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Unusual and On-Trend

  1. Sadiya
    • Origin:

      Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "lucky, fortunate"
    • Description:

      This female form of Sa'id is one of several eminently usable Arabic S names.
  2. Macallister
    • Origin:

      Scottish
    • Meaning:

      "son of Alasdair"
    • Description:

      Macallister as a first name is attracting new attention as the name chosen by Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer and venture capitalist Zack Bogue for their young son. Macallister is usually heard as a patronymic surname, meaning son of Alasdair or Alistair or any one of the spellings of the Scottish form of Alexander. Like all other names of this type, Macallister leads to the cute short form Mac.
  3. Macsen
    • Origin:

      Welsh variation of Maximus, Latin
    • Meaning:

      "greatest"
    • Description:

      Macsen may sound like a modern invention, cousin to Jackson and Maxon, but it's a longtime Welsh variation of Maximus with evocative roots in legend. Macsen Wledig is another name for the Roman emperor Magnus Maximus, was played an important role in Welsh history and was further immortalized in a poem celebrating his dream about his lover Elen. Macsen also appears in Arthurian legend.
  4. Misha
    • Origin:

      Russian, diminutive of Mikhail
    • Description:

      Brought into the American consciousness as the nickname of ballet great Mikhail Baryshnikov, it more recently took on a unisex air via TV and screen actress Mischa Barton. Could become the next Sasha.
  5. Finian
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "fair"
    • Description:

      This lilting Irish saint's name shone in neon lights on Broadway for the classical 1947 musical "Finian's Rainbow," later made into a film starring Fred Astaire as Finian McLonergan, and there was also a character on "General Hospital" named Finian O'Toole. With the growing popularity of Finn and Finlay/Finley--and boys' names ending in 'an'--Finian, which can also be spelled Finnian, seems like a sure-fire winner.
  6. Moritz
    • Origin:

      German form of Maurice
    • Meaning:

      "dark-skinned"
    • Description:

      The unusual-to-the-English-ear Moritz is a Top 25 name in Austria and a form of Maurice or Morris, which are modern variations of the ancient Roman Maurus. There were several early saints named Maurus and a famous 3rd century Saint Maurice, who was a Roman infantryman who was martyred when he refused to worship Roman gods. The Moritz form also references the posh Swiss ski resort St. Moritz and Justine Moritz is a character from Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein.
  7. Avita
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "life"
    • Description:

      Avita sounds like a drug name. In fact, it is! (It's an acne medication.) While that may not be enough to stop you, you might want to consider Aviva, Vita, or Evita (which has issues of its own) instead.
  8. Artemas
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "gift of Artemis, goddess of the hunt"
    • Description:

      This name has a nice mythological, historical, Three Musketeers-ish ring.
  9. Halona
    • Origin:

      Native American
    • Meaning:

      "happy fortune"
    • Description:

      Resonant and unusual.
  10. Isabetta
    • Origin:

      Short form of Elisabetta, Italian variation of Elizabeth
    • Meaning:

      "pledged to God"
    • Description:

      Isabetta is a charming spin on both the Elizabeth and Isabella families and a new way to go if you love the originals but want something more, well, original. Isabetta Rose is the name chosen by Amber and Rob Mariano for their daughter. If you're searching for Italian names for girls that make an easy transition to the English-speaking world, this should be high on your list.
  11. Tauria
    • Origin:

      Latin, place name
    • Description:

      The name of an area of Peru, this could be a possibilty for a springtime baby born under the sign of Taurus.
  12. Nava
    • Origin:

      Hebrew, Spanish
    • Meaning:

      "beautiful; from Navarre or Nava"
    • Description:

      Short, sweet, and sparky, Nava has been slowly climbing up the US popularity charts in recent years, owing perhaps to its similarity to Nova, Ava, Navy, and Nevaeh. Used quietly but consistently from the 80s onwards, Nava was given to nearly 80 girls in 2023.
  13. Atarah
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "crown"
    • Description:

      Appearing on a minor character in the Old Testament, Atarah is the wife of Jerahmeel and a descendant of Judah. Also spelled Atara, it has confidence and succinctness and may appeal to those who like Atlas, Amara and Elara. The name was chosen for 60 girls in the US in a recent year, while Atara was given to almost 50.
  14. Denali
    • Origin:

      Place-name and Native American
    • Meaning:

      "the great one"
    • Description:

      Alaska's Denali National Park is the home of the highest mountain in the US, officially renamed Denali in 2014, endowing the name with a lofty feel. Twice as many girls as boys were given the name in 2021, but the gender gap is closing.
  15. Nerida
    • Origin:

      Greek; Aboriginial
    • Meaning:

      "sea nymph, mermaid; red waterlily"
    • Description:

      This is one of the more unusual examples of a group of Greek names connected to the sea, which makes sense for a nation of coastline and islands. The Nereids or water nymphs were the daughters of sea god Nereus.
  16. Ailana
    • Origin:

      Kazakh
    • Meaning:

      "moonlight"
    • Description:

      A pretty Kazakh name derived from Turkish ayla, meaning "moonlight". The Hawaiian name 'Ailana (with the 'okina mark) means "loving".
  17. Tahira
    • Origin:

      Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "pure and chaste"
    • Description:

      Tahira is a pretty Arabic virtue name, unusual yet accessible.
  18. Conall
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "strong as a wolf"
    • Description:

      Too many Connors in your neighborhood? This name--spelled with one 'l' or two--is equally authentic and much more unusual.
  19. Kirill
    • Origin:

      Russian variation of Cyril, Greek
    • Meaning:

      "lordly"
    • Description:

      Strong and attractive form of Cyril.
  20. Dimity
    • Origin:

      Type of cotton cloth
    • Description:

      Dimity is fairly common in Australia, but unheard of outside of it, which is surprising given its similarity to names like Amity, Verity, and Cassidy.

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