Unusual, Rare, and Unique Baby Names
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 25 pages
of 25
English
"cold stream"
English place name turned handsome surname name.
Hebrew
"bird"
Spelling variation of Tziporah.
German
"will helmet"
Velma likely originated as a phonetic spelling of the German name Wilma, itself derived from Wilhelmina. Velma Dinkley is a smart, if nerdy, character in Scooby Doo .
Diminutive of Eberhard, German
"brave boar"
Eber is far more approachable than its full forbidding form.
English word and nature name
"to swindle"
It feels like Finch should be a modern bird name that's as popular as Wren or Lark, but that's not the case - so it's one to consider if you're looking for a nature name that's familiar but rare.…
Latinate variation of Cleo, Greek
"glory"
An attractive and unusual name that may be a variation of Cleo, Clea was possibly invented by Lawrence Durrell for a character in his Alexandria Quartet . Actress Clea DuVall is one noted bearer of…
Short form of David, Hebrew
"beloved"
Davy (or Davey) is a little-used member of the trendy new group of boyish nicknames for girls, which includes Stevie, Scottie, and Billie. Maybe that's because there's no good feminine form of David…
Nature name
"a young deer"
The doe-eyed Fawn is as gentle and soft as the baby deer it represents. And much like that baby deer, it carries with it the potential of new life. Fawn was featured at the bottom of the Top 1000…
Welsh, German
"ice ruler"
Sleek, sharp, and soulful, Isolde is the German form of Iseult, the fabled lover of Tristan in the Arthurian romances. First appearing in the 12th-century, the name was fairly popular in the form of…
Irish variation of Luke
Lucan is a rarely heard Irish name, a Luke form with the trendy an ending.
Short form of Ocean, nature name
Ocie is antiquated ie-ending nickname that was popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s and has seen a slight uptake in interest in recent years. What's Ocie short for? Ocean in all its forms is the…
Color name
Fiery but slight middle name choice; much more apt to be a redhead's nickname.
English word name
"month name"
Parents are beginning to turn away from springtime months like April and June and are moving toward the cooler and crisper three-syllable September, October, November, and December.
Hindi
"life and death"
Shivani sounds fresh and powerful.
Italian, Spanish, Swedish, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Slovene and Serbian form of Theodora
"gift of God"
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,…
French variation of Taylor
"tailor"
Thayer is an affable, less-common alternative to Taylor, with a much more indirect connection to its occupational source. Actor Thayer David (born David Thayer: Thayer was his father's first name)…
Diminutive of Tucker, English
"fabric pleater"
Sharp and preppy. Parents of young children may recognize it as the name of the turtle from the television show Wonder Pets .
"riverbank with a winch"
Windsor may have male references, such as Britain's royal House of Windsor and a tie's windsor knot, but this name also has a definite feminine feel, as in Windsor Rose. That seems appropriate, as…
Italian feminine variation of Cosmo, Greek
"order, beauty, universe"
Cosima, the kind of elegant and unusual name the British upper classes love to use for their daughters, is given to a handful of baby girls in the US after being chosen by two high-profile celebs in…
Short form of Arnold, English from German
"ruler, strong as an eagle"
Arnie is a nerdy-tipping-into-cute nickname that may rise again, if not for this generation of babies then for their babies. Look for it in the nurseries of 2050.
