Abby

An is a gender-neutral Chinese name, originally a surname, that can be used for girls or boys and means peace or quiet. It is also a Vietnamese name meaning safe and secure. In the English-speaking world, it may feel slight due to its equivalence to the article an.

Ange

Anne, usually seen as a girls' name, is also attested as a boys' name - for example, Anne de Montmorency, who was a French soldier, statesman and diplomat. He became Marshal of France and Constable of France. It is also a Frisian male name deriving from the element arn "eagle", as in Dutch author Anne de Vries.

Anne

Arvid, a Scandinavian name that's virtually unknown in the US, is one of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/popular-names/sweden">top baby names in Sweden</a>. It might make a handsome, unusual choice for a parent in search of an original yet traditional A name.

Arvid

These days, it's more likely you'd call your daughter the popular Belle or Bella.

Bell

Unusual two-syllable choice with a real pronunciation challenge. 

Bleddyn

Blessed and Blessing are two word and virtue names getting more attention, especially among religious parents.

Blessed

The surname of enterprising journalist Nellie Bly and poet Robert Bly makes a simple, modern, and upbeat sounding choice for either a boy or a girl.

Bram has an unusual measure of character and charm for a one-syllable name; it started as a hipper-than-Abe diminutive of the biblical Abraham, but is also an independent Irish and Dutch name, made famous by Irish-born Dracula creator Bram (nee Abraham) Stoker. Bram is currently Number 16 in the Netherlands; Bram Howard was a character on The West Wing.
 Another route to Bram is Bramwell, as in early actor Bramwell Fletcher, who &mdash; speaking of horror movies &mdash; was noted for his mad scenes in the 1932 film The Mummy.

Bram

Brisk

Brita

An old saint's name that, even with the post-Aidan wave of Irish names, is a bit too close to crone. 

Brone

Most parents attracted to this name will be devotees of the author William and would be better off using it in the middle. 

Burroughs

Yes, it's a word name, but Busy is also a rare pet form of Elizabeth. And yes, actress Busy Philipps was christened Elizabeth--she was given the nickname because she was such an active child. She must have been happy with the name, because she also gave her daughters adorable <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/317/unique-baby-names">unique baby names</a>, Birdie and Cricket.

Busy

Upper-crusty nickname occasionally used in Britain, particularly in 1930s novels featuring significant garden party scenes, but eclipsed here by Carrie et al. 

Caro

Carry

Carver is an occupational name with an artistic bent, as is the newly arrived Painter, which has a fresher feel than the 1990's Carter. It also has eminent last-name links to botanist and educator George Washington Carver and short story master Raymond Carver. 
 Carver appears as a character in the R. D. Blackmore classic Lorna Doone.

Carver

Channary, a sweet and preppy sounding name with a lovely lunar meaning, belongs to a character in the Lunar Chronicles series. Her relatives Levana and Selene have similarly moon-inspired monikers.

Channary

Charity is one of the Big Three abstract virtue names, along with Hope and Faith, though far less widely used than the others. But as Faith, Grace and Hope grow more common, some parents are beginning to look at the more unusual three-syllable choices like Verity, Amity, Clarity and Charity, which sound much fresher and also have that pleasingly rhythmic 'y'-ending sound.
 In the Dickens novel Martin Chuzzlewit, there are two sisters named Charity and Mercy, who are known as Cherry and Merry.
 In the musical Sweet Charity the title character, Charity Hope Valentine, is an all too charitable girl with a heart of gold. In the novel"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" Charity Burbage is a Muggle Studies teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and in Two Broke Girls there's an Aunt Charity who's not very charitable.
 Charity was in the Top 500 in the 1880's and 1890's, remained in the Top 1000 until 1927 when it dropped from sight, then reappeared in 1968. For a period in the 1970's and eighties, Charity was a Top 300 name.

