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Unique Word Names for Babies

Emma Waterhouse
By Emma Waterhouse
Updated Fri Feb 02 2024
Unique Word Names for Babies

Our favorite unique word names for babies include those that are used in very small numbers, like Samurai and Solstice, as well as those that have never appeared on the US baby names list at all, like Epoch and Everglade. None of the 200 original word names in this list has ever been given to more than 15 babies in any given year.

Along with Solstice and Everglade, other unique nature names for babies that make this list include Acre and Apricity, Fennel and Freesia, Pinto and Pipistrelle. Unique geographical names we think have great baby name potential include Bayou, Islet and Caldera. And rare modern virtue names like Kindred, Parity and Zeal set the right tone for the 2020s and beyond.

If you love word baby names but want to look beyond the obvious Rue and Rose, this list of uncommon and unconventional word name ideas compiled by our wonderful Berry community is for you! Names are ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.

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Unique Names

Word Names

  1. Luxury

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "extravagance, opulence"

    • Description:

      A particularly opulent way to get to the nickname Lux (or Luxe).
  2. Nightingale

    • Origin:

      Bird name from German

    • Meaning:

      "night singer"

    • Description:

      Charming nature name made even more appealing by the connection to iconic nurse and statistician Florence Nightingale.
  3. Sonder

    • Origin:

      Invented name

    • Meaning:

      "the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own"

    • Description:

      A neologism coined for the 2012 Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, which aims to come up with new terms for emotions that currently lack words
  4. Fennel

    • Origin:

      Vegetable and herb name

    • Description:

      In the garden of herb names, Rosemary and Basil are perennials and Sage is a new upshoot, but Fennel is a real rarity. The aniseed-tasting plant, used to add flavor to dishes around the world, gets its name from the Latin word feniculum, meaning "little hay".
  5. Apricity

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "the warmth of the sun in winter"

    • Description:

      Part-April, part-Felicity, but with the wonderfully whimsical feel of Serendipity. Apricity debuted in the US charts for the first time in 2022.
  6. Selkie

    • Origin:

      Scottish

    • Meaning:

      "seal folk"

    • Description:

      A mystical name with a watery feel to it, selkies are mythical creatures that resemble seals in the water but assume human form on land. Appearing in Scottish folklore, their name comes from the word selch meaning "gray seal".
  7. Epoch

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "age, period of time"

    • Description:

      An Enoch for our times?
  8. Whimsy

    • Origin:

      English word name

    • Meaning:

      "whimsical or fanciful"

    • Description:

      Whimsy is a new entry to the ever-expanding word name lexicon, sister for Pixie and Bliss. While it has an undeniable offbeat English aristocratic charm (maybe we're thinking of Dorothy Sayers' fictional detective Lord Peter Wimsey, whose middle name was Death?), we see this as more fitting for a middle than a first name.
  9. Solstice

    • Origin:

      English from Latin

    • Meaning:

      "when the sun stands still"

    • Description:

      Solstice graduated from word to official first name when author Lionel Shriver used it for a character in her novel Big Brother. But of course, there were people named Solstice before: 16 baby girls were given the name in the US in 2021, and it was last on the charts for boys in 2018, when six baby boys got the name.
  10. Pearl

    • Origin:

      Latin gemstone name

    • Meaning:

      "pearl"

    • Description:

      While Pearl is predominantly used as a feminine name, it ranked in the US Top 1000 for boys from the 1880s until the 1930s, reaching the Top 200 on several occasions. Pearl fell out of style in general back in the 80s, but has been making a resurgence for girls in recent years.
  11. Ochre

    • Origin:

      Greek, English

    • Meaning:

      "pale yellow"

    • Description:

      Ochre is an exceedingly rare name, found only a few times since the nineteenth century, and not showing up in any current data. Yet it means much the same thing as popular Sienna (another clay coloured with iron oxide) and sounds similar to fashionable Oakley. A strong earthy nature name that is both unusual and evocative.
  12. Tempest

    • Origin:

      English word name

    • Meaning:

      "turbulent, stormy"

    • Description:

      Tempest is one of those names that could go either way. Cool, evocative modern word name? Or asking for trouble? Your call, but if you decide the former image is dominant, be warned that some people will see it as the latter.
  13. Tarragon

    • Origin:

      Plant name from Greek

    • Meaning:

      "dragon herb"
  14. Isle

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "small island"

    • Description:

      Isla is a contemporary gem, so why not Isle? As an English word name, it takes you straight to the literal definition — a small island — which could have an appealing, aspirational ring to it, for those wanting to raise independent children.
  15. Kindred

    • Origin:

      English word name

    • Meaning:

      "family; connectedness"

    • Description:

      This unusual English word name and surname was the middle name of American sci-fi writer Philip K. Dick, after his mother's maiden name. Its striking sound and appealing meaning make it a promising virtue name possibility for either gender.
  16. Caraway

    • Origin:

      Nature name

    • Description:

      An edible plant used in seed and spice form.
  17. Petrichor

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "the earthy scent of fresh rain on dry ground"

    • Description:

      A poetic choice.
  18. Freesia

    • Origin:

      Flower name, from German surname

    • Meaning:

      "Freese's flower"

    • Description:

      A rare, free-feeling flower name for the parent who wants to move far, far beyond Rose and Daisy. Named for German physician Friedrich Freese.
  19. Quartz

    • Origin:

      Mineral name

    • Description:

      This may be a bit quirky to make it as a name, especially in first place. If you love it, you might try it in the middle.
  20. Topaz

    • Origin:

      Gemstone name

    • Description:

      Rare for girls and rarer still for boys, Topaz is a gemstone name with a cool -Z ending, reminiscent of stylish options such as Azriel, Azariah, and Azai, along with the more classic Christopher, Thomas, and Tobias. Associated with healing, protection, fidelity, and good fortune, the golden gemstone is also the birthstone of November, which could make it a distinctive option for babies born in the month.

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