Rare but Recognizable Names

Umber

Color name

Conjures up the rich brown colors of raw and burnt umber, but it may be too close to girls' Amber.

Jemison

English

"son of James"

A variant of Jameson or Jamison, borne by the first Black woman in space, former NASA astronaut Mae Jemison.

Nairn

Scottish

"river with alder trees"

Scottish nature name that could prove a tongue- twister for the younger set.

Fennell

Fennell is a masculine name that originated as a surname before occasionally crossing over to first-name usage. It derives from the herb fennel, ultimately from Latin 'foeniculum.' As a surname, it…

Brynmor

Welsh

"great hill"

Derived from the Welsh place name Brynmawr, this adventurous sounding name, feels at once as rugged as its meaning but with a hint of gentleness, thanks to the unisex Bryn . While this name wouldn't…

Fleury

Masculine form of Fleur, French

"flower"

Also used as a surname, this floral choice was the name of an 11th century French prince, and a familiar choice in France during the early 20th century. While it faded out of style in the '40s, could…

Cordy

Diminutive of Conrad, German

"brave"

A unisex nickname, originating from Conrad. It could be an unexpected alternative to Casey or Cory. Kordy and Korde are alternative spellings.

Keats

English literary name

"kite"

Poetic and easy to pronounce (it's keets), this is one of many poets' names to consider, such as Auden, Eliot, Frost, Byron, Lorca, Marlowe, Blake, Emerson and Tennyson. Likely meaning "kite", in…

Digby

English, Norse

"town by the ditch"

Digby is a place-name in Lincolnshire turned surname turned quirky first name that is starting to get some attention. In fact, it ranked in the UK Top 1000 in a recent year where it fits in with the…

Levar

African American, Latin, English surname

"the truth; one who lives where rushes grow"

Brought into the mainstream by actor and TV host LeVar Burton who starred in the 70s miniseries Roots and in Star Trek: The Next Generation , Levar, or LeVar as it may be stylized, is a name of…

Sylvander

Variation of Silvanus, combination of Sylvester and Anders

"man of the woods"

Also spelled Silvander, this poetic and woodsy name was used in various works of literature throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. Deriving from the Roman and Biblical name Silvanus, Sylvander could…

Wystan

English

"battle stone"

Dignified first name of poet W. H. Auden, less exposed than his currently stylish surname.

Wyeth

Old English, French

"willow; guide"

Landing somewhere between Wyatt, Gareth, and Wilf, Wyeth is a surname inspired name, notably associated with 20th century American artist, N. C. Wyeth and his family, many of whom were also artists,…