Unusual Baby Names

An old aristocratic English name which also belongs to Cambridge college, named for George Augustus Selwyn, the first Bishop of New Zealand, subsequently Bishop of Lichfield. 

Selwyn

Barnaby, a genial and energetic name with an Irish-sounding three-syllable lilt, is an ancient appellation that manages to be both unusual and highly attractive and deserves to be used more than it is. A sweet-spot name that's a real winner.
 Barnaby is a version of Barnabas, the name of an Apostle companion of St. Paul on his missionary journeys. Barnaby has NEVER ranked on the US Top 1000, though it is on the charts in the UK and is well-liked by Nameberry visitors.
 The name of the good-natured hero of Dickens's novel Barnaby Rudge, it became more familiar to the modern American public through the TV series Barnaby Jones. Barnaby has been a character in Hello, Dolly!, a doctor played by Cary Grant in the movie Monkey Business, a comic strip character, and has starred in a number of children's books.

Barnaby

Birch is a rarely used nature name that calls to mind the lovely image of the tall, strong but graceful white-barked tree. 
 The best known bearer of the name is former high-ranking Democratic Senator Birch Evans Bayh, who carried the name of his father and was the principal Senate sponsor of the Equal Rights Amendment.
 The birch tree has many notable qualities and uses &mdash; including the making of furniture, paper, canoes, and drums, is considered the national tree of Russia (where it used to be worshiped as a goddess), the state tree of New Hampshire, and has spiritual significance in several cultures.

Birch

Blending the sounds of classic Henry, with contemporary, on trend choices like Hendrix, Hudson, and Landon, Hendon is a place name and a surname. A town in London, whose name derives from the fact its on a hill, it is notably borne as a first name by football player, Hendon Hooker (Hendon being his middle name). The name wasn't used until 2022, the same year Hooker made a name for himself in sport, and was given to 32 babies in 2023. 

Hendon

The mythological queen whose perpetual weeping for her slain children turned her into a stone has always cast a pall over this name. Still, when other names with less-than-savory associations -- Delilah, Ophelia, Persephone -- are becoming popular, parents might want to consider this one of the more unusual <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/325/mythological-baby-names-for-girls">mythology names for girls</a>.

Niobe

A literary name with a simple yet alluring sound, Sula may appeal as an alternative to those who like Lula, Lola, Susannah, and Tallulah. The protagonist and titular character of Toni Morrison's 1973 novel, the name may relate to the Old Testament Shulammite (and the Hebrew shalom) or to the Latin Ursula, meaning "little she-bear".
 
Alternative interpretations of the name are that it derives from Estonian and Finnish, either via the names Sulev and Sulo, meaning "good-natured", "charm" and "grace" or from the word sula, relating to thawed ice or something molten and melted. It is also the name of various places in Norway, likely derived from the Old Norse súla meaning "pillar, cleft", and is additionally the name of a genus of seabirds and a Latvian word for "juice".

Sula

Putting the emphasis on the "elle" softens a name that seems at once futuristic and medieval.

Axelle

This Indian girl name not only has a gorgeous sound, it has a wonderful meaning as well — poem or poetry.

Kavita

Narine has been a top name in Armenia since records began in 2007, though it's even more popular in its diminutive form, Nare, which has taken the top spot on the Armenian charts almost every year since 2012. 
 
Narine is derived from the Persian word for pomegranate, nar, making it a symbolic choice in Armenia. The pomegranate is the national fruit and a symbol of rebirth, fertility, prosperity, the passage of time, and of protection.

Narine

Pixie is a cute -- quite possibly too cute -- name that suddenly feels possible thanks to the craze for names that contain the letter x.  Though its origin may be uncertain, a pixie is internationally recognized as a sprite or fairy: tiny, sometimes green, usually pointy-eared.

Pixie

Cerelia is a melodic and unusual choice, perfect for a child born in April or May. Another version is Cerella.


Cerelia

Despite the possibility of gender confusion, the Hero in Greek myth was a woman. Myleene Klass got that when she chose Hero for her daughter, and Sam Taylor-Wood and Aaron Johnson used it as their daughter's middle--and we wouldn't be surprised to see more girls with this heroic name.
 In Greek legend young Leander swam across dangerous waters every night to court his beloved Hero. In Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, Hero is the love interest of Claudio and cousin of Beatrice.

Hero

Mazarine is a deep blue color also used as a first name in honor of Cardinal Mazarin, a leader of France in the 17th century.  As a first name, Mazarine is as charming as it is unusual.

Mazarine

One of the rarer names to come from the Bible, Cherith has a fresh and modern sound despite its ancient roots. Cherith was the name of the stream that kept Elijah alive during the three years' drought which he announced to King Ahab. 
 
In English, Cherith pleasingly reminds one of the word cherish which is another plus to this underused girls' name, while also having similar sounds to choices like Edith and Delyth.

Cherith

Margalo could make an intriguing spin on Margaret, with Margo as a nickname. The name appears in E. B. White's Stuart Little — as a bird. Margalo Gilmore (born Margaret) was a well-known British-born Broadway actress.

Margalo

A medieval Cornish name which despite sounding similar to the French name Emeraude, is actually connected to the Welsh name Morfydd. Pronunciation rhymes with Herod -- and yes, the final d is pronounced.

Meraud

Kitto updates Dad Name Christopher with a trendy o-ending short form. Use it as an honor name or an original nickname.

Kitto

In Norse mythology, Embla is the equivalent of the Bible's Eve, who, along with her husband Ask, were the first humans to be created by the gods, in this case from trees. With its lovely nature meaning, and a soft but distinctive sound, Embla is one of the most popular girl names in Iceland.
 
Used in Norway and occasionally Sweden too, elsewhere it could make an interesting alternative to Ember, Emma, Esme, and Ella. Pronounced as EHM-pla or EHM-bla, it's a name that could gain more attention.

Embla

Finlo is a name from the Isle of Man, deriving from that island's pagan sun god, Lugh. Given the popularity of all Finn names right now, Finlo could be a great alternative for people who love the "Fin" sound but want a more unusual name.

Finlo

The rise of the the various Isabel names may give a boost to this variation, which has a sunny, springtime feel. 
 Although this name has been around since the thirteenth century, its origins remain obscure.
 Ismay has appealed to several authors as a character name--Robertson Davies in his Cornish Trilogy, Ruth Rendell in The Water's Lovely, and Ken Follett in his World Without End.
 Caveat: Could be confused with Esme.

Ismay

 come from a range of categories, from place names to word names, to surname inspired choices. These 

come from all around the world, but have yet to make it big in the US.

are apt to draw attention, which make them appealing choices for celebrities.

 include Alistair, Birdie, Coco, Fielder, Henrietta, Lumi, West, and Zebedee.

names given to fewer than five babies last year include Conran, Madrigal, Oceon, and Plum.

are distinctive without being strange, unique but easy to wear. Of the thousands of 

 on Nameberry, here are some of our favorites.

Unusual, unique, offbeat baby names (Page 8)