Nameberry's Favorite Unique Names

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.

If you're looking for a name with Scandinavian roots, this would make a stronger and more appealing import than Dagmar. With its meaning of "new day," it could make an ideal choice for a girl born around New Year's.

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

Extravagant virtue name which is notably the first name of the British TV detective Inspector Morse.

With the likes of Wren and Lark highly fashionable right now, Kestrel could make for a fun — and fierce — alternative for either gender.

Maisel is a German-Jewish surname, brought into the spotlight as that of Miriam Maisel, aka The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. The TV show, which premiered in 2017, has led to small numbers of girls given the name in recent years. It feels like a blend of stylish vintage names Maisie and Hazel.

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

A sweet and sparky modern Swedish name, derived from the word for "little" plus the suffix vi, which may mean "devoted, dedicated". An intriguing alternative to the popular Lily family of names.

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.

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.

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.

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.

A lovely V starting boy name derived from viorea, the Romanian word for the sweet violet flower.

A loveday in medieval England was a day when people engaged in a dispute would come together and try to resolve their differences amicably. The name was sometimes given to babies, male or female, who were born on such a day. The etymology of Loveday is English, yet historical use was mainly relegated to Cornwall, and it is considered a traditional Cornish name. Loveday is rarely used today, however, when it is, it is usually used for baby girls.

A warm-sounding word and virtue name used by the Puritans and still popular in parts of Africa, especially in the Favour spelling.

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.

Quincy may be unisex, but Quimby is decidedly feminine — at least according to the stats, it's never been used for boys. Perhaps it's because of Beverly Cleary's children's book heroine Ramona Quimby, or the queen-related meaning. In either case, Quimby is a quirky, unexpected choice for a daughter.

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.

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.

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.