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Unusual Baby Names

Sophie Kihm
By Sophie Kihm
Updated Sat Jul 13 2024
Unusual Baby Names

Unusual baby names come from a range of categories, from place names to word names, to surname inspired choices. These unique names come from all around the world, but have yet to make it big in the US.

Unusual names are apt to draw attention, which make them appealing choices for celebrities. Unusual celebrity baby names include Hart, Olympia, Taj, and Vale.

Along with Olympia and Hart, other unusual baby names trending right now include Alistair, Birdie, Coco, Fielder, Henrietta, Lumi, West, and Zebedee.

For those wanting something ultra-rare and unusual, names given to fewer than five babies last year include Conran, Madrigal, Oceon, and Plum.

The best unusual names for babies are distinctive without being strange, unique but easy to wear. Of the thousands of unusual baby names on Nameberry, here are some of our favorites, ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.

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Unique Names

Lists of Unusual Names

  1. Imogen

    • Origin:

      Celtic

    • Meaning:

      "maiden"

    • Description:

      Imogen has long been fashionable in England and is gaining favor in the US among stylish parents. Pronounced the British way — the initial i is short as in Kim, as is the final E as in Ken — Imogen is as pretty and classy as it is distinctive.
  2. Ozias

    • Origin:

      Greek, Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "my strength is God"

    • Description:

      A cool Biblical option that currently sits just outside the US Top 1000, Ozias gets extra points for its user-friendly nicknames Oz and Ozzie. Given to around 200 boys in 2023, it has quadrupled in use since 2013.

      Deriving from the Hebrew Uzziah, Ozias is the name of several minor figures in the Greek and Latin Bible, most notably the king of the ancient Kingdom of Judah. It also has a literary connection in the form of the wonderfully named Ozias Midwinter from Wilkie Collins' 19th century sensationalist novel Armadale. Several characters in the novel describe the name as "horrible", claiming that "no sane human being would assume such a name as Ozias", but we — and a growing number of parents —would disagree.
  3. Nael

    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Nathanael or Gwenael, French, Arabic

    • Meaning:

      "gift of God; generous; attainer, winner"

    • Description:

      Nael - or Naël as it is often spelled - originated as a French diminutive of names ending in -nael, though in recent years, it has risen up the charts as a standalone choice. A Top 20 name in France, it is also popular in Belgium and Switzerland, where it fits in beside Léo, Sacha, Lou, Noé, and Ben.
  4. Casimir

    • Origin:

      English; French, from Polish

    • Meaning:

      "destroyer of peace"

    • Description:

      Casimir, a traditional name of Polish kings, could do quite well these days as we see the rise of Caspian, Cassius, Castiel, et. al. Like Leopold and Laszlo, Casimir is strong and worth considering if you've got an adventurous streak — and bet your son will too.
  5. Cosmo

    • Origin:

      Italian, English, Greek

    • Meaning:

      "order, beauty, universe"

    • Description:

      With a touch of celestial power, a hint of clunky charm, and the totally cool -o ending, Cosmo may well be finally shaking itself free of both the Seinfeld association (which made it a punchline of a joke) and the cartoon fairy association from The Fairly OddParents. In fact, it is in the Top 1000 in the UK and a favorite on Nameberry.
  6. Florian

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "flowering"

    • Description:

      If Flora and Florence have returned full force, Florian, with its trendy Latinate ending, could also have a chance. Popular in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, and France, St Florian was the venerated patron saint of those in danger from water and the patron saint of firefighters.
  7. Alistair

    • Origin:

      English spelling of Alasdair, Scottish version of Alexander

    • Meaning:

      "defending men"

    • Description:

      With many British names invading the Yankee name pool, the sophisticated Alistair could and should be part of the next wave. It debuted in the US Top 1000 in 2016. You have a triple choice with this name--the British spell it Alistair or Alastair, while the Scots prefer Alasdair--but they're all suave Gaelic versions of Alexander. Adopted by the lowland Scots by the seventeenth century, the name didn't become popular outside Scotland and Ireland until the twentieth century.
  8. Lavinia

    • Origin:

      Latin, from ancient place name Lavinium

    • Description:

