Nameberry's Favorite Unique Names
- Quimby
Origin:
Variation of Quenby, EnglishMeaning:
"queen's settlement"Description:
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.
- Honeysuckle
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"flower name"Description:
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.
- Bethshalom
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"house of peace"Description:
A compound name blending beth and shalom to get both the appealing meaning "House of Peace", and a bold name with the grounded nickname options of Beth or Betsy.
- Hollister
Origin:
English surnameMeaning:
"dweller by the holly tree"Description:
Familiar English surname now associated with the Abercrombie & Fitch offshoot.
- Gyda
Origin:
Danish and Norwegian form of Guðríðr or GyðjaMeaning:
"beautiful, beloved goddess; priestess, lady of high status"Description:
A short but punchy name of Danish and Norwegian origin, Gyda could be a variation of the Old Norse name Guðríðr meaning "beautiful goddess", or it could be derived from the word yðja meaning "priestess" or "lady of status".
- Contessina
Origin:
Italian, form of ContessaMeaning:
"countess"Description:
An elaboration of the aristocratic Italian title, Contessa, Contessina might feel a little more name-y, while still maintaining the same grandeur and offering the nicknames Tess, Coco, and Connie.
- Zebidah
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"to give"Description:
A rare name from the Old Testament, Zebidah appears in the Bible as the wife of King Josiah and the mother of Jehoiakim. While it has yet to see widespread use, Zebidah combines a number of current trends: a spiky letter Z, a lesser known Biblical option, and boyish-nicknames-for-girls, including Zeb, Zebbie, Zippy, Ziggy and Zed — though Zadie and Zia could be others.
- Rasha
Origin:
ArabicMeaning:
"young gazelle"Description:
A spritely and energetic name of Arabic origin, it derives from risha, meaning "young gazelle". The name can also be spelled as Rashaa.
- Sanjoli
Origin:
Form of Sanjali, Hindi, IndianMeaning:
"hands joined and clasped in prayer"Description:
An alternative form of Sanjali, this name has the spiritual meaning of "hands joined in prayer". The O spelling may simply be down to differences in transliterating the Hindi to English, however, it might also be influenced by the name Joli / Jolie.
- Habbakuk
- Sumitra
Origin:
SanskritMeaning:
"good friend"Description:
An appealing name with a gentle feel, Sumitra is a name of Sanskrit origin used in India and Thailand as a feminine name, and in Indonesia as a masculine one. It combines the elements su and mitra, meaning "good" and "friend" respectively.
The name appears on a (feminine) figure in the Hindu epic Ramayana and has been borne by actress Sumitra Devi, regarded as one of the best Bollywood actresses of the '40s and '50s, and by Sumitra Bhav, one half of a film-making duo with Sunil Sukthankar.
- Tryggve
Origin:
NorwegianMeaning:
"trustworthy"Description:
A Norwegian and Swedish form of Trygve, with the appealing meaning "trustworthy". It is less popular that the streamlined form that was a stylish choice back in the 1940s and 50s. Tryggvi is the Icelandic variation.
- Fielding
Origin:
Word name and surnameMeaning:
"dweller in the open country"Description:
Fielding is a surname style name, originally given to someone who lived in the country or worked in the fields, however it might also be considered a word name relating to sports (cricket and baseball specifically) or with the term for dealing with something difficult by evading it.