Crazy Crazy Names

Theopolis is a masculine name of Greek origin meaning 'city of God,' combining 'theos' (God) and 'polis' (city). This dignified, classical name carries profound religious and philosophical connotations, evoking images of ancient Greek civilization and early Christianity. Throughout history, Theopolis has appeared occasionally as both a personal name and as a title or descriptor for holy cities. While never widely common, the name maintains a certain scholarly, distinguished presence. In contemporary usage, Theopolis remains rare, appealing primarily to parents drawn to names with strong etymological meanings, classical roots, or religious significance. Its impressive sound and impressive meaning give it a timeless, majestic quality.

Scheherazade -- or Sheherazade --is a legendary Persian queen immortalized as the narrator of all one thousand stories in the One Thousand and One Nights. Her story is even more remarkable than the tales she tells.

The unique O-ending makes this name memorable, especially for someone with ties to Texas.

This French place name, which may derive from a word meaning "plowed land", is occasionally used for girls. It is best-known for two things: the grand Palace of Versailles, the historic seat of the French royal family; and the Treaty of Versailles, which ended the First World War.

Even in the Hispanic community, very religious and old-fashioned.

Tornado first meant thunderstorm and only later came to mean whirlwind, the common modern meaning. More recently, Tornado is the first name of a tennis-playing teen whose sister is called the equally attention-getting Hurricane. Both names work for either gender, if you think you can withstand the storm jokes.

Many old-school girl names are feminine forms of male names. This one gets an exotic twist from being the female version not of Basil but the form used very commonly in Greece, Vasilios. This uncommon name would make an interesting and rare V-starting choice.

Mistral is a feminine name derived from the powerful, cold northwesterly wind that blows through southern France and into the Mediterranean. The word comes from the Occitan language and ultimately from the Latin 'magistralis' meaning 'masterful.' This nature-inspired name evokes images of strength, freedom, and natural force. The name gained some recognition through Frédéric Mistral, a Nobel Prize-winning Provençal poet who championed Occitan literature. As a given name, Mistral remains uncommon but appeals to parents seeking a distinctive nature name with European cultural connections. It carries an elegant, ethereal quality while still conveying power and movement—characteristics that make it appealing as a modern feminine choice with genuine historical and geographical roots.

A new entry is the fashionable new occupational name category -- and a jolly job it must be -- with the added attraction of relating to the great early 20th century American artist James Abbott McNeill Whistler, of "Whistler's Mother" fame.

Graziella, an Italian form of Grace, is another Latin version that adds spice. Consider Graziella as a distinctive alternative to either Grace or Gabriella.

Another entry in the fruit name category, this one borne by writer Strawberry Saroyan, granddaughter of William, so named by her hippie parents. While fruit names may become more familiar, they'll never pass without comment -- but maybe that's what you're looking for.

Attractive English surname that sounds right at home with the other androgynous surname names that are currently on-trend.

Greenlee Smythe is a character on the soap opera All My Children

One of the oft-mocked Zappa kid names; it supposedly was a nickname his father had for his wife's pinkie toe.

A soft and lovely Hebrew name with an equally lovely meaning. Variations include Ahavah, Ahaba, Ahabah, Ahuva and Ahuvah.

Soul fans may wish to use this unusual name as a reference to singer Jimmy Ruffin and his younger brother David, one of the lead members of The Temptations.

Cashmere is soft, luxurious — and way out of the ordinary. One of the unique names found in The Hunger Games series.

A strong, meaningful name, associated with a famous Cherokee linguistic scholar; also suggests the magnificent California sequoia redwood trees.

While Barthelemy does not garner much attention these days, it has a storied history in French-speaking countries. Notable bearers include geologist and explorer Barthélemy Faujas de Saint-Fond, philosopher Jules Barthélemy-Saint-Hilaire, and historian and writer Jean-Barthélemy Hauréau, to name a few.

Hurricane is a storm, but it's also an American name, thanks to rising tennis star Hurricane Black -- whose sister's name is Tornado. There's no reason this tempestuous choice can't work for boys too, inasfar as the name can work for any child. As a name, Hurricane is definitely original and attention-getting, but is it a name you'd want to carry around for life?

Petronilla is an ancient saint's name that relates to the Roman family name Petronius, thought to mean yokel or woodpecker, though some connect it with Petra or Peter, meaning stone. With the resurgence of so many ancient Roman names, the elaborate and pretty Petronilla or its French form Petronille seem more usable these days than they have in centuries.