      Lavinia is a charmingly prim and proper Victorian-sounding name which actually dates back to classical mythology, where it was the name of the wife of the Trojan hero Aeneas, who was considered the mother of the Roman people.
  9. Blythe

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "happy, carefree"

    • Description:

      Blythe is Nameberry gem — one of those names that visitors to the site are often searching for, despite the fact it's never ranked in the US charts as a given name.
  10. Cosima

    • Origin:

      Italian feminine variation of Cosmo, Greek

    • Meaning:

      "order, beauty, universe"

    • Description:

      Cosima, the kind of elegant and unusual name the British upper classes love to use for their daughters, is given to a handful of baby girls in the US after being chosen by two high-profile celebs in the same month; cool couple Sofia Coppola and Thomas Mars as well as supermodel Claudia Schiffer. It was used earlier by celebrity chef Nigella Lawson, while the male form, Cosimo, was given to the son of Marissa Ribisi and Beck.
  11. Linus

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "flax"

    • Description:

      Can Linus lose its metaphorical security blanket and move from the Peanuts page onto the birth certificate? We think it has enough charm and other positive elements going for it for the answer to be yes.
  12. Evren

    • Origin:

      Turkish

    • Meaning:

      "universe"

    • Description:

      A modern-sounding unisex name which belongs to a dragon in Turkish mythology, Evren has huge potential to rise more globally, thanks to its accessible sound and its wide-reaching meaning "universe". It may appear to those who are looking to a choice that works internationally, or for alternatives to the likes of Atlas and Cosmo.
  13. Birdie

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "bird"

    • Description:

      Birdie was until recently a middle-aged Ladies' Club member wearing a bird-decorated hat --but now it's just the kind of vintage nickname (think Hattie, Josie, Mamie, Millie) that's coming back into style in a big way. Actress Busy Philipps named her baby Birdie (inspired by First Lady Lady Bird Johnson), as did soap star Maura West.
  14. Una

    • Origin:

      Latin, Irish, or Old Norse

    • Meaning:

      "one; lamb; happy"

    • Description:

      In an epic poem, the personification of truth, beauty, and unity; this ancient name is popular in several European countries but less common in the US. The Oona spelling is slightly more popular but Una sleeker.
  15. Cressida

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "gold"

    • Description:

      Cressida is a pretty mythological and Shakespearean heroine name much better known in Britain than it is here — an imbalance the adventurous baby namer might want to correct.
  16. Blaise

    • Origin:

      French

    • Meaning:

      "to lisp, stammer"

    • Description:

      As modern as it sounds, Blaise is an ancient Christian martyr name. In Arthurian legend, Blaise is the name of Merlin the Magician's secretary. Its relation to the word and name Blaze gives it a fiery feel. Amanda Beard named her baby boy Blaise Ray.
  17. Cormac

    • Origin:

      Irish

    • Meaning:

      "charioteer"

    • Description:

      Both offbeat and upbeat, this evocative traditional Irish name that runs through Celtic mythology is known here via award-winning novelist Cormac McCarthy (born Charles). The author's adopted name is related to Cormac Mac Airt, one of the great legendary high kings of Ireland.
  18. Ralph

    • Origin:

      English from German

    • Meaning:

      "wolf-counsel"

    • Description:

      Ralph has two diametrically different images: there's the suave Ralph Fiennes-type Brit (often pronounced Rafe), and then there's the Jackie Gleason blue-collar, bowling blowhard Ralph Kramden bus driver. It's all in the eye of the beholder, though its hip factor did rise when it was chosen for his son by cool U.K. actor Matthew Macfadyen.
  19. Seren

    • Origin:

      Welsh, Turkish

    • Meaning:

      "star or sail mast"

    • Description:

      Seren is a top girls' name in Wales – and a lovely choice almost unknown elsewhere. Seren, in the Sirona form, was an ancient goddess of the hot springs.
  20. Calypso

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "she who hides"

    • Description:

      This hyper-rhythmic name has two evocative references. In Greek mythology, she was an island nymph, a daughter of Atlas, who delayed Odysseus from returning home. It is also a genre of West Indian music, originating in Trinidad and Tobago and largely popularized in the States by Harry Belafonte.