Out.Of.The.Box.

  1. Aalto
    • Origin:

      Finnish
    • Meaning:

      "wave"
    • Description:

      The last name of Finnish moderne designer/architect makes an original, creative choice with an unexpected water-related meaning.
  2. Asta
    • Origin:

      Norwegian
    • Meaning:

      "divine strength"
    • Description:

      This Scandinavian name was made famous in English-speaking countries as the name of the dog in the "Thin Man" series. Danish actress Asta Nielsen was another famous bearer. Asta can be considered as a short form of Astrid or Augusta.
  3. Athena
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "from Athens"
    • Description:

      The given name Athena was derived from the city name Athens, which is of uncertain origins. In Greek mythology, Athena is the name of the daughter of Zeus who was the goddess of wisdom, warfare, handicrafts, mathematics, and courage, among others. She was the great patroness-goddess of the city of Athens. In the Odyssey, Homer describes her as 'sparkling-eyed Athena.'
  4. Bay
    • Origin:

      English word, Old English
    • Meaning:

      "an inlet of the sea where the land curves inward; berry"
    • Description:

      Like River and Lake, a cool, refreshing modern water-related choice. This name is also associated with bay leaves, the bay laurel, the contemporary term of endearment, "bae", and the Old English word beġ meaning "berry"
  5. Cairo
    • Origin:

      Place name, Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "the strong; the conqueror"
    • Description:

      On trend for boys but with plenty of unisex appeal too, the place name Cairo was put on the map for girls when model Beverly Peele chose it for her daughter. Given to around 50 girls each year, it hasn't caught on just yet but with its similar sounds to Kaia and Skyler, it might do in the future.
  6. Cass
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Casper etc
    • Description:

      A light variation of any of the weightier names beginning with Cas, such as Casper, Cassius etc- this is a beautifully mellow and soft name that bears greater consideration.
  7. Colt
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Meaning:

      "young horse"
    • Description:

      Colt is the kind of unconventionally macho name that is so trendy right now, because of or in spite of its association with horses and guns.
  8. Echo
    • Origin:

      Greek mythology name
    • Meaning:

      "echo or sound"
    • Description:

      Echo, the pretty, resonant name of a legendary nymph, was the heroine of Joss Whedon's sci-fi series Dollhouse. Nick Hexum, of the band 311, named his daughter Echo Love.
  9. Elnora
    • Origin:

      Contracted form of Eleanora, meaning unknown
    • Description:

      Elnora is best known as the name of the heroine of the early 20th century novel A Girl of the Limberlost. While Elnora might plausibly have many derivations, the most logical is that isn't a contracted form of Eleanora, the Latinate variation of Eleanor.
  10. Gideon
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "hewer; or, having a stump for a hand"
    • Description:

      Gideon is a no-longer neglected Old Testament name, but still makes an excellent choice for parents looking to move beyond such overused biblicals as Benjamin and Jacob. In the Old Testament, Gideon was a judge called on by God to rescue the Jews from the Midianites, and the name was popular among the Puritans.
  11. Moon
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      The original oddball celebrity baby name, via Frank Zappa's daughter Moon Unit, who claims she's always liked it.
  12. Naima
    • Origin:

      Arabic, Scandinavian variation of Naema
    • Meaning:

      "tranquil; pleasantness"
    • Description:

      As an Arabic name, the normal transcription is Na'ima, with an apostrophe. It was a Top 200 name in France in the 1970s and '80s, and ranked in the US Top 1000 from 2005 to 2008.
  13. Nico
    • Origin:

      Italian diminutive of Nicholas, Greek
    • Meaning:

      "people of victory"
    • Description:

      Nico is one of the great nickname names, full of charm, energy and effortless cool -- a neo Nick.
  14. North
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "cardinal direction of north"
    • Description:

      A lot of attention was drawn to this name when Kim Kardashian and Kanye West announced it as the name of their baby daughter, making it instantly unisex.
  15. Paz
    • Origin:

      Hebrew; Spanish
    • Meaning:

      "gold; peace"
    • Description:

      Paz is an appealing Spanish name meaning "peace", derived from the Latin "pax". It's usually feminine in Spanish, but could also make an interesting literary choice for a boy, honoring the writer Octavio Paz.
  16. Salim
    • Origin:

      Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "safe"
    • Description:

      Distinguished by association with renowned African diplomat Salim Ahmed Salim, this name is popular in many variations throughout the Arab world. Its use is growing in the US as well, especially in its Salem version.
  17. Solomon
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "peace"
    • Description:

      Solomon, a name that evokes wisdom and peace, is an Old Testament name that, along with other patriarchal classics, is finally beginning to shed its long white beard and step from the pages of the Old Testament into modern nurseries.
  18. Tennessee
    • Origin:

      Native American, Cherokee, place-name
    • Meaning:

      "bend in the river or meeting place"
    • Description:

      When playwright Thomas Lanier Williams adopted the pen name of Tennessee, he created a new possibility among American place-names, although it's admittedly a bit bulky in size.
  19. Tobias
    • Origin:

      Greek from Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "God is good"
    • Description:

      Tobias is one of a number of s-ending boys' names that are riding a wave of popularity. With its Old Testament-Dickensian feel, it's a name with a distinguished pedigree.
  20. Zebediah
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "gift of Jehovah"
    • Description:

      Biblical names are expanding (literally) as some parents move from Isaiah and Elijah to more elaborate choices with simple short forms, like Jedidiah and Zebediah.