Charity

Chia

Cing

In keeping with other short names like PO/POE and BO, Coe is a surname that could easily move into first place.  It has a sports hero factor as well, in Olympic runner Sebastian Coe--who later became a Member of Parliament.

Cosy is a, well, cozy name, whose only downside is people forever making that dumb joke. Cosy can be short for Cosima or Cosette but can certainly stand on its own as a word name. Another plus: Sounds like Posy, Josie, and Rosie.

Cosy

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 decreased slightly for boys in 2020 and remained steading in 2021, but it has actually increased for girls, although it remains a seriously rare and distinctive choice.

Cove

A snug word name that may appeal to hygge-minded parents. It reappeared on the US charts in both 2020 and 2022 after a gap of 55 years. It can be short for Cosima or Cosette/Cozette.

Cozy

Crewe

Crisanta, while not related to Christine, would make a pretty and highly unusual alternative to that tried-and-true name. Because of its relationship to the chrysanthemum, the flower of the month of November, it's one of the recommended <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/zodiac-baby-names-its-scorpio-season">names for Scorpio babies</a> as well as <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/605/names-for-november-babies">names for November babies</a>. Crisanta might also give you a fresh route to nicknames like Cris, Crissy, or Cristie.

Crisanta

Crispian

Perhaps too spicy for some, but this is a popular Gaelic surname that might appeal for those looking to honor a family branch or to fans of legendary British comedian Tim Curry.

Curry

Means "pure" in the Tagalog language of the Philippines.

Dalisay

Spunky Irish surname that still has a pugnacious feel from its lingering association with one of boxing's greatest champs, Jack Dempsey. Many people may associate it more with Patrick Dempsey these days—McDreamy from TV's Grey's Anatomy.

Dempsey

Ancient nickname that sounds cuter than its modern alternatives -- but be aware that in the days of the horse and buggy, it was most often used for the horse. 

Dobbin

Briefly used as a male name in the early 20th century. Doll is a surname with a variety of origins and meanings, some more desirable than others.

Doll

Doss is Doris's cute, spunky, younger cousin. If Doris is wearing tan stockings and curling her hair, Doss is wearing skinny jeans and using a flat iron. 

Doss

Popular Portuguese and Spanish name that refers to "dulce nombre de Maria" -- the sweet name of the Virgin Mary. English variant Dulcie has a different pronunciation.

Dulce

Edra

Edris was used occasionally for baby girl 100 years ago, but one can't help but wonder whether those girls might really have been named Edie but with bad handwriting. Edrie is cute, though, and unusual.

Edrie

Elisee

A rare name even among Basque speakers (fewer than 20 women in Spain are called Elixane), this beautiful name has drawn some attention via Elixane Lechemia, the French pro-tennis player. With its trendy "El" beginning, its connections to the perennial Elizabeth, and wonderfully soft "Sha" sound, Elixane is a name that could have potential in English-speaking countries once the X=sh pronunciation issue was overcome.

Elixane

The Turkish form of Amina, and an extremely popular name in its native land. Famous bearers include writers Emine Semiye Önasya and Emine Çaykara, and politicians Emine Ayna and Emine Ülker Tarhan. The current first lady of Turkey is also named Emine.

Emine

Esper

Relatively popular in Spain until the middle of the 20th century, this sweet and lively Spanish virtue name is also a Marian name, short for María de Fe. In Galician, it is sometimes also short for Fernanda, meaning "brave voyager".

Festo

Fig was the unlikely name of a beautiful character in Curtis Sittenfeld's Man of My Dreams. Better bets: Plum, Quince, or even Apple. Still, you might consider Fig as an unusual nickname for any more formal F-starting name, from Frances to Fiona.

One of the jewel names in use a hundred years ago, for both boys and girls, due for revival along with sisters Ruby and Pearl. But interestingly, Garnet means pomegranate, the fruit who shares a deep red color with the jewel.


