Interesting but NMS

Mazarine is a deep blue color also used as a first name in honor of Cardinal Mazarin, a leader of France in the 17th century. As a first name, Mazarine is as charming as it is unusual.

The popular Irish name Muireann comes from a mythical mermaid who was tranformed into a woman by a saint. Pronunciation is like the surname of the actress Helen Mirren, but with the spin of a w sound after the initial M.

It may be a longshot – especially since it was given to less than 5 boys in the US in 2021 – but Piran could conceivably be a future Kieran, which is shaping up to being the next Kevin. Piran is the patron saint of miners and of Cornwall.

Pretty and unusual, Livana may find a lot more fans as parents look for alternatives to Number 1 Olivia. Livana was used for only seven baby girls in the US last year.

Poetic though thorny.

This can make an unusual yet simple middle name choice, especially for anyone with family ties to Wales.

With Azariah and Azriel in the Top 1000, and Ezra, Josiah, and Isaiah in the Top 100, it makes sense that this lesser known Hebrew choice is being revived in the US. Most likely deriving from Uzziah or Azaziah, Azaiah, it was a fast rising choice in 2024 when it rose more than 350 places, entering the Top 1000 for the first time.

The delicate and haunting Welsh Rhonwen is still a rarity in the U.S., where her English version Rowena is better known, but would be a lovely choice for any parent in search of a name that was both unusual and traditional, classically feminine yet strong.

Idony was the Norse goddess of spring and eternal youth, and variants of her obscure name could come under consideration with the rest of the fashionable I pack.

The one-named singer clarified the confusing pronunciation on this one (in her case, it's shah-DAY), but a number of parents have looked for more phonetic spellings. The Finnish version means "rain."

This rare French name was made a little more familar via French soccer player Ludivine Diguelman, golfer Ludivine Krautz and actress Ludivine Sagnier.

Has that blunt masculine feel -- à la Cole and Kyle -- that many modern parents are drawn to.

While there is some disagreement over the origins of this name, it's clearly fashionable and a new idea, for English speakers, of a way to spin either an old classic or a familiar favorite. Still, Loic is one of those French names for boys that is rarely heard outside its native land.

An undiscovered option among occupational names, as of 2023, Banner has never been used for more than 100 baby boys in a single year. It does have charm however, much due to its associations with fêtes and phrases like "a banner year".

Tanwen is a far more singular and colorful alternative to Bronwen.

Nahla is a lovely name chosen by Halle Berry for her daughter. Not to be confused with the Disneyfied Nala.

This unusual name found in Scottish poetry would make a distinctive Gaelic pick.

The French Miley? This trendy choice from Brittany, which is pronounced either as Miley or May-lee, is related to the traditional (male) saint's name Mael, traditionally feminized as Maelle.

This Noongar girls’ name has a dainty sound that belies its fierce fire meaning and could easily cross over into the American or European context.

A gem named for its green hue.