Interesting but NMS

Halloran could be your solution if you love the nickname Hal, but not Harold or Henry.

This lovely Gaelic name, very popular in the Emerald Isle, has inspired a whole host of diminutives (including Nuala and Nola) and variant spellings, from Finola to Finula to the Scottish and English Fenella. In Irish legend Fionnuala was one of the four children of Lir who were transformed into swans for 900 years.

Caia Caecilia was the Roman Goddess of fire and women. The name Caia would make a truly fresh alternative to the flagging Maya, with which it rhymes.

Also known as green beryl, Heliodor is the name of a sun-kissed colored gemstone. The name is reminiscent of other -dor names such as Theodore, Esidore, Isidor, Landor, Salvador etc.

Farida is a Muslim name more distinctive than the Americanized Farah/Farrah.

This is one of the more unusual examples of a group of Greek names connected to the sea, which makes sense for a nation of coastline and islands. The Nereids or water nymphs were the daughters of sea god Nereus.

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."

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

Although Kenton has the trendy K beginning and on ending, and a jazz reference to Stan Kenton, it still manages to sound stiff and old-fashioned.

Corentin is an intriguing saint's name fashionable in France but virtually unknown here-- which you may consider a big plus. St. Corentin possessed a magical fish that regenerated itself each night, feeding himself and his lucky visitors in perpetuity.

Euphonic hybrid of the sounds of Melissa and Laura. Melora Hardin is an actress who was featured on The Office.

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.

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".

Although the accent in Linnet is on the first syllable, it could be confused with the dated Lynette.

How often do you see a name from Madagascar that is so wearable in English? Kendry has a great meaning to boot and is possibly a great name for a Christmas baby. What's not to love?

Unusual floral name which would be perfect for a spring baby girl, if you can pronounce the Welsh double L correctly. It's a tricky sound for non-native Welsh speakers, kind of halfway between an H and an L.

Intriguing derivation, though people will assume it's a simplified form of Maura.

Inessa is a truly multi-cultural name, heard in Spain, Germany and Russia, and is related to the names Agnes and Ines/Inez.

This sweet and underused name is a multicultural choice with a surprising number of meanings. It is used as a diminutive of Lívia and Lídia in Hungary (meaning "envy" and "from Lydia" respectively), as a variation of the Arabic Lila in Hindi (meaning "night"), and as a variant of Lillian, Lillia, and Lily in English, associating it with the flower.

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