Unusual, Rare, and Unique Baby Names
350+ Best Unique Baby Names
Across 25 pages
of 25
Yale
Welsh
"fertile upland"
An appellation that couldn't be more Ivy League or sound less Welsh. The name of the University is taken from the surname of college benefactor Elihu Yale. In the movie Manhattan , Yale Pollack is…
Yarden
Hebrew
"to flow down, descend"
The name from which Jordan arose, Yarden has a nice combination of river imagery and a sound connoting a garden. Like Jordan, used for both sexes.
Yates
English
"gate"
A preppy English surname. Newscaster Megyn Kelly used it as a middle name for her son in 2009.
Yemima
Hebrew
"dove"
A variation of Jemima, without all the baggage.
Yenty
Yiddish
"noble, aristocratic"
An aristocratic name with a playful, quirky sound, Yenty comes from the Yiddish Yente, which is itself borrowed from the French gentille or the Italian gentile . It appears in the film and musical…
York
English
"from the yew estate"
Brisk, preppy York is an underused classic with the potential to really shine in the 21st century. It's most familiar as a place name — York is a city in England — and surname. New York City and…
Yusha
Arabic
"God is salvation"
Arabic form of Joshua
Yves
French
"yew wood"
On paper, with its stylish ties to fashion legend Yves Saint-Laurent (born Henri), Yves looks great, but the pronunciation--EVE-- could lead to gender confusion. German variation Ivo might be cooler…
Zale
Greek
"sea-strength"
Appealing sound and meaning, but there is that discount-store association.
Zed
Diminutive of Zedekiah
Newer than Zac, cooler than Ed, Ned, or Ted.
Zevi
Hebrew
"gazelle, roebuck"
Zevi is an alternative transcription of the Hebrew name Zvi or Tzvi, the latter of which is a Top 100 pick in Israel. It's a cool, sharp-sounding name which would make for a great distinctive…
Zillah
Hebrew
"shade"
A light, bohemian-sounding biblical name, mentioned in the bible as a wife of Lamech, one of the first men.
Zimri
Hebrew
"my music, my praise"
This unusual and spunky biblical name was one of the Kings of Israel as well as one of Judah's grandsons and has a wonderful meaning. We'd like to see Zimri being used more, and we think it has…
Zinedine
Arabic
"beauty of the faith"
Zinedine Zidane is France's biggest soccer star, spawning a legion of little Zinedines in that country.
Ziv
Hebrew
"brilliance"
Also a synonym for the Hebrew month of Iyar, which usuually falls in May, would work and play well with others like Zev and Lev.
Zo
Zo is a minimalist yet impactful feminine name of various origins. As a standalone name, it can be seen as a shortened form of names like Zoe, which derives from the Greek word meaning 'life.' In…
Zohar
Hebrew
"light, brilliance"
A Top 100 name in Israel, where it is overwhelmingly feminine. Zohar is currently used equally between girls and boys in the US but is rising far more quickly for boys.
Zoltan
Hungarian
"sultan"
Though a common name in Hungary, with the spelling Zoltán, the relatively rare Z sound is striking to English speakers. Penn Gillette used the Zolten spelling for his son; it was also the name of…
Zula
English, derived from Zulu, South African tribal name
Related to the powerful South African warrior people, sometimes chosen by African-Americans to celebrate their heritage. Zula is also a Norwegian diminutive of Zuzanna.
Zumra
Turkish
"emerald"
An anglicized spelling of the Turkish Zümra, a spin on the word zümrüt meaning "emerald". Popular in its traditional form in Turkey and Azerbaijan, it is also familiar in The Netherlands. The first…