O D D - S I G H T I N G S

A list containing some truly unique names I’ve discovered. Mainly from announcement pages or social media.
  1. Crew
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "a band or force of armed men"
    • Description:

      Crew is yet another word name that was added to the baby name lexicon when this one was chosen by The Young and the Restless star Joshua Morrow for his son. It debuted on the Top 1000 in 2010. We've also heard spelling variations Cru and Crue.
  2. Unique
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Meaning:

      "one of a kind"
    • Description:

      Finding a really distinctive name is probably a better way to make sure your child stands out, but then again, is choosing Unique really any different to parents choosing Saint, Messiah, Chosen, Dream, Miracle, or Blessing?
  3. Stetson
    • Origin:

      English surname
    • Meaning:

      "cattle dealer"
    • Description:

      Best known as a popular brand of Western hats, this surname gives off rugged, cowboy vibes and a sense of confident coolness. A name on the rise, Stetson entered the US Top 200 in 2023 when it was given to nearly 2000 boys.
  4. Blade
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      One of the new crop of boys' names that manage to be unconventional and macho at the same time — though Blade verges on the threatening.
  5. Ledger
    • Origin:

      English surname
    • Meaning:

      "people's spear; book of recordings"
    • Description:

      Ledger, another surname-turned-first name, carries associations of the great and late Australian actor Heath Ledger. It appeared on the US Top 1000 for the first time in 2017, perhaps bolstered by the potential of Lej and Edge as nicknames, and its similarity to Legend.
  6. Drusilla
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "fruitful"
    • Description:

      Drusilla is an ancient Roman name, (probably) borne by descendants of Antony and Cleopatra, and is one of the 'illa' names that are ready for a comeback, especially with its cute short form Dru.
  7. Halo
    • Origin:

      English, word name
    • Description:

      Halo is a glowing word name that's both cosmic and spiritual, and with its shiny imagery and bright sounds, it was one of the fasted rising names in 2023.
  8. Zev
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "wolf"
    • Description:

      Zev is a short, simple, animal name that may relate to the Old Testament Ze'ev -- except he was a villainous character.
  9. Fenix
    • Origin:

      Variation of Phoenix, Spanish, Greek
    • Meaning:

      "dark red"
    • Description:

      Fenix is a spelling variation of the place name and mythological name Phoenix, possibly inspired by the Romani form, Fennix, or the Spanish Fénix. Derived from Greek and meaning "dark red", the phoenix is an immortal bird that, having lived for a number of centuries, would be consumed by fire and rise from its own ashes.
  10. Reef
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Meaning:

      "ridge of rock or coral on sea floor"
    • Description:

      Reef is an uncommon nature name with mainstream potential. Its laidback, beach-y vibe makes it a perfect choice for ocean lovers.
  11. Ninian
    • Origin:

      Scottish and Irish, meaning unknown
    • Description:

      Ancient Irish saint's name that's unlikely, because of its similarity to "ninny," to join cousin Finian in popularity.
  12. Plum
    • Origin:

      Fruit name
    • Description:

      British-born novelist Plum Sykes has taken this rich, fruity name out of the produce section and put it into the baby name basket. It's more appealing than Apple, more presentable than Peaches. The French equivalent, Prune, is very fashionable there but would not fly with English speakers.
  13. Lancelot
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "servant"
    • Description:

      In Arthurian legend, Lancelot was one of the most dashing of the Knights of the Round Table who eventually had an affair with Queen Guinevere: it makes for a romantic story-- but perhaps overly romantic-- name.
  14. Zeppelin
    • Origin:

      German word name from Slavic
    • Meaning:

      "zeppelin; flail"
    • Description:

      In a baby name landscape where word names and names that start with Z are infinitely cool, there are few options for parents who want to combine trends. Zeppelin is one of the best names at the intersection of these two styles, and it's rising alongside the likes of Zen, Zephyr, and Zenith.
  15. Dusty
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "dusty"
    • Description:

      Dusty first became popular as a girl's name thanks to singer Dusty Springfield - born Mary. She used her childhood nickname professionally, and many parents embraced Dusty as a name for their daughters, especially in the 1970s.
  16. Nathanael
    • Origin:

      Variation of Nathaniel
    • Description:

      Nathaniel is a wonderful classic name and Nathanael, which may be an ancient Greek or Hebrew form, is appealing and has gravitas but may prove needlessly confusing in the modern world.
  17. Velvet
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "a fabric characterized by a short soft dense warp pile"
    • Description:

      Velvet is a name that couldn't possibly be softer or more luxuriant. Many people have fond memories of it via the character of Velvet Brown, played by the young Elizabeth Taylor in National Velvet, an intrepid young woman willing to masquerade as a boy to race her horse in a dangerous steeplechase.
  18. Legend
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "hero or fable"
    • Description:

      Legend joins cousins Story, Saga and Fable in the baby name pantheon of narrative words. Unlike Story and Fable, however, Legend comes with additional weight, being used for fame ("living legend") and to denote a person who is fantastic "what a legend"). Who can live up to that?
  19. Hallow
    • Origin:

      word name
    • Description:

      Hallow is a word meaning sacred or holy. As the root word for Halloween (orginally All Hallows' Eve), this name might be an evocative choice for a baby born on or near October 31st. It could work well for either a boy or a girl and offers the nicknames Hal and Halley.
  20. Harvest
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Description:

      Harvest has been occasionally used as a name since the eighteenth century, originally as evenly unisex, but in the US data for last year was starting to lean more female, given to 29 girls and 11 boys. Harvest can be seen as pleasantly archaic, rich and ripe, fitting in with popular baby names like Harper and Harry, and is also a fresh take on names like Autumn and August and one of the best names for autumn babies.

Introducing the Nameberry App

Nameberry App
Find your perfect baby name together with our new mobile app.
  • Swipe through thousands of names with your partner
  • Names you match on are saved to your shared list
  • Get personalized recommendations that learn based on your and your partner's preferences
  • Partner with friends and family to find names you all love
  • Backed by Nameberry's 20 years of data around name preferences.
Sign up to be notified when the app launches and to receive a discount on full access.
Nameberry App Logo