User-created list
Unusual names for boys and girls
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The names
Nova
Latin
"new"
Nova has the feel of both newness, from its meaning, and great energy as an astronomical term for a star that increases suddenly in brightness before fading. Nova had some reasonable degree of…
August
German form of Latin Augustus
"great, magnificent"
The name August is at its highest point since the 1890s, when it ranked among the Top 100 boy names in the US – and deservedly so. With its great meaning, historic roots, and cool nicknames, 2024 saw…
Hadley
English
"heather field"
Hadley, most famous as the name of Ernest Hemingway's first wife, is more sophisticated, professional, and modern than cousins Harley, Haley, or Hayden. The hit book The Paris Wife , a novel by Paula…
Landon
English
"long hill"
Landon is a popular surname name; it's been dropping slightly in recent years but has surpassed its once more popular rhyming cousin Brandon. For some it may bring back nostalgic memories of Little…
Ryder
British surname
"cavalryman, messenger"
Ryder, one of the current favorite er-ending boys’ names , has been in the spotlight since Kate Hudson and her rocker husband Chris Robinson chose it for their son in 2004. Very popular in several…
Felix
Latin
"happy, fortunate"
Felix is one of those ancient but nontraditional names for boys that have come into favor over the past few decades, a favorite of parents who want a masculine name with history and heft that breaks…
Cade
English
"round, barrel; battle"
Strong and modern, Cade shot up the popularity lists around the millennium—it was as high as Number 201 in 2001. Now, it has declined in popularity slightly, but nevertheless remains in the US Top…
Zander
Diminutive of Alexander
"defending men"
On the rise as an independent name: Zander and Xander are both widely used can increasingly be found as characters in movies and on TV.
Lucca
Spelling variation of Luca; Italian place name
Lucca first entered the US Top 1000 in 2012 and has been trending upwards. For those of you who are musically inclined, Lucca (with the double c ) is the birthplace of Giacomo Puccini, which should…
Cleo
Greek
"glory"
Cleo, one of the few girls' names to boast the cool-yet-lively o ending, is of course short for Cleopatra, the name of one of the most powerful women in history. Cleo was most popular in the early…
Birdie
English
"bird"
Birdie was until recently a middle-aged Ladies' Club member wearing a bird-decorated hat --but now it's just the kind of vintage nickname (think Hattie, Josie, Mamie, Millie) that's coming back into…
Layton
Old English
"settlement with a leek garden"
This first name was once a surname derived from Old English. Used quietly a century ago, the current fashion for two-syllable boy names ending in n makes this one a new hit.
Lennox
Scottish
"elm grove"
Lennox is one of the new breed of surname names on the rise as a Scottish name for girls as well as boys. The final x makes the name a bit masculine a la Max and Felix, but female inspirations…
Franco
Italian variation of Francis
"Frenchman or free man"
A classic Italian name still heard in the Italian-American community. Once tainted by the association with the Spanish dictator, it's now more likely to call up actor James Franco. The bright o…
Ephraim
Hebrew
"fruitful, fertile, productive"
Ephraim is an Old Testament name we would place high on the list of neglected Biblical possibilities, solid but not solemn. In Genesis, Ephraim is the second son of Joseph, and founder of one of the…
Happy
English word name
"happy, joy"
Many virtue names have long been in style or have seen a resurgence in recent years. Happy, however joyous, seems unlikely to join this trend. This could be because it doesn't have a solid history of…
Lorenza
Laurencia, Laurenza, Lorencia
See LAURENZA.
Valken
Velec
Cethin