User-created list
Interesting but NMS
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Sade
Finnish, Nigerian and Yoruba, diminutive of Folashade
"rain; honor bestows a crown"
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."
Mora
Spanish
"blackberry"
Intriguing derivation, though people will assume it's a simplified form of Maura.
Lilla
Hungarian diminutive of Lívia and Lídia, Hindi variant of Lila, Italian, Swedish, and Danish word name
"to envy; from Lydia; lilac; little; purple"
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),…
Cleary
Irish
"cleric"
This Irish surname-name certainly feels brighter and fresher than the English equivalent, Clark.
Paladin
French
"of the palace"
This title of honor given to Charlemagne's twelve best knights would be prized as a name by most sword-loving little boys.
Astera
Hebrew
"Aster"
Pronounced as-TAIR-ah, this is one of many frequently heard Israeli flower names. Other floral choices popular in Israel include Dafna, which means laurel; Dailia; Irit, which means daffodil; and…
Brisa
Spanish
"breeze"
Brisa is commonly used in Latino families, all but unheard of in others.
Swain
English
"knight's attendant"
Old-fashioned, conjuring up an ardent suitor in a bow tie and straw boater.
Locke
English
"enclosure or fortified place"
Usually adding an e to the end of a name makes it more feminine, but Locke is at most recent count used only for baby boys. Still, this stylishly strong one-syllable name is theoretically…
Papatya
Turkish
"daisy"
A virtually unknown choice in the U.S and rare in its native Turkey too, Papatya is nevertheless attractive and usable for the baby namer who truly wants something different, but with a familiar and…
Ixidor
Ixidor is a distinctive masculine name with a mysterious quality, likely of modern invented origin rather than traditional usage. The name may draw inspiration from fantasy literature, gaming, or…
Piran
Cornish
"little dark one"
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…
Orev
Hebrew
"raven"
Idiosyncratic Hebrew choice.
Vardon
French
"green knoll"
Pleasant-sounding French surname.
Banner
English occupational name
"flag bearer"
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…
Kenton
English
"the royal settlement"
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.
Struan
Gaelic
"stream"
A strong, eminently usable which is currently highly fashionable in its native Scotland, but little known elsewhere. With its cool two-syllable, n-ending shape and attractive nature meaning, Struan…
Vero
Latin
"true"
The o ending and the positive meaning in many languages makes this a winner, and with the feminine Vera making a surprise return, and the new love for the letter 'V', this becomes a name that has…
Zera
Hebrew
"to arise, dawn"
This name is masculine in the Old Testament, as Zerah, a son of Judah and the twin of Perez. Now it is also been used for girls, perhaps inspired by its similarity to Sara and Zara.
Alinta
Australian Aboriginal
"fire, flame"
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.