Unusual, Rare, and Unique Baby Names
350+ Best Unique Baby Names
Across 25 pages
of 25
Arrington
English habitational surname
"Earna's settlement"
Arrington originated as a habitational surname for those from a town of the same name in Cambridgeshire, England. According to the etymology of the name, the town was settled by an Earn or Earna —…
Artie
Diminutive of Arthur, Celtic
"bear"
Artie is a cute short form rarely given on its own, unlike the more grownup Art. But for a young Arthur, it's adorable.
Ashby
English
"ash tree farm"
This Ashley-like surname name actually made the US Top 1000 around the turn of the 20th century. Used very quietly today in equal numbers -- about a dozen each -- for boys and girls. Ashby is a major…
Ashford
English Surname
A novel way to get to the nicknames Ash or Ford
Athens
Greek place name
Athens is one of the newer place names, used for both baby boys and girls. The Greek city got its name from Athena, goddess of wisdom and courage.
Augie
Short form of August and variations
Augie is an adorable and, at this point, fresher sounding short form than Gus of the rising August and all its variations, from Augustine to Augustus. The Adventures of Augie March is a 1953 novel by…
Aurea
Latin
"golden"
This golden Saint name was familiar in Spain during the first half of the 20th century, however, it fell out of favor in the 60s. Usually written as Áurea, the similar sounding Aurora is often…
Avis
Latin
"bird"
Avis is a bird name that's been in hibernation for awhile, possibly due to the car rental association, but it could make a return on the wings of Ava. Baldwin brother Daniel chose it for his…
Ayo
Yoruba
"joy"
This charming West African mini name fits in with the other similarly short names that are all the rage right now. Actress Ayo Edebiri is the star of TV's The Bear .
Balthazar
Phoenician
"Baal protects the King"
This evocative name of one of the Three Wise Men of the Orient, also spelled Balthasar, may finally be ready for prime time. Balthazar, Melchior and Caspar were the Magi who brought gifts of gold,…
Barnaby
English variation of Barnabas, Aramaic
"son of consolation"
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…
Bastien
French and Spanish, diminutive of Sebastien
"person from ancient city of Sebastia"
In this form, or as Sebastian or as Bas, Bastien is a fashionable Euro name with a possible future in America. There is a one-act comic opera by Mozart titled Bastien and Bastienne . An alternate…
Bates
English diminutive of Bartholomew
Bates is a fresh version of Bartholomew, and feels more wearable than Bart. Bates could be considered a patriotic choice for American parents - Katharine Lee Bates was an author and professor best…
Bavo
German
"battle"
Saint Bavo of Ghent was a nobleman who gave away his possessions and roamed Europe doing good works. He is a patron saint of several cities in Belgium and the Netherlands.
Beacon
English word name
"signal light"
A word name with an appealing and illuminating meaning.
Benedetto
Italian
"blessed"
This Italian form of Benedict sidesteps the Benedict Arnold association that still clouds the English version.
Beowulf
Old English
"bee wolf"
This ancient name is that of the hero of the epic Beowulf , which is thought to be the oldest-ever poem in English lit written in the vernacular. J. R. R. Tolkien used the poem as one of his…
Berlin
German
"borderline"
Edgy German capital with definite possibilities as a baby name.
Bertram
German
"bright raven"
Last in fashion in the 1930s, Bertram might once have been firmly in the best left in the past category, but with sweet nickname Bertie and the cool option of Bram, Bertram might just be one to…
Aberdeen
Scottish place-name
This undiscovered Scottish port city name has a nice, upbeat feel and lots of good nickname possibilities.