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Cool Baby Names That Start with U

Cool Baby Names That Start with U

Are there any cool baby names that start with U? It’s the most underused first initial of the baby naming alphabet! Only three U names rank in the US Top 1000, and all for boys — Uriel, Uriah, and Ulises. Ironically, the most common girl name beginning with U is Unique.

There are many cool international names that begin with U, such as the Teutonic Udella, Chinese Ushi, and Xhosa Unathi. A number of interesting place names start with U, such as Utah, Umbria, and Urbana. So yes, there are some cool baby names that start with U. Namely:

  1. UnaHeart
    • 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.
  2. UlyssesHeart
    • Origin:

      Latin variation of the Greek Odysseus
    • Description:

      Ulysses is one of the few U boys' names anyone knows -- with heavy links to the Homeric hero, eighteenth president Grant, and the James Joyce novel -- all of which makes it both distinguished and kind of weighty for a modern boy. Ulysses was on the US popularity list well into the twenty-first century; it's off now, but Number 684 on Nameberry.
  3. UriahHeart
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "God is my light"
    • Description:

      A perfectly respectable Old Testament name ruined forever through its association with the odious Uriah Heep in David Copperfield. Some people also find this name just too close to the word urine. These negative connotations may be wearing off, however. (Perhaps because people don't read as much Dickens as they used to.)
  4. UmaHeart
    • Origin:

      Sanskrit, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "light, peace, nation"
    • Description:

      Uma is a sweet, strong name for a Hindu goddess... and a Hollywood one. But as popular as Uma Thurman is, other parents have not yet picked up on her name, making it a rarity.
  5. UrsulaHeart
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "little female bear"
    • Description:

      A saint's name with a noteworthy literary background, including uses by Shakespeare in Two Gentlemen of Verona and Much Ado About Nothing, by Ben Johnson, Walter Scott, Longfellow, D. H. Lawrence and Neil Gaiman. In real life, her two most well known representatives are writer Ursula Le Guin and actress Ursula Andress. In literature, there is also Ursula Iguaran, a key, long-lived character in Gabriel Garcia Marquez's major work, One Hundred Years of Solitude.
  6. UriHeart
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "my flame, my light"
    • Description:

      This short but strong name, commonly heard in Israel, has a lot of crossover potential, and is among the most usable on the minuscule menu of U names.
  7. UrielHeart
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "God is my light"
    • Description:

      It's the name of an Old Testament archangel that's symbolically given to boys born during Chanukah, but the possibility of unsavory nicknames (urinal?) make the short form Uri a better bet.
  8. UrbanHeart
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "of the city"
    • Description:

      Urban was not an uncommon name through the 1930s (rising as high as Number 435), having been attached to several saints and early popes, but it has completely disappeared from the landscape--both urban and rural. Yet in this era of word name appreciation and trend for 'an'-ending boys' names, we're thinking it might be ready for a return.
  9. UsherHeart
    • Origin:

      Yiddish variation of Asher or English surname from French
    • Meaning:

      "blessed; doorkeeper"
    • Description:

      Strongly associated with the mega-popular single-named singer, who was actually the fourth Usher Raymond in his family. He could start a fad.
  10. UndineHeart
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "little wave"
    • Description:

      Mythological water spirit with the more common spelling of Ondine, heroine of an Edith Wharton novel.
  11. UlricHeart
    • Origin:

      English variation of Ulrich and Wulfric, German
    • Meaning:

      "rich and noble heritage; wolf power"
    • Description:

      Also related to the word for wolf, this name has a first syllable that's not appealing to the American ear. Better ic-ending choices: Dominic, Frederic, Eric.
  12. UrsaHeart
    • Origin:

      Short form of Ursula, Latin
    • Meaning:

      "little female bear"
    • Description:

      Ursa might be a good choice if you're looking for a bear name for your daughter but want to avoid the She Witch curse placed on Ursula by Disney's The Little Mermaid. Too bad, because Ursula is a classic and lovely name, but Ursa has less baggage.
  13. UllaHeart
    • Origin:

      Scandinavian
    • Meaning:

      "will, determination"
    • Description:

      Ulla, the beautiful Swedish secretary in The Producers (played by Uma Thurman in the movie) who purrs, "Ven you got it, flaunt it," has changed the image of this name forever. Ulla may stand on its own or be an abbreviation of Ursula or Ulrika; Ula may be seen as another spelling.
  14. UmbertoHeart
    • Origin:

      Italian variation of Humbert
    • Meaning:

      "renowned warrior"
    • Description:

      A definite improvement over the English Humbert, Umberto has nevertheless been rarely heard outside the Italian community.
  15. UmbrielleHeart
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "one in the shadow"
    • Description:

      Pretty French sound, but there might be a lot of "umbrella" cracks.
  16. UmekoHeart
    • Origin:

      Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "plum-blossom child, patient"
    • Description:

      Unfamiliar Asian choice that can work for a parent in search of something really different.
  17. UgoHeart
    • Origin:

      Italian variation of Hugh
    • Meaning:

      "mind, intellect"
    • Description:

      Ugo is very common in Italy, but here it might call to mind that little Yugoslavian car.
  18. UraniaHeart
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "heavenly"
    • Description:

      The name of one of the Greek Muses would be really difficult to bear here on earth.
  19. UnityHeart
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "oneness"
    • Description:

      Like Verity and Amity, this inclusive virtue name used by the colorful British literary Mitford family is ready to join its more popular peers Hope, Faith, and Grace.
  20. UshiHeart
    • Origin:

      Chinese
    • Meaning:

      "the ox"
    • Description:

      In China, the ox represents patience and determination, a commendable combination.