Unique Celebrity Baby Names
Unique celebrity baby names might seem like a redundancy: Aren't most celebrity baby names unique?
Not really, but we may most attention to the rare, uncommon, unusual, and unique celebrity baby names, forgetting all the celebrities who named their babies Adelaide or Luna or Alexander -- just like us!
Unique celebrity baby names, when they do exist, often get REALLY unique, as in names no one has ever heard before. The most outrageous celebrity baby name in recent years is still Elon Musk and Grimes' not only unique but unpronounceable X Æ A-Xii.
Other uncommon names chose by celebrities recently include Christina Ricci's Cleopatra, Cardi B. and Offset's Kulture, and of course Usain Bolt's twin sons Saint and Thunder. That's right, Thunder Bolt.
There's also a girl named George and a boy named Laurie. Several celebrity babies were given nonbinary names such as Bowie, River, and Phoenix. And celebrity baby middle names are in some cases even more outrageous than their first names: Muse, Warrior, and of course Mixolydian.
We are bringing you the most notable, rare, unusual, and uncommon celebrity baby names, trying to stay on the near side of crazy but the far side of popular. Unique names given to celebrity babies over the past few years include the following notable choices.
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- Otto
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"wealthy"Description:
Cutting-edge parents have revived this German name a la Oscar.
- Mabel
Origin:
Diminutive of AmabelMeaning:
"lovable"Description:
Mabel is a saucy Victorian favorite searching for its place in modern life; if you love offbeat old-fashioned names like Violet or Josephine, only sassier, Mabel is one for you to consider--it's started making a comeback and could rise to popularity a la Sadie. Several celebs have chosen it, including Chad Lowe, Nenah Cherry, Bruce Willis and Dermot Mulroney.
- Lyra
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"lyre"Description:
Lyra is a constellation name taken from the lyre of Orpheus. It contains the star Vega and thus could make a melodic choice for a parent interested in music, astronomy, or mythology. It has more depth and history than Lyric, is more unusual than Lila (which it rhymes with). It debuted in the US Top 1000 in 2015.
- Magnus
Origin:
Scandinavian from LatinMeaning:
"greatest"Description:
Magnus is a Latin name, literally meaning “greatest,” that has a Scandinavian feel. It dates back to Charlemagne being called Carolus Magnus, or Charles the Great. Norwegian king Magnus I, named after Charlemagne, introduced it to his culture, and thus Magnus was the name of six early kings of Norway and four of Sweden. It is still a highly popular name in Denmark and Norway.
- Flora
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"flower"Description:
Flora, the name of the Roman goddess of flowers and spring, who enjoyed eternal youth, is one of the gently old-fashioned girls' flower names we think is due for a comeback— alongside cousins Cora and Dora. Florence, Fiorella, Fleur, and Flower are translations, but we like Flora best of all.
- Koa
Origin:
HawaiianMeaning:
"warrior"Description:
With Noah taking the Number 1 spot in 2013, Koa is attracting more attention than ever.
- Cosmo
Origin:
Greek, Italian, EnglishMeaning:
"order, beauty"Description:
We all heard it on Seinfeld as the long-concealed first name of Kramer, then considered a punchline. Now some pioneering parents are embracing this expansive Greek name, which makes a creative and cool choice for a baby. Influential celebrity couple Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost chose it for their son, born in 2021, which will likely drive Cosmo up in popularity. In the UK, it currently ranks within the Top 1000 boy names and is trending upwards.
- Zephyr
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"west wind"Description:
If you're looking for a name that's light and breezy, this could be it. A name from mythology: Zephyrus/Zephyr was the Greek god of the west wind-- with many European variations, it's a name that's frequently seen in computer and video games, is a character in the children's book Silverwing, and appears in the Babar books--as a monkey.