Garnet

Gry is becoming a popular name in Denmark where it is currently in the Top 50. Despite its beautiful meaning, the similarity of its sound to the English word gruel is unlikely to make this a winning choice for English-speakers.

A North African choice, particularly popular in Tunisia and Syria. 

Habib

While this version of the name has never made it into the US Top 1000, it is nonetheless slowly on the rise. In 2015, 162 girls were given this name. The related Hattie is the highest it's ever been, currently at Number 488. This spelling could also supply an accessible nickname to the rising Jewish appellation Hadassah.

Haddie

One Greek mythological name -- she was the goddess of order -- not yet embraced by American parents.

Harmonia

Herb

Hereswith is a rare name that comes to us from the dark ages. She was a Northumbrian saint, whose more famous sister, Hilda, was the Abbess at Whitby and patron of the first English poet, Caedmon. The name has a soft, lispy sound that is more wearable than its spelling would suggest.

Hereswith

Ib, though it sounds insubstantial here, is actually a pretty common name in Denmark.

Commonly heard in its native country, and might get a boost here too, now that Alanis Morrissette has used it for her son Ever's middle name.

Imre

Imilla

This Celtic saint's name is the most offbeat Jen name of all. 

Jenifry

This super-charged variation of Jett is on the rise -- along with the unlikely newcomer Jetson.

Peaked in the 1940s, but still an amiable classic, a la Joe and Tom -- though rarely used on its own. 

Jocko

Johari is derived from the Arabic word jawhar, which evolved from the Persian word gouhar, both referring to gemstones.

Johari

Jaunty, to say the least, Jonty might be an option if Johnny feels too old school. It has been noticed most often on the playing fields, as in U.K. rugby player Jonty Parkin (born Jonathan) and South African cricketer Jonty Rhodes (Jonathon).

Jonty

An Indian boy's name with a powerful meaning.

Jorawar

Jovial

Julie

Just

Kaitlind

Seen in Nordic countries as a nickname for Karolina or Karl.

Karo

Actor Mark Ruffalo honed this surname down to its basics when he chose it for his son. A more usable expansion might be the Irish surname Keenan/Keenen.

Keen

How often do you see a name from Madagascar that is so wearable in English? Kendry has a great meaning to boot and is possibly a great <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/412/christmas-baby-names">name for a Christmas baby.</a> What's not to love?

Kendry

Kenver is derived from the ancient British name Cunmorus, meaning "great chief." We much prefer this newer iteration.
 
A pronunciation note: the R in Kenver is not enunciated.

Kenver

Georgian variant of Katayun, sometimes used as a Georgian form of Katherine. Diminutives include Keti, Keto and Ketino. This is the birth name of British-Georgian musician Katie Melua.

Ketevan

This unusual English word name and surname was the middle name of American sci-fi writer Philip K. Dick, after his mother's maiden name. Its striking sound and appealing meaning make it a promising virtue name possibility for either gender.

Kindred

Corey was always the most popular form of this Irish name, with Cory (as in New Jersey Senator Booker) in second place and Kory riding caboose. Kory et al were in the first wave of <a href="https://nameberry.com/unisex-names">unisex names</a> that began to be used in the late 1960s and 1970s, fading now as fresher names such as Rory or Rowan rise.

Kory

Not quite Beatrice or Letitia, but Leatrice still has a gently old-fashioned charm of its own, a kind of silent movie star aura, as in one of the top actresses of that era, Leatrice Joy. Largely due to her popularity, Leatrice was in the Top 1000 from 1922 to 1943, reaching a high of 350 in 1927.

Leatrice

Although the accent in Linnet is on the first syllable, it could be confused with the dated Lynette. 

Linnet

Loris

Recently chosen by singer Elle King for her son. Lucky is a name that could see a considerable rise in the near future, as word names continue to heat up.

Lucky

A forgotten nickname for Columbus, which itself is becoming ever rarer. Radio comedy program Lum and Abner, which ran for over two decades beginning in 1931, featured a character named Columbus "Lum" Edwards.

