Rulon is a masculine name of uncertain origin, though it may have Scandinavian or English roots. It gained some recognition in the United States through Rulon Gardner, an Olympic gold medal wrestler. The name has a strong, distinctive sound with its two clear syllables and unusual combination of consonants and vowels. While remaining quite rare in general usage, Rulon has maintained a steady, if minimal, presence particularly in Mormon communities in the western United States. The name carries a solid, dependable quality with its firm consonant sounds. Its uniqueness makes it appealing to parents seeking a masculine name that stands apart from common choices while still being relatively straightforward to pronounce and spell.

A multicultural appellation, found in Hebrew, Italian, and Zuni, this likable name made famous by director Elia Kazan's only problem is the feminine a ending. But then again, that never hurt Joshua.

Five girls were given the name Perrine last year. Other feminine Perry or Peter alternatives are Perrin, Perry, or even Petra.

Bright, melodic, and nature inspired, Kailani blends the appeal of Kaia and Leilani in terms of sounds, while in meaning, it matches the draw of Skye, Ocean, and Celeste. Derived from Hawaiian elements kai ("sea, ocean") and lani ("sky, heaven"), it debuted in the US Top 1000 in 2013, having been on the rise since the early 2000s.

A wearable update to the New Testament classic.

A chic and sassy French choice, popular in France but likely to be confused with the more prosaic Alex in English-speaking countries. Although sometimes used in the US as a variant spelling of Alex, the French name Alix actually derives from a medieval French form of the name Alice or Adelaide.

With the rising popularity of Kai, this more phonetic spelling has been gaining traction as well. Kye debuted in the US Top 1000 in 2015, and was one of the fastest-rising names of the year in 2016.

Two prominent literary namesakes make Gregor a somewhat risky choice. On the highbrow side, there's Gregor Samsa, the Kafka character who woke up one day to find himself turned into a cockroach. And then there's Gregor Clegane, one of the most feared and purely evil characters in the world of Game of Thrones.

Old-school Italian names that shortens a wide range of longer names, making it feel much more popular than it is on its own.

Teodora is an extremely attractive and international choice, with several equally attractive, user-friendly nicknames. Appealing short forms might include Tea, Dora, or Dory for English speakers, however, classic diminutives include the Spanish, Italian, Serbian and Portuguese Dora, the Bulgarian Todorka, and the Swedish Thea.

An English surname originally given to the illegitimate sons of a monarch. It might be a nice middle name choice to honor an ancestral Roy, though as a first, it does have a cool meaning.

A variation of the Old Norse name Sindri, which is borne by a blacksmith dwarf in Norse mythology, who, with his brother, made Thor's hammer. With its appealing meaning "sparkling", this form is familiar in Norway and was particularly popular in the 90s, when it ranked #21 in the Norwegian charts.

Keturah, the Old Testament name of Abraham's second wife, is a possibility for anyone seeking a truly unusual and interesting biblical name; certainly a lot more distinctive than that of Abraham's first wife, Sarah.

As this word is less often used to mean derriere, it becomes more possible to view Fanny as the kind of appealingly quaint nickname name, like Josie and Nellie, that many parents are favoring now.

Lotte is a short form of Charlotte and a name used in its own right in Scandinavia as well as Dutch- and German-speaking countries. It’s unlikely to catch on in the US, where even Lottie hasn’t reached its full potential. Unisex Charlie will remain Charlotte’s nickname of choice for the foreseeable future.

There will probably be lots of little namesakes after the fastest man in the world, Jamaican Olympic runner Usain Bolt--middle name St. Leo.

Creative gem perfect for an architect's son, in tribute to modern Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen.

Oh, the many spellings of Rafaella. Those with Fs and double-Ls denote Italian origins, while an F and a single L is Spanish and Portuguese. The original Hebrew form is Raphaela.

This international variation of the popular Elijah might also be written as Iliya, Ilya, Ilja, and Ilija. It is currently a unisex option in the US.