Nameberry's Favorite Unique Names
- Marinell
Origin:
Literary nameMeaning:
"knight of the sea"Description:
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.
- Sappho
Origin:
Ancient GreekMeaning:
"sapphire"Description:
Name of the 7th century BC Greek lyric poet born on the island of Lesbos, whose name has been synonymous with lesbian love. Though this name is rarely used today, it certainly could be and, some might say, SHOULD be revived.
- Moselle
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"drawn from the water"Description:
Feminine spin on Moses and European river name that's also the name of a wine.
- Laertes
Origin:
Ancient GreekMeaning:
"gatherer of the people"Description:
An Ancient Greek name with a huge dose of literary credibility. Laertes was the father of Odysseus in Greek mythology, who therefore pops up in Homer's The Odyssey.
- Alcyone
Origin:
Greek mythology nameMeaning:
"kingfisher"Description:
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.
- Ondina
Origin:
Italian; Portuguese; Spanish, from LatinMeaning:
"little wave"Description:
A romantic Latinate form of Ondine, Ondina is an undiscovered gem that shares similar sounds with the trendy Olivia and Ophelia.
- Kenelm
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"brave, bold helmet, keen protection"Description:
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.
- Kestrel
Origin:
Bird nameDescription:
With the likes of Wren and Lark highly fashionable right now, Kestrel could make for a fun — and fierce — alternative for either gender.
- Cardinal
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
"principal; bird"Description:
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.
- Otso
Origin:
FinnishMeaning:
"bear"Description:
A common animal name in Finland, it could work as an alternative to Otto or Otis.
- Favor
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"kindness, benefit; approval, support"Description:
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").
- Cavatica
Origin:
Word nameMeaning:
"barn spider"Description:
While there are many who would certainly be put off by the association with spiders, Cavatica has a spirited and spikey feel and sounds enough like Cassia, Catalina, and Callista that it leans "name-y". Cavatica appears in E.B White's popular novel, Charlotte's Web about a spider called Charlotte. A. Cavatica.
- Brosie
Origin:
Short form of Ambrose, Ambrosio, or Ambrosius, LatinMeaning:
"immortal"Description:
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.
- Primavera
Origin:
ItalianMeaning:
"spring"Description:
A bit syllable-heavy, but a pretty name for a springtime baby.
- Sabin
Origin:
Romanian, Bulgarian, Basque, from LatinMeaning:
"from the Sabines"Description:
Listed in the Quran as one of the "People of the Book," this male equivalent of Sabina is undiscovered and ripe for the adventurous baby namer. There was also an 8th-century Bulgarian Khan with the name, and it’s still occasionally used in Bulgaria today. Albert Bruce Sabin is the Polish-American scientist credited for the oral polio vaccine
- Revival
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
"restoration, renewed popularity or life"Description:
A rare word name with both a futuristic feel and a spiritual undertone. While its similarity in sound to the word "rival" and the rarity might put some people off, it has seen usage in South Africa, Malawi, and Nigeria.
- Solitaire
Origin:
French, EnglishMeaning:
"solitary, alone; a single jewel in a piece of jewelry"Description:
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 .
- Nebula
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"mist"Description:
Could be the next Nova, now that celestial baby names are in the ascendent.
- Luluwa
Origin:
Literature, Biblical, ArabicMeaning:
"twin of Cain; beautiful; pearl"Description:
This intriguing Lu- name is Biblical adjacent, appearing in the Christian, extracanonical text The Conflict of Adam and Eve with Satan, written in the 6th century. It is the name of Cain's twin sister, and sometimes wife, who is also known as Aclima, Qelima, Azura, Cainan, Kalmana, and Lusia in other texts and traditions. She is seen as the first woman to be born "naturally".
- Gwyniveth
Origin:
Welsh and French compound nameMeaning:
"blessed yew tree; blessed rebirth"Description:
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.