User-created list
mostly obscure eclectic w european flair
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Aster
English from Greek
"star"
The name of the Aster flower, named by the English, was derived from the Greek word for star. Like many floral names, Aster is much more popular among baby girls.
Azure
English color name, Persian
"sky blue; lapis lazuli"
Azure is a colorful choice and currently, a gender neutral option, given to around 30 girls and 30 boys each year. Chosen by Elon Musk for his daughter, it fits in with other blue-toned color names…
Banjo
Word name
"string instrument"
When Australian actress Rachel Griffiths chose this highly unusual name for her son, many assumed it was a bizarre invention, but noted Australian poet and writer of Waltzing Matilda , Banjo…
Bardo
Short form of Bardolph or Aboriginal
"water"
Bardo has a poetic beginning and upbeat ending, with roots in several diverse cultures. It may be most familiar today via George Saunders' novel Lincoln in the Bardo , which refers to the Tibetan…
Baz
Diminutive of Sebastian or Basil; Kurdish
"regal; falcon"
As Bas, it's a popular name in The Netherlands, but Baz, as in director Luhrmann, has potential for independent life too. Curiously, Australian-born Moulin Rouge director Luhrmann was born neither…
Benno
German
"bear"
Benno is a cool name in its own right -- there was a tenth century Saint Benno -- though it is also used as a lively nickname for Benjamin. Saint Benno of Meissen is the patron saint of anglers and…
Blaise
French
"to lisp, stammer"
As modern as it sounds, Blaise is an ancient Christian martyr name. In Arthurian legend, Blaise is the name of Merlin the Magician's secretary. Its relation to the word and name Blaze gives it a…
Claude
French from Latin
"lame; enclosure"
Claude is a soft-spoken French name that conjures up the pastel colors of Monet and harmonies of Debussy. In France, it is used for girls as well, in fact in the Tracy Chevalier novel Lady and the…
Claudius
Latin
"lame; enclosure"
Claudius is one of the most user-friendly of the ancient Roman names – even though it's associated with the villainous character in Shakespeare's Hamlet . But as with feminine form Claudia, the…
Cleon
Greek
"glorious, renowned"
Rare and distinctive name with intimations of antiquity, also a Shakespearean character.
Cobalt
Color and nature name
Even among the range of blue names on the current baby naming palette -- Blue itself, Azure, Cerulean, Teal, Aqua, Cyan, Indigo -- Cobalt remains the most unusual, not to mention the most masculine.
Cove
English
"small bay"
Cove is an up-and-coming nature name whose cool sound and peaceful image saw it rising for both sexes... until COVID-19 hit. It remained steady in use for boys in 2021, but actually increased for…
Deveraux
French
"of Evreux; riverbank"
Swashbuckling name worthy of a hero in a romance novel. Deveraux or Devereaux is drawn from the town of Evreux in France and combined with the prefix de- denoting it likely referred to a noble of…
Elm
English, German, Norse, Danish tree name
"red, brown"
Strong, straight, and leafy, one of the new tree names used mostly as middles.
Elmer
English
"noble and renowned"
Thanks to Elmer Fudd, Elmer the Cow, Elmer the elephant, Elmer's glue and the similar Elmo, this name might, to some feel like a jokey choice: the quintessential so-far-out-it-will-always-be-out…
Emile
Emile is a masculine name of French origin, derived from the Roman family name Aemilius, which comes from the Latin word 'aemulus' meaning 'rival' or 'emulating'. Popular throughout France and…
Emilien
French form of Emil
"friendly"
Might make a worthy masculine spin on either of the uber popular Emma or Emily.
Emre
Turkish
"friend"
This Turkish name meaning "friend" should be very useable outside Turkey, given that it is pronounced just as it is spelled. Famous men named Emre include Emre Can, a chess grandmaster, and Emre…
Florent
French from Latin
"flowering"
Historically, the French and English name Florence was used for both sexes. And Florent is a steady classic in France, booming there in the 1980s. Maybe it's time to import it, and show that boys can…
Floris
Dutch variation of Florence, Latin
"flowering"
This Dutch favorite was the name of five Counts of Holland and many notable Renaissance artists, including still life painter Floris van Dijck. It is a variation of Florence, ultimately from the…