When President LBJ's daughter Linda Bird changed the spelling of her name to Lynda, she set a trend for spelling adventurism that's still rippling through the name world today.

Lynda

This rare sixth-century saint's name has a modern, merry feel. 

Mabyn

Malkie

Marlaine

The name of the Roman god of war began to sound less intimidating when Erykah Badu gave it to her daughter, and musicians Thomas and Bruno Mars (the latter born Peter Hernandez) have given it a modern edge. Mars actually could make a pleasant, planetary middle name for either sex.
In Roman mythology, Mars was the god of not just war, but also agriculture, and was more down-to-earth and less cold and ruthless than his Greek counterpart Ares. He was considered a father of Rome, as he was the father of mythical founder Romulus.

Mars

Maso

Milo is most commonly considered to be Germanic name derived from the Latin word miles, meaning "soldier." However, there is evidence to suggest it also may have independently spawned from the Slavic root milu, meaning "merciful." Milo predates brother name Miles, a variation that evolved when the name immigrated to the British Isles in the Middle Ages. Mylo is an alternate spelling.
 
Milo has long been a favorite <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boys' name</a> on Nameberry, also getting some well-deserved appreciation in the wider world. Milo combines the strength of the ancient Greek Olympic wrestler of that name—a six-time winner of the Olympic games—with the debonair charm of a WWII RAF pilot.
 More recently, Milo has been associated with the dashing Milo Ventimiglia of This Is Us fame, and it has also been the name of characters in books Catch-22 and The Phantom Tollbooth, and on screen in Milo and Otis, Alias, and Atlantis: The Lost Empire.
 Ricki Lake, Camryn Manheim, Sherry Stringfield, Liv Tyler, Craig Ferguson, and Alyssa Milano are six celebrity parents who share our enthusiasm for Milo, as do many Nameberry baby namers.
 Milo is often heard in Ireland. Milo O'Shea was a renowned Irish character actor.

Milo

As with many grandmother-y names, this choice may be coming back into style.
 Myra was invented in the seventeenth century by a poet called Fulke Greville as a short form of Miranda--or perhaps an anagram of Mary-- and it quickly caught on with other poets and romantic novelists, particularly popular with the Scots. There were leading characters named Myra in Sinclair Lewis's novel Babbitt and in Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy. Later it was the name of the central character in Gore Vidal's 1968 Myra Breckinridge, and plays a minor role in the Divergent. trilogy.
 Myra was as high as Number 158 in the 1880s. A notable namesake is the great pianist, Dame Myra Hess.

Myra

Rarely used on its own and irrevocably tied to former House Speaker Gingrich -- who was christened Newton. 

Newt

Patrin is a truly unusual yet easily comprehended choice. 

Patrin

Patsy has been rarely heard for half a century, for either gender, and we're not expecting that to change in the near future.. 

Patsy

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.

 Paz is also a unisex Hebrew name meaning "gold".

Relaxed male name occasionally used for girls; sounds novel compared to such former favorites as Kerry and Sherry. 

Perry

One of the most familiar — if not stereotypical — Gallic names. Pierre was a Top 5 name in France from the 19th century through 1940 and is now on a steady decline in its native land. In the US, Pierre was most common in the 1980s but it has never cracked the Top 300.
 
Australian supermodel Miranda Kerr welcomed a son named Pierre in 2024, which may boost its profile.

Pierre

Super-sweet name that was the title of a Broadway play -- but best known as a type of apple. Could also make a cute short form for names like Philippa or Penelope.

Pippin

Zev Bordowitz 's list "City Summit Name List" of 136 great name ideas: Abby - Zerlin!

City Summit Name List

Names I'm (potentially) using for my middle grade fantasy novel. It takes place in a walled city not unlike the Kowloon Walled City that used to exist in Hong Kong. And in this, there's MAGIC 