilder, Cannon, and Rebel.

A rare choice with links to mythology, Ersilia is an Italian variation of Hersilia, the wife of Romulus in Roman legend. While the exact meaning of the name is unknown, one possibility is that it is related to the Greek herse meaning "dew". An alternative idea is that is comes from the Latin herus meaning "master of the house", though again this is purely speculation.

Alternate spelling of Kira

Ysabel is the original spelling of this ever-more-popular name, though to English-speakers, the initial Y may confuse pronunciation. Only 14 baby girls were given the Ysabel spelling in the US last year, while Isabel and Isabelle were each given to about 1800 babies.