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Margot is suddenly a star again. After a nearly-half century absence, it hopped back on the Top 1000 list in 2013 and is on the rise. The Margot spelling …

An alternative spelling to Irish Quinn, given to nearly 30 girls since the 2010s.

A sweet modern combination of Kim and Marie, never given to more than 10 baby girls per year in the US.

This variation of the unisex Cameron is used nearly exclusively on girls in the US, with around 30 babies receiving the name in a recent year. Deriving from a Scottish …

Joel is one of those boys’ names that's never been super-popular yet has never been UNpopular either -- it's been in the Top 400 in the US since …

An antagonist in the Naruto series with a nevertheless attractive-sounding name.

This Old Welsh name associated with blacksmiths has never caught on, but it has the right two-syllable occupational feel to qualify for revival. Gower Champion was a successful midcentury …

A strong, classic, simple name that has nonetheless never been overexposed.

Finley is an attractive surname-name given to near-equal numbers of baby girls and boys in the US last year -- close to 1200 of each. Finlee was used for …

Dhriti is a Hindi name used especially in Nepal for both girls and boys. English speakers have trouble with three consonants (or three vowels, for that matter) in a row …

A top name for orange cats, Cheeto has never been used as a baby name (as far as we know).

A highly unusual Italian word-name that is nevertheless attractive and easy to pronounce and spell.

Bijay is a masculine name primarily used in Nepal, India, and throughout South Asian communities. It derives from the Sanskrit 'Vijaya,' meaning 'victory,' 'triumph,' or 'conquest.' The spelling variation with …

One step up from Irwin, and that's not nearly enough.

A lively, affectionate Russian pet name that is never given as a full name in its homeland, but has found some popularity in upper-crusty British society. It's also …

A variation on Emmeline, Ameline has not experienced nearly the same level of success in the US, though it was given to five girls in 2015. Whereas Emmeline lends itself …

Irish baby names are international stars, ranking near the top of popularity lists in Ireland and the US along with many other countries. Liam is the top Irish boy name …

Polish names for boys have never been popular outside of their homeland, despite the large numbers of Polish immigrants who have settled in the US, Canada, Britain and others over …

Names I would probably never name my child but wish I had the courage to.

Hudson is a modern classic name -- never trendy, but always fashionable. Here are some alternatives!

Sparkling and bright, colourful Ruby has never left the top 500, and there's a good reason why. Here are some similar names!

We recently had the privilege of staying near Stuttgart, Germany in a quaint little village called Altenriet. I completely fell in love with it, so, I thought I would create …

names that I love but can never use because of the country I live in, Belgium - for example, the pronunciation would be ridiculous - or that are just too weird for …

Zora is a meaningful literary heroine name honoring Zora Neale Hurston, an important black writer and leader of the Harlem Renaissance. Spelled Zorah, it is a biblical place name, and …

A definite improvement over the English Humbert, Umberto has nevertheless been rarely heard outside the Italian community. The writer-semiotician Umberto Eco is a noteworthy namesake.

Less popular than the Truett spelling, this form has nevertheless seen a quiet uptake, given to 92 boys in a recent year. For girls, Truitt has, as yet, only appeared …

Pruit originated as a habitational surname for someone living near a meadow (from the Old English 'prut'). Variants include Pruett, Pruitt, and Prewitt. As a first name, Pruit has a …

A strong and straightforward name, popular in India and Nepal, symbolizing affection.

Animal names are booming, but this is one that's never been used — although Boaz, which means "ox" in Hebrew, is starting to see more use. With its connotations of …

A cool, nature-inspired surname for someone who lived near an oak tree or in an oak wood, also spelled Oakes.

Popular in Azerbaijan, Ni̇gar derives from the Persian name, Negar. Beloved as it may be in it's native country, and regardless of it's very different meaning in Persian …

Neihl is an uncommon variant spelling of Neil or Neal, names with ancient Celtic origins. The original Gaelic name 'Niall' is believed to mean 'champion' or 'cloud.' This distinctive spelling …

A name made famous by Marisas Berenson and Tomei, never became as saturated as its cousin Melissa, so still a feasible choice. Marisa is one of those Spanish and Italian …

Maris is an unusual and appealing name that has never appeared in the U.S. Top 1000, overshadowed by its twentieth century elaboration, Marisa/Marissa. It derives from the phrase …

One of the few Lu- names that you've probably never heard of, Lulie could prove a good alternative for Luna, Lucy, and Lula.

This name was almost unknown until soccer player Keylor Navas brought it to the world's attention. You could consider it a twist on Caleb or Taylor.

Carson is finally beginning to fall slightly after a nearly 2-decade reign of popularity, and we suspect its many spelling variations will follow suit.

While still rare, this compound name for boys jumped nearly 3000 places in rank last year, perhaps thanks to its cowboy-core vibe and its bad boy image.

Two past favorites blended into one, but Jennica has never made the US Top 1000.

A name with two strong literary associations, one overwhelmingly negative -- Lolita's pedophilic narrator Humbert Humbert -- and one positive, in the preferable European version: Italian author Umberto Eco.

Glenys, like Glynis, is a Welsh name that has never caught on outside Wales.

A name that has been used in Wales for nearly a thousand years — a famous bearer was the medieval scholar Gerallt Gymro, or Gerald of Wales — but not the most …

Commodore is a masculine name derived from the military naval rank, which originated from the French 'commandeur' and Latin 'commendare' meaning 'to entrust' or 'to command.' As a given name …

This cousin to Colton, a very widely used name, never matched its popularity and is now losing ground. One place where Colten does rank highly is on a list of …

Claudia is a classic name with ancient Roman roots. Never truly in or truly out, Claudia feels like a strong, modern choice that hits the sweet spot between too popular …

Deriving from the Persian name Jevad, Cavi̇dan is used nearly exclusively for boys in Azerbaijan, while the Turkish Cavidan is used mostly on girls.

Culmination of two trends: names bookended by As and Nova names, seen in names like Novalee, Novalyn, and Zanova. In statistics, ANOVA stands for analysis of variance.

Boy names I love, but would never use for first names. Mostly because they've gotten too popular, but some are because I think they're still a little too …

Girl names I love, but would never use for first names. Mostly because they've gotten too popular, but some are because I think they're still a little too …

Names that I like/love, but would never use. I have categorized the names as unusual, but some of them are not unusual in the US. That is because they …