Unusual, Rare, and Unique Baby Names
250+ compound names for babies
Across 19 pages
of 19
Daymond
English surname
"keeper of livestock"
Daymond, with many different spellings most prominently Dayman, is an ancient English occupational surname and personal name, taken from the word deye which denotes someone who tended animals. While…
Thorfinn
Norse
"Finn of Thor"
An ancient Norse name that is still in regular use in the Orkney Islands in Scotland. A famous historical bearer is Thorfinn Sigurdsson (or Thorfinn the Mighty), an 11th century Earl of Orkney.
Annamae
Compound name, blending Anna and Mae
"graceful pearl; grace and bitterness; grace of the mother"
Combining two classic names, Annamae has both vintage charm and a playful spark to it. The meaning can vary depending on which of Mae's root you choose to follow; a diminutive of Margaret, Mary, and…
Bettyjane
Compound name, combining Betty and Jane
"Gracious God is my oath"
A smoosh name, blending Betty and Jane that made the US Top 1000 in the 1920s.
Ellamae
English compound name, Ella + Mae
"fairy maiden + beloved"
Ellamae was given to over 60 baby girls in the US last year, although the data doesn't record punctuation, so we don't know how many of those will actually go by Ella Mae or Ella-Mae. The fourth most…
Clarimond
French
"Light of the World"
Clarimond is related to the Occitan name Esclarmonde, and is probably the more wearable of the two variations. Seventeenth century French novelist Nicolas des Escuteaux used the name for the…
Adeliza
Medieval English and Old Swedish form of Adelaide
"noble, nobility"
Adeliza is a unique member of the popular Adelaide-Adeline family. Different enough to distinguish it from all the others? Maybe, and it's definitely got an appealing sound that makes it sound a bit…
Marylou
English, combination of Mary and Lou
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + famous battle"
Truncated form of Marylouise. As two separate words, Mary Lou has popped up a number of times, as the title, for example, of two early feature films. There's also a Nickelodeon actress named Mary Lou…
Maryjane
English, combination of Mary and Jane
"drop of the sea, bitter, beloved + god is gracious"
Mary was such a common name for so long that it sprouted a whole family of chimeric name splices: Maryann, Marybeth, Mary-Lousie, ad infinitum. Spiderman 's Mary Jane Watson, the closed toe shoe with…
Shirleyann
Compound name, combining Shirley and Ann
"grace of the bright meadow; bright meadow + grace"
Quaint, quirky, and slightly clunky, Shirleyann is a smoosh name with a 30s feel about it. An unexpected vintage choice, a potential honor name, or perhaps for diehard fans of Anne of Green Gables…
Marianne
French combination of Marie and Anne
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + grace"
A midcentury Catholic classic that's not chosen by many parents today. Leonard Cohen fans might think of the beautiful song So Long, Marianne , named for his lover and muse Marianne Ihlen. The…
Maryann
English, combination of Mary and Ann
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + grace"
Combination of Mary and Ann which has been more popular than Marianne in recent years, although still below the Top 1000, after a peak in the 1940s. Mary is the English form of Maria, which…
Annmarie
English combination of Anne and Marie
"grace + drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"
Variant of Annemarie
Leeann
Spelling variation of Leanne
A combination of Lee and Ann, this spelling variation saw more interesting in the 60s and 70s.
Louann
Compound name, a blend of Lou and Ann
"strong in battle and grace"
A vowel heavy compound name with sounds that are familiar but seem unexpected and interesting when placed next to each other. Louann did feature at the latter end of the US Top 1000 between the 30s…
Marybeth
English, combination of Mary and Beth
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + oath"
Marybeth, something written like this as one word and sometimes as Mary Beth, is one of those compound versions of Mary popular in the midcentury US. Parents were trying to move away from plain old…
Maryellen
English, combination of Mary and Ellen
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + shining light"
A gentle old-fashioned compound name that has never been epidemically popular, but is now almost unused. The meaning of Mary is uncertain, but theories include "drop of the sea" (from Hebrew roots…
Ethelmary
English combination of Ethel + Mary
"noble + drop of the sea, bitter, beloved"
A unique and vintage-feeling combo name, borne by silent child film star Ethelmary Oakland.
Roseann
Compound name, combining Rose and Ann
"graceful rose"
A shaper, more succinct variation on Roseanne, Rosanne or Roseanna, Roseann was popular in the 1940s.
Oakwell
English suurname or combination name
"oaks by the spring"
Oakwell is an English name, most often used as a surname. An alternative to the popular Oakley with a hint of cool Wells and classic Maxwell.