User-created list
Wacky Word Names
Across 31 pages
of 31
Cameo
Word name
This evocative term for a stone or shell carved in relief could make a striking first name for a girl, though she would have a starring role in her story, rather than a cameo.
Canary
English
"small bird"
The name of a small yellow bird that hasn't taken off in the way that some of its avian sisters – like Robin, Wren or Lark – have. Given to a small number of girls across the 20th-century, the 2020s…
Candy
English word name or diminutive of Candace, Latin
"white, pure, sincere"
Too sugary sweet and inconsequential for a modern girl.
Canyon
Spanish word name
Canyon is a unique baby name evocative of natural splendor and the old Steve Canyon comic-strip heroism, making it an intriguing new word-name possibility. Similar but less word-like: Kenyon.
Caprice
French from Italian
"impulsive change of mind; lively music"
Caprice is a word name with an appealing sound and a light-hearted meaning that may well put parents off. While it was given to just 10 girls in a recent year, the name did have a moment back in the…
Caramel
Carnation
Cat
Diminutive of Catherine, Greek
"pure"
May be the most modern, stylish Catherine nickname: more unusual than Kate or Cate, with an animal and word name edge. Cat Power is a trendy folksinger.
Cayenne
Word name, English from Tupi
"pepper"
Spicy.
Cedar
English and French from Latin tree name
"cedar tree"
Cedar is, like Ash, Oak, Pine and Ebony, one of the new tree/wood names that parents are starting to consider; this one is particularly aromatic with a similar feel to more classic options like…
Cello
Word name
If Viola is a credible girl's name, why not the mellow Cello for a boy.
Cerise
French
"cherry"
Infinitely preferable to the tease-inspiring English version of the word.
Cerulean
Color name
"deep sky-blue"
Cerulean is just beginning to be heard as a name thanks to its distinctive sounds and the appealing electric-sky-blue it evokes. Reminiscent of Ocean, Aurelian, Cyrus, and Caspian, it was given to…
Chardonnay
French, a dry white wine
If you're actually considering this as a name for your child, you must have had a glass too many. But it's an awesome name for a white cat .
Charity
English word name
"charity"
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…
Chastity
Virtue name, English from Latin
"chastity, pure"
One of the original so-weird-it's-cruel celebrity baby names doesn't sound quite so impossible with the resurgence of virtue names. But be charitable and choose Charity instead.
Cherish
English word name
So sweet it makes our teeth hurt. It has appeared in the US Top 1000 every year since 2006, though it dropped a significant 136 places from 2014 to 2015, and kept dropping to Number 974 in 2016.
Cherry
English word name
"cherry"
With other fruity names like Clementine, Olive and Plum ripe for the picking, sweet Cherry remains remarkably underused: just 27 baby girls received the name in 2017, down from 343 at its peak in…
China
Place-name
Long before the current place-name craze, a pair of the more daring pop singers of the Age of Aquarius picked this name for their daughters. Jefferson Airplane's Grace Slick used the conventional…
Christmas
English word name
"Christ festival"
Very occasionally given to babies born on December 25th, Christmas is a bold, declarative choice. When it is used, it is usually in the middle spot, with notable bearers including Danish politician…