Exotic Baby Names - Girls and Boys
Share
Copy link
Some rare, uncommon, and unusual baby names I have found over the years. Hope you enjoy!
- Elowen
Origin:
CornishMeaning:
"elm"Description:
A beautiful modern Cornish nature name that is rapidly picking up steam in the States: even spawning variant spellings like Elowyn and Elowynn. In its native region, it wasn't widely used as a name before the twentieth century, when the Cornish language was revived. A fresh and magical member of the fashionable El- family of names, it has a pleasant, evocative sound.
- Ezra
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"help"Description:
Ezra has a lot going for it: the strength of its heroic Biblical legacy, its quirky sound, and its fresh but familiar feel. Ezra is now at its highest point ever, but its intuitive streamlined spelling and deep roots could make it a worth successor to Elijah in the Top 10 -- or even to Liam or Noah at Number 1.
- Kai
Origin:
Hawaiian, Frisian, ChineseMeaning:
"sea; warrior; triumph"Description:
Kai is an internationally flexible name with many possible origins and meanings, growing in popularity in the US and a diverse range of European countries.
- Gideon
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"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.
- Bodhi
Origin:
SanskritMeaning:
"awakening, enlightenment"Description:
Bodhi is a Sanskrit name translated as "enlightenment" or "awakening" which relates to a Buddhist concept, wherein Bodhi is synonymous with the state of nirvana, being freed from hate, greed and ego. The Bodhi tree is a large fig tree under which the founder of Buddhism received enlightenment. Spelling variations include Bodie and Bode.
- Kaia
Origin:
Latin, Scandinavian, or HawaiianMeaning:
"to rejoice or sea"Description:
The new Maia, the next Kayla, Kaia has been on the charts since the year 2000. You might see it as a female form of the also-rising Kai, which means sea in Hawaiian and is sometimes used for girls as well, or as a Kardashianization of the ancient goddess name Caia.
- Lena
Origin:
English, Scottish, Dutch, German, and Scandinavian, diminutive of various names ending in -lenaDescription:
This pet form of Helena and other ena-ending names, long used as an independent name, is attracting notice again as an option both multicultural and simple. Lena was a Top 100 name from 1880 to 1920.
- Reuben
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"behold, a son"Description:
Reuben is derived from the Hebrew words ra’a, meaning "to see, to understand," and ben, "son." As a phrase it translates to "behold, a son." In the Bible, Reuben is Jacob's first-born son by Leah and the founder of one of the tribes of Israel.
- Emilia
Origin:
Feminine variation of Emil, LatinMeaning:
"rival"Description:
Emilia is the feminine form of the Roman clan name Aemilius, which derived from the Latin aemulus, meaning "rival." In Shakespeare’s Othello, Emilia is the wife of Iago and confidante of Desdemona. Amelia, although homonymous, has a different root and meaning.
- Selah
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"praise, pause"Description:
The name is derived from the term commonly used in the Book of Psalms, which has a many Hebrew scholars in confusion over its meaning. Given its context in the Bible, Selah is likely to mean "to praise" or "pause and reflect upon what has just been said." Lauryn Hill used this name for her daughter. It is the last word in Anita Diamant's novel The Red Tent.
- Sabine
Origin:
French and German form of Sabina, LatinMeaning:
"Sabine"Description:
This slightly more compact version of Sabina has ties to France and Germany. Unlike its sister name, Sabine has never charted in the United States Top 1000. Today, both names are given to roughly the same number of baby girls in the US, about 70 each year.
- Lenore
Origin:
German variation of Leonora, Italian derivative of Eleonora, meaning unknownDescription:
A "modernization" of Leonora that has suddenly come back on the radar along with the many other Leo names--both male and female. With literary cred via a famous eponymous poem by Edgar Allan Poe (and also in his even more famous The Raven,) Lenore was steadily in the top half of the popularity list until the mid-fifties, falling off in 1973. Cameron Diaz played a Lenore in The Green Hornet.
- Kira
Origin:
Russian feminine variation of CyrusMeaning:
"throne"Description:
Though such cognates of Kira as Keira, Kyra, and Ciara are increasingly popular throughout Europe and in the U.S., this Cyrus relative has a different root. As with all the many variations of this appealing name, there is often confusion around spelling and pronunciation -- does the first syllable rhyme with ear or eye?
- Amira
Origin:
Hebrew, ArabicMeaning:
"princess"Description:
This shimmery name, often given to girls born on the harvest feast of Shavuot, and also used in the Muslim community, is increasing in popularity. Amira is of Hebrew and Arabic origin, meaning "princess", and fits in well with a variety of trending names like Amara, Amaya, and Mira. Amira is in the Top 100 in several countries, including Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, and Hungary. In the US, Amira entered the Top 1000 in 1998 and has been rising since, now in the Top 250. Overall Amira is a gorgeous multicultural choice.
- Fiadh
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"wild"Description:
Fiadh is the fastest-rising girls name in Ireland, derived from the ancient root word for "wild". Sassy but gentle at the same time, it also entered the England and Wales Top 1000 in 2020 and has been steadily rising ever since.
- Elora
Origin:
English variation of Eliora, HebrewMeaning:
"my God is my light"Description:
While the etymology of the name is unclear, it's most likely a contraction of Eliora or Elnora. Despite the uncertain heritage, it's a winning construction, based on its El- prefix, the feminine three-syllable flow, and the a ending. It debuted in the US Top 1000 in 2015, and by 2023, Elora was one of the fastest rising girl names.
- Alora
Origin:
Variation of Eliora, Alara, Elara, or EloraMeaning:
"the Lord is my light; water fairy; hazelnut, spear"Description:
Alora combines a number of stylish elements: the pretty Al- beginning of Alice, Alessia, and Alma, the -ora ending of Aurora, Elora, and Nora, and a multicultural feel, owing to its various origins. A Top 250 name in the US and in England and Wales, around 1370 American babies received the name in a recent year.
- Liana
Origin:
Short form of -liana names, Portuguese, Italian, Georgian, FrenchMeaning:
"to climb like a vine"Description:
Liana is a pretty, graceful and simple name that doesn't fall flat. The name of a flowering tropical vine that grows in forests, it's an international gem that works well in multiple languages.
- Lia
Origin:
Diminutive of names ending in -lia or Italian, Portuguese and Greek variation of LeahMeaning:
"weary"Description:
Short, sweet, and clear, Lia is used throughout Europe, across America, and in some areas of Asia and Africa, making it a truly international and versatile choice.
- Orpheus
Origin:
Greek mythology nameMeaning:
"the darkness of the night"Description:
Name of the legendary ancient Greek poet and musician — whose music was so beautiful it made trees dance and rivers stop to listen — would provide a child with a challenging but indelible identity.