Hipster Names for Boys and Girls

Incredibly handsome and super smooth, Duarte sounds like it came straight out of a romance novel. You almost wouldn’t believe it’s derived from Edward.

Duarte

Charming nature name made even more appealing by the connection to iconic nurse and statistician Florence Nightingale.

Nightingale

Romantic and mysterious, Eluned's beauty and intelligence were legendary in Welsh legend; she was the handmaiden of the Lady of the Fountain in a Welsh Arthurian romance, who had a magic ring that made the wearer invisible. Pronunciation is usually similar in emphasis to Eleanor, but with ned instead of nor at the end. However, it's sometimes also pronounced el-LIN-ed or even shortened to Luned, the sounce of Lynette, in Tennyson's <em>Gareth and Lynette</em>.

Eluned

 are names that are favored by hip, stylish parents, none of whom want to be accused of using hipster names for their children. That makes hipster names a moving target — as soon as a name becomes identifiably hipster, hip parents start to avoid it.

 finding the most favor today include the literary Ambrose, the quirky Cosmo, and the gender-neutral Kit. Hipster boy names are often 

 with lots of history, like Boaz or Phineas, or 

 often fall along these style lines too. Quirky 

 that qualify as hipster include Agnes, Ida, and Marigold. More contemporary hipster girl names include Nightingale and Nyx.

What qualities are shared by hipster names? They're usually conventional names but never popular ones. They are quirky and edgy but may also have deep roots. Old-fashioned nickname-names, such as Sally and Sonny, often strike a hipster vibe, as do mythological names and 

 are often found in hipster names, including Opal and Io, Zelma and Ziggy.

 include Cleo, Eugene, Florence, Ira, Langston, Rudy, Stanley, and Zelda. Former hipster names that are now mainstream include Matilda and Clementine for girls, Arlo and Otto for boys.

Below, the hipster baby names most often heard around Brooklyn, Austin and Madison these days (though we can't resist pointing out that the names Brooklyn, Austin and Madison are nowhere among them).

Hipster boy names and hipster girl names, with meanings, origins, and popularity (Page 13)