Unique Names Ive Met

Malone

Irish

"a devotee of Saint John"

Classic Irish surname with a lot of character and some interesting associations: the title character of a Samuel Beckett novel and basketball great Karl Malone. Malone is a popular name for baby boys…

Maxton

English surname, elaboration of Max, Latin,"Maccas's homestead; greatest town"

"Maccas's homestead; greatest town"

Maxton is a new member of the ever-expanding Max clan of baby names, hitting the US Top 1000 for the first time in 2011. It joined newfangled Maxon and stylish cousin Paxton, though it did drop out…

Mick

English, diminutive of Michael

Most often associated with Rolling Stone Jagger, Mick is also used as a generic, and derogatory, term for an Irishman.

Mitt

Nickname for Milton

"settlement with a mill"

If you'd like to name your baby after Gov. Romney, Mitt isn't it: his birth name is Willard. Mitt is an inherited nickname from Milton Romney, a favorite cousin of his father's who was a Chicago…

Mckay

Gaelic

"son of Aodh"

McKay is the Anglicized form of Mac Aodha, meaning "son of Aodh" in Gaelic. Aodh is the origin of names such as Aidan and Hugh, making McKay a subtle way to honor people with those names.

Moroni

Italian surname or Mormon

"son of Mauro; our lord"

Moroni isn't heard very often these days, probably because the first five letters have strong teasing potential. It's a common Italian surname meaning "son of Mauro," but its use as a first name is…

Orie

Orie is a masculine name with diverse cultural origins. In Japanese, it means 'my light' or can be written with characters representing 'weaving' or 'fabric.' In African traditions, particularly…

Quincey

Quincey is a masculine name derived from the Latin 'quintus' meaning 'fifth,' originally a Roman name given to the fifth-born child. This spelling variation of Quincy adds a distinctive touch to the…

Rafferty

Irish

"floodtide, abundance, prosperity"

Jaunty and dapper, Rafferty is one of the most engaging of the Irish surnames, used by Jude Law and Sadie Frost for their son in 1996. Derived from the Irish, O'Raighbheartaigh, it means "(spring)…

Rockwell

English

"rock spring"

This would be an intriguing choice for an illustrator's child, thanks to Norman Rockwell and Rockwell Kent. But most babies called Rockwell today are named after Porter Rockwell, a companion of…

Rodolf

Rodolf is a traditional masculine name that represents an older spelling variant of Rudolf or Rudolph. It derives from Germanic elements meaning "fame" (hrod) and "wolf" (wulf), combining to signify…

Riker

German

"rich; powerful"

Riker gets relatively little use as a variation of Ryker, likely because of the connection to Riker's Island, the New York City prison. It was named after NYC magistrate Richard Riker, whose ancestor…