Unusual, Rare, and Unique Baby Names
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 25 pages
of 25
English surname
"son of Job"
Used as a first name for a handful of girls every year, Joplin could be seen as a distant cousin of other -lin names, like Caitlin, Brooklyn and Braelynn. We think it works even better as a musical…
English word name
"one who wins"
Winner is an uplifting word name that can work for girls or boys. It was recently chosen by rapper Nya Lee for her daughter.
English
"gate"
A preppy English surname. Newscaster Megyn Kelly used it as a middle name for her son in 2009.
Latin
"light"
Lumen is a Latin word meaning "light", and the term used for the measurement of light output (making it an attractive choice for science-buffs). The name was used for a female character in the TV…
Arabic
"luck, good fortune"
A bright, celestial sounding choice with a lucky meaning. Violinist Maimuna Murashko and actress Maimuna Memon are notable bearers.
First letter of the Hebrew alphabet and Hebrew
"chief, number one"
Aleph came into the spotlight when chosen by Israel-born Natalie Portman for her son. Alef is a more common spelling of these related Hebrew baby names . In the Kabbalah, Aleph/Alef relates to the…
"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…
Italian
"blessed"
This Italian form of Benedict sidesteps the Benedict Arnold association that still clouds the English version.
Virtue name
This one's cutting right to the chase, but with such names as Justice and Peace on the rise, why not? And we guarantee your seven-year-old son will love it, though your 17-year-old, maybe not so…
Creek
"old town"
Unlike many other western city names, Tulsa has not proved attractive to parents. The name derives from Tallasi, meaning "old town" in the Creek language.
Spanish, Italian variation of Cornelius, Latin
"horn"
If Cornelius still seems too much to consider, Cornelio, its jauntier, Latinized counterpart may be a better fit.
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…
Norse
"from the deer estate"
Spirited and bubbly, but handsome and preppy too, Darby is a surname style choice that fits in well with the likes of Alby and Lennox. Derived ultimately from Old Norse, as a surname, it likely…
Irish
"unlucky"
Devlin is an Irish name that's fresher and even more devilish than Devin. The earliest written record of this surname occurs in the thirteenth century, when an O'Devlin was appointed Bishop of Kells…
French
"desired, beloved"
Didier is kind of a Desiree for boy--a lively, confident name that's widely used in France and has definite possibilities here. It's the name of an early French saint.
German
"eagle"
This common German-Jewish surname is a fast riser among boys but lately has been picked up by parents of girls as well. Notable figures with the surname include designer Jonathan Adler, Freud…
Variation of Alanis and Ailany, Spanish
"handsome, cheerful; high chief; shining light, of the moon"
One of many variants of the Hawaiian-Spanish-Turkish-Irish fusion, Ailani, that made waves in 2024. This form also brings in an element of Alanis and Alan.
Dutch; Geman
"person from Eshe"
Most commonly associated with artist M.C. Escher, Escher makes a great hero name that would fit in nicely with the surname names of today.
"someone who lives in a hollow; strong and hearty"
This name projects a sense of well-being, as in "hale and hearty", while also having a nature-adjacent meaning, referring to someone who lives near a hollow, a nook, or a remote area of land. Rhyming…
"cherry"
Infinitely preferable to the tease-inspiring English version of the word.
