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Unique and Elegant Baby Names

  1. Cymbeline

    • Origin:

      Celtic

    • Meaning:

      "sun lord or sun hound"

    • Description:

      The title of a Shakespeare play based on legends featuring the early Celtic King Cunobelinus, whose name derives from the Gaulish sun god Belenus.
  2. Thelonius

    • Origin:

      Latinized form of German Tielo or Till

    • Meaning:

      "people"

    • Description:

      One of the coolest of names, thanks to legendary jazz pianist Thelonious Sphere Monk, who inherited it from his father. It has been used very sparingly since the 1960s--just a sprinkling of baby boys receive the name each year. Monk's middle name Sphere is pretty unique too--a cousin of Cosmos and Cosmo. Some other jazz names to consider: Bix, Ellington, Ella, Etta, Mingus, Dexter and Calloway. :
  3. Ambrosia

    • Origin:

      Latin, feminine form of Ambrose

    • Meaning:

      "Immortal"

    • Description:

      Ambrosia combines some of the more whimsical qualities of more popular Aurora and Isabella, with a heavenly meaning.
  4. Marmaduke

    • Origin:

      Irish

    • Meaning:

      "devotee of Maedoc"

    • Description:

      One of the ultimate teasable names, an Irish saint's name now associated with the oversized comic-strip dog. Scottish adventurer Bear (born Edward) Grylls took up the challenge when he used it for his son.
  5. Amora

    • Origin:

      Spanish

    • Meaning:

      "love"

    • Description:

      Is Amora a real name? It made a strong entrance to the US Top 1000 in 2017 so it's one of the Spanish names for girls that is obviously catching on, perhaps thanks to its similarity to Amara, a multicultural name that's achieving widespread popularity here and abroad. Amora sounds like the Latinate amore and is one of the romantic names that mean love, familiar via the classic Dean Martin song That's Amore ("When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie...). Amora also borrows something from Amanda, something from Maura, and makes an attractive choice no matter what its pedigree.
  6. Sinjin

    • Origin:

      Phonetic spelling of St. John

    • Description:

      The name St. John is much more usable in its phonetic spelling — similar to the way St. Clair evolved into Sinclair. St. John has some literary cred — St. John Rivers is a cool character in Jane Eyre.

      St. John has been attached to a number of notable men — not as a first but as a middle name, one shared by Evelyn Waugh, Basil Rathbone, Richard Harris and Brian Eno.

  7. Anemone

    • Origin:

      Flower name; Greek

    • Meaning:

      "daughter of the wind"

    • Description:

      Anemone is a floral name that relates to the ancient Greek myth of the famous love story of Aphrodite and Adonis, in which Aphrodite transforms her wounded lover's blood into a flower, the crimson anemone, whose blossoms are opened by the wind — accounting for its other name, windflower.
  8. Wisteria

    • Origin:

      Flower name, from English surname

    • Meaning:

      "Wister's flower"

    • Description:

      A frilly southern-accented flower name yet to be planted on many birth certificates. In the language of flowers, the wisteria is a symbol of devotion. It is named for American horticulturalist John Caspar Wister.
  9. Gardenia

    • Origin:

      Flower name, from English surname

    • Meaning:

      "Garden's flower"

    • Description:

      More uncommon and powerful than garden varieties like Rose and Lily. Named for Scottish botanist Dr Alexander Garden.
  10. Venetia

    • Origin:

      Italian place-name

    • Description:

      Venetia, the name of the region encompassing Venice, has a radiant, picturesque authenticity, as do the related Venezia and Venice.
  11. Sophronia

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "sensible, prudent"

    • Description:

      A name some people first encountered in the old children's book series The Five Little Peppers, in which Sophronia, the youngest of the Peppers is nicknamed Phronsie.`It was also used by Dickens in two of his novels: The Old Curiosity Shop and Our Mutual Friend.
  12. Ludovica

    • Origin:

      Italian, feminine variation of Ludovic

    • Meaning:

      "famous in war"

    • Description:

      This Olde World name with a large measure of European style makes an offbeat possibility for the bold baby namer in search of interesting Italian names for girls. Currently very popular in its native Italy, Ludovica is an unusual path to all the great Lu nicknames, like Lulu and Lula.
  13. Eros

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "desire, love"

    • Description:

      The name of the Greek winged god of love (usually romantic and sexual love) may seem a lot to live up to, but like other deity names, it's on the rise. In a recent year, it was given to more than 130 boys in the US.
  14. Aphrodite

    • Origin:

      Greek mythology name

    • Meaning:

      "foam or born from the sea"

    • Description:

      The name of the Greek goddess of love has rarely descended to mortal use, though the Roman equivalent Venus, thanks to tennis star Williams, now seems completely possible. But with the new fashion for goddess names, we may see more little Aphrodites in the playground with Jupiter and Juno. Nineteen baby girls received the name in the US last year.
  15. Cyrilla

    • Origin:

      Latin from Greek

    • Meaning:

      "lordly"

    • Description:

      Cyrilla is an obscure feminization of Cyril that's a bit buttoned-up but also intriguingly unique, with an authentic pedigree. Spelling Cirilla is more visible thanks to The Witcher series, in which its the name of the heroine Princess Cirilla, nicknamed Ciri. 40 baby girls were named Cirilla in the US in 2021, vs. only 10 called Cyrilla.
  16. Isadore

    • Origin:

      Variation of Isidore, Greek

    • Meaning:

      "gift of Isis"

    • Description:

      A classic variation of the name Isidore, both Isadore and Isidore were equally popular at their peak in the 1910s. They were historically used among Jewish families — Isidore and Isadore were often used as Americanizations of Jewish names such as Israel and Isaac.
  17. Quinlan

    • Origin:

      Irish

    • Meaning:

      "descendant of Caoinlean, slender "

    • Description:

      An Irish last-name-first-name that could make a child feel distinctive, while still having the regular guy nickname of Quinn. Christine Taylor and Ben Stiller spelled their son's name Quinlin.
  18. Tejas

    • Description:

      Tejas is a masculine name of Sanskrit origin meaning 'radiance,' 'brilliance,' or 'splendor.' In Hindu culture, it refers to the spiritual essence that represents energy, vigor, and mental power. Tejas is also the Sanskrit word for 'fire' and is associated with light and illumination. The name has gained popularity among Indian families globally who appreciate its cultural significance and positive connotations. In the United States, Tejas has additional significance as the original name for Texas, derived from a Native American Caddo word meaning 'friends' or 'allies.' This dual heritage makes Tejas an appealing cross-cultural choice with meaningful connections to both South Asian traditions and American geography. The name remains relatively uncommon in Western countries, giving it a distinctive quality.

  19. Ludovic

    • Origin:

      English and Scottish variation of Ludwig

    • Meaning:

      "famous warrior"

    • Description:

      Euro-cool. Heard more in Scotland than in England or the US, Ludovic Lesly is a character in the Sir Walter Scott novel Quentin Durward and Sir Ludovic Kennedy was a noted Scottish broadcaster and writer. Cute nickname: Ludo.
  20. Kassiani

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "cinnamon"

    • Description:

      Kassiani, also spelled Kasiani or Cassiane, is an ancient Greek name best known as the name of a saint famous as a hymnographer. The Hymn of Kassiani, traditionally sung on Tuesday of Easter Week in the Greek Orthodox Church, is associated with fallen women. The 9th century saint Kassiani was supposed to be in love with the Emperor Theophilos, who rejected her when she proved to be more intelligent than he.