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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. 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.
  2. 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
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. Vespertine

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "of the evening"

    • Description:

      An elaborate form of the stylish Vesper, taken from the Latin vespertinus meaning "evening". It may work for those who want to step away from the religious connotations of Vespers.
  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. Elixir

    • Origin:

      Arabic

    • Meaning:

      "medicinal substance; philosopher's stone"

    • Description:

      Potentially a cool route to Ellie and similar in sound to Alexa and Elisha, Elixir is a word name associated with healing, magic, and gold. Yet to appear in the US stats, it would make a very cool choice for a fictional character.
  8. Comet

    • Origin:

      Word name, English from Latin

    • Meaning:

      "comet"

    • Description:

      Soaring astral name has a great gender-free feel. It also has a pleasing christmas connotation, courtesy of the reindeer listed in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
  9. Zircon

    • Origin:

      Gem name from Greek

    • Meaning:

      "gold-hued"

    • Description:

      Although Zircon means "gold-hued," the gem comes in a variety of colors.
  10. Temple

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "dweller near the temple"

    • Description:

      Rather formal word name that has been used occasionally over the years, most notably for the autism activist and animal expert Temple Grandin.
  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. Revere

    • Origin:

      English and French word name and surname

    • Description:

      Revere is a word name meaning to admire or esteem, an appealing meaning. In the USA, however, Revere attracts further connotation as the surname of Paul Revere, one of the celebrated patriots of the American Revolution. As a surname, the meaning of Revere might be river or robber.
  13. Petrichor

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "the earthy scent of fresh rain on dry ground"

    • Description:

      A poetic choice.
  14. Lupine

    • Origin:

      Flower name from Latin

    • Meaning:

      "pertaining to the wolf"

    • Description:

      Lupine (spelled Lupin outside of North America) is a flower related to sweetpeas. It was given its wolfish meaning because the plant was said to deplete the soil. Comedian Jenny Slate used it as a middle name for her daughter Ida in 2020.
  15. Lazuli

    • Origin:

      Persian place name

    • Description:

      Now deeply associated with the gemstone Lapis Lazuli, Lazuli is derived from one of the places where the stone was first mined. The word Lazuli is the root for words like azure. Lapis Lazuli is a deep and rich blue color and was used for pigments and jewellery. Lazuli can be used for a boy or a girl.
  16. Epoch

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "age, period of time"

    • Description:

      An Enoch for our times?
  17. 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.
  18. Sonata

    • Origin:

      Music name

    • Description:

      Undiscovered musical form melodious enough to be a hit on the name charts.
  19. 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.
  20. Umbra

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "shadow"

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