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Strange Names For Strange Kids
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About this list
The names
Jude
Latin diminutive of Judah, Hebrew, Arabic
"praised; to be generous, to be good to others"
Jude is a modern star, maintaining a steady level of popularity — but not TOO much popularity, in the US at least. Thank Jude Law and the great Lennon-McCartney song "Hey Jude", both responsible for…
Dallas
Place name, surname and Irish
"meadow dwelling, valley house, skilled"
A laid-back cowboy name which feels both cool and gentle, Dallas has ranked in the US Top 500 since records began in 1880. Never super popular but surprisingly never out of style, Dallas is given to…
Nash
English
"by the ash tree"
Nash is an English surname whose sound puts it right in step with currently trendy names like Cash, Dash and Ash. It first came to prominence via TV character Nash Bridges, portrayed by Don Johnson…
Lilith
Assyrian, Sumerian
"ghost, night monster"
Lilith is derived from the Akkadian word lilitu meaning "of the night." In Jewish folklore she is portrayed as Adam's rejected first wife, who was turned into a night demon for refusing to obey him.…
Matthias
Aramaic variation of Matthew
"gift of God"
With Matthew sounding somewhat exhausted, and ancient endings sounding new again, this New Testament apostolic name makes an appealing and recommended choice. Both Mathias and Matias are well used in…
Ocean
English, nature name
"ocean"
Nature names like Ocean and River are flowing back into favor, especially with nature lovers and green-oriented parents. In 2024, it was given to 483 boys and 325 girls, making this a unisex favorite…
Jagger
English occupational name
"carter"
Jagger is a swaggering Rolling Stone of a name that's been picked up by a number of fellow celebs, including Lindsay Davenport and Brett Scallions--while Soleil Moon Frye pulled a gender switch when…
Canada
Iroquois place-name
"village"
Canada is an undiscovered but attractive place-name possibility, sporadically used for girls since the 1970s. Nicknames Cadie, Addie, and Candy, maybe?
Florida
Place name and Spanish from Latin
"flowery"
Lacks the cachet of some newer place-names.
Lazar
Russian, Bulgarian, Serbian and Macedonian variation of Lazarus, Latin from Greek
"God is my helper"
With Lazarus heating up, this slimmer Eastern European form will likely see an uptick in use.
Delphine
French from Greek
"of Delphi; womb"
Delphine is a sleek, chic French name with two nature associations — the dolphin and the delphinium, a bluebell-like flower, a well as a link to the ancient city of Delphi, which the Greeks believed…
Carmine
Latin, English, Italian
"vivid red; garden, song"
This Italian name could have a whole new life when viewed as a color name, however, it is traditionally a masculine form of Carmen, pronounced with three lilting syllables. Both provide an arty,…
Serenade
Music name
Peaceful and melodic, but a bit pretentious.
Neveah
Spelling variation of Nevaeh
In the beginning there was Nevaeh , created as a name by spelling the word heaven backwards, and Nevaeh rose to fame in the 2000's, becoming a mainstream choice by 2004. Still in the US Top 100 now,…
Peregrin
Peregrin is a distinguished masculine name with Latin origins, derived from 'peregrinus' meaning 'traveler' or 'pilgrim.' The name gained literary recognition through J.R.R. Tolkien's works, where…
Season
Latin
"time of sowing"
Winter, Summer, and Autumn are all mainstream names; this covers all bases.
Zeppelin
German word name from Slavic
"zeppelin; flail"
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…
Roxie
Diminutive of Roxanne
Audacious offshoot of Roxanne, the wayward heroine of the musical Chicago.
Tangerine
Word name
We've had Apples, Plums, Peaches, Cherries, and Berries added to the fruit basket: you could be the first to pick a Tangerine.