- Clover
Origin:
Flower name, from Old EnglishMeaning:
"key"Description:
Clover is a charming, perky choice if you want to move beyond hothouse blooms like Rose and Lily, and it's recently become a new celeb favorite, chosen by both Neal McDonough and Natasha Gregson Wagner, who used it to honor her mother, Natalie Wood, one of whose most iconic films was Inside Daisy Clover.
- Calliope
Origin:
Greek mythology nameMeaning:
"beautiful voice"Description:
Calliope is the name of the muse of epic poetry -- and also the musical instrument on the merry-go-round. Bold and creative, it would not be the easiest name for a girl lacking such qualities. It debuted in the US Top 1000 in 2016. While Americans usually pronounce this name with a long I sound and the emphasis on the second syllables, Greeks pronounce it with the emphasis on the third syllable -- ka-lee-OH-pee.
- Apollo
Origin:
Greek mythology nameDescription:
With mythological names rising, the handsome son of Zeus and god of medicine, music, and poetry among many other things might offer an interesting, if high-pressure, option. But if Romeo and Venus are now deemed baby-appropriate, why not Apollo? Olympic speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno might inspire some parents. And now that it's been chosen by Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale, it could take off as their first son's name—Kingston—has.
- Hayes
Origin:
English surname and nature nameMeaning:
"hedged area"Description:
One of those simple, straightforward English surnames -- and with a presidential pedigree -- that's easy to translate into a first. It was recently chosen by both Kevin Costner and Jessica Alba for their sons, which can likely be credited for its spike in popularity in the past few years. Surname names and nature names like Hayes, which qualifies on both counts, along with occupational names all make up the new generation of stylish English names for boys that go far beyond Harry and Edward.
- Dimitri
Origin:
Russian from Greek DemetriusMeaning:
"follower of Demeter"Description:
Dimitri is a Slavic variation of the Russian Dmitriy, a name that comes from the Greek Demetrius. Demetrius was derived from Demeter, the name of the Greek goddess of fertility and farming. Among the possible spelling variations are Dmitri, Dmitrii, Dmitriy, and Dmitry.
- Hattie
Origin:
English, diminutive of HarrietMeaning:
"estate ruler"Description:
In the USA, Hattie is one of those nicknames that is now more popular than its parent name, Harriet. In England, however, Harriet is still by far more popular than Hattie, while in Australia, Harriet is highly popular while no data exists on Hattie. In the US, we’d like to see Harriet get more usage but we’re happy to see Hattie again.
- Odin
Origin:
Variation of Óðinn, Old NorseMeaning:
"god of frenzy; poetic fury"Description:
Odin is the name of the supreme Norse god of art, culture, wisdom, and law — who was handsome, charming, and eloquent into the bargain. The name projects a good measure of strength and power and has excellent assimilation potential.
- Sonny
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"son"Description:
Sonny is one of the generic boy nickname names making a surprise reappearance, and it was recently used by actor Jason Lee. Another surprise: It's been on the US Top 1000 list every year since 1927, reaching a peak in 1975, when it hit Number 428.
- Birdie
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"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.
- Odette
Origin:
French, from GermanMeaning:
"wealthy"Description:
Odette is the good swan in Tchaikovsky's ballet Swan Lake, a role for which Natalie Portman won an Oscar ---and it would make a particularly soigne, sophisticated yet upbeat choice, unlike some of the more dated other 'ette'-ending names.
- Theodora
Origin:
Feminine variation of TheodoreMeaning:
"gift of God"Description:
Theodora is one of the most revival-worthy of the charmingly old-fashioned Victorian valentine names, softly evocative but still substantial, as is the reversed-syllable Dorothea. It was borne by several saints and by the beautiful ninth wife of the Emperor Justinian, who became the power behind his throne. A later royal was Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark, the older sister of the late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
- Romy
Origin:
Diminutive of Rosemary, Roma, Romana, Romilly etc.Description:
Austrian actress Romy Schneider seemed to be the singular bearer of this international nickname name until it found new style currency in the past decade.