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By BethCrosby87 · Updated May 2023
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Word name
"string instrument"
When Australian actress Rachel Griffiths chose this highly unusual name for her son, many assumed it was a bizarre invention, but noted Australian poet and writer of Waltzing Matilda , Banjo…
Greek
"nobody"
One of the best known early Nemos was the captain in Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea , while the more familiar modern one is the animated little orange fish in the Disney movie. Unusual name…
Nature name
Fox, okay. Buck, maybe. But Wolverine? You gotta be kidding us. On the plus side, your five-year-old will love you for giving him this superhero name. Your fifteen-year-old, not so much.
Irish and English diminutive of Bridget
"strength or exalted one"
A once very common Irish diminutive of Bridget that has unfortunately been associated since the 18th century with a pejorative slang term for an old or fussy woman.
Literary name
Snow definitely works as a name; White, not so much. And Snow White, please don't. Read more about Snow White and other Disney Princess Names in our featured blog.
Variation of Orpah, Hebrew
"fawn or gazelle"
The misspelling that created an indelibly one-person name. And we mean that literally: Despite Oprah Winfrey's fame and appeal, there were no baby girls named Oprah last year, OR Orpah. The Biblical…
"person who fires a gun; member of a sports team who scores goals"
More than 300 babies have been named Shooter in the US since 2002, which, depending on who you ask, is arguably about 300 too many. One of the violent names for boys that have gained traction in…
Modern invented name
Swinging London songbird Petula Clark claims that this name was her father's invention; in any case it hasn't seen much copycat usage.
Place-name
This geographic name has lots of Gallic elan. France Nuyen is a French-Vietnamese actress who starred in the Broadway hit The World of Suzie Wong .
Norse
"armed for battle"
Variant of Brunhild, still clad in heavy armor. Though the heroine Brunhilda of Quentin Tarantino's recent film Django Unchained may have given this version of the name new appeal.
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?
French
"brown-haired one"
The best-known bearer of this name by far is basketball superstar LeBron James. While LeBron James is a great athlete and American hero, only 19 baby boys were named LeBron or Lebron in 2021.
English word name
"fairy"
Fairy's reputation as a slur directed at gay men takes it off the table as a baby name option. Go with Pixie or Faye instead.
Italian
"little flower"
Fiorello is one of the few floral names that works well for a boy. The colorful three-term World War II New York Mayor La Guardia made this one famous -- in fact he was nicknamed "the Little Flower".…
Word name, English from Spanish and Portuguese
"banana"
Banana is one fruity name we wouldn't recommend. Pick Plum instead. There is a Japanese novelist whose pen name is Banana Yoshimoto--birth name Mahoko.
Spanish place-name
The name of cities in Mexico and Colorado, Durango is a pleasant, fresh option from the atlas.
Jacobella is a feminine name derived from Jacoba, the female form of Jacob, which has Hebrew origins meaning 'supplanter' or 'holder of the heel.' This elaborate, lyrical variation emerged primarily…
Illyse is a feminine name with multiple potential origins. It likely developed as a variation of Elise (a short form of Elizabeth meaning 'God is my oath') or could be connected to the ancient region…
