Unique Word Names for Babies
Updated Fri Feb 02 2024
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Our favorite unique word names for babies include those that are used in very small numbers, like Samurai and Solstice, as well as those that have never appeared on the US baby names list at all, like Epoch and Everglade. None of the 200 original word names in this list has ever been given to more than 15 babies in any given year.
Along with Solstice and Everglade, other unique nature names for babies that make this list include Acre and Apricity, Fennel and Freesia, Pinto and Pipistrelle. Unique geographical names we think have great baby name potential include Bayou, Islet and Caldera. And rare modern virtue names like Kindred, Parity and Zeal set the right tone for the 2020s and beyond.
If you love word baby names but want to look beyond the obvious Rue and Rose, this list of uncommon and unconventional word name ideas compiled by our wonderful Berry community is for you! Names are ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.
RELATED:
- Luxury
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"extravagance, opulence"Description:
A particularly opulent way to get to the nickname Lux (or Luxe).
- Whimsy
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
"whimsical or fanciful"Description:
Whimsy is a new entry to the ever-expanding word name lexicon, sister for Pixie and Bliss. While it has an undeniable offbeat English aristocratic charm (maybe we're thinking of Dorothy Sayers' fictional detective Lord Peter Wimsey, whose middle name was Death?), we see this as more fitting for a middle than a first name.
- Special
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
"unusually better"Description:
Is there a more fitting choice for your unique and well, special little girl? For six sets of parents one recent year, the answer was no.
- Tempest
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
"turbulent, stormy"Description:
Tempest is one of those names that could go either way. Cool, evocative modern word name? Or asking for trouble? Your call, but if you decide the former image is dominant, be warned that some people will see it as the latter.
- Solstice
Origin:
English from LatinMeaning:
"when the sun stands still"Description:
Solstice graduated from word to official first name when author Lionel Shriver used it for a character in her novel Big Brother. But of course, there were people named Solstice before: 16 baby girls were given the name in the US in 2021 (and it is occasionally used for boys too).
- Elysian
Origin:
Latin from GreekMeaning:
"of Elysium; blissful"Description:
The Elysian Fields of Greek mythology was the home of the afterlife for the blessed. As spiritual names and mythological names continue to rise, Elysian is a name to watch.
- Selkie
Origin:
ScottishMeaning:
"seal folk"Description:
In Scottish folklore, selkies are mythical creatures that resemble seals in the water but assume human form on land.
- Madrigal
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"song for unaccompanied voices"Description:
Madrigal might be a pretty and highly distinctive choice for a child of a musical family--or for the parent looking for a less conventional path to the nickname Maddie than Madeline or Madison . Definitely more striking than Cadence or even the increasingly popular Aria.
- Fennel
Origin:
Vegetable and herb nameDescription:
In the garden of herb names, Rosemary and Basil are perennials and Sage is a new upshoot, but Fennel is a real rarity. The aniseed-tasting plant, used to add flavor to dishes around the world, gets its name from the Latin word feniculum, meaning "little hay". With a wholesome nature feel and a similar sound to Finn, Fennel would be an interesting name to bring to the table.
- Comet
Origin:
Nature nameDescription:
Soaring astral name has a great gender-free feel. It also has a pleasing christmas connotation, courtesy of the reindeer listed in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
- Apricity
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"the warmth of the sun in winter"Description:
Part-April, part-Felicity, but with the wonderfully whimsical feel of Serendipity. Apricity debuted in the US charts for the first time in 2022.
- Cormorant
Origin:
English from LatinMeaning:
"sea raven"Description:
Cormorant is definitely one of the most unusual of the newly fashionable animal names, and one of the rare bird names for boys.
- Acre
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
"a unit of land area equal to 4,840 square yards"Description:
Acre feels at home with other modern, fresh word names like Rumor, Snow and Ace. But with the feeling of wide open spaces and nature, Acre also offers a softer, earthier tone that will appeal to those seeking a unique name with a distinctly Americana feel.
- Sonder
Origin:
Invented nameMeaning:
"the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own"Description:
A neologism coined for the 2012 Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, which aims to come up with new terms for emotions that currently lack words
- Meridian
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"midday / pinnacle"Description:
In geography, a meridian is a line drawn around the curve of the Earth between the North and South Poles. The term comes from Latin meridianus, meaning "pertaining to midday", and the association with midday has led to the word gaining an added figurative meaning of "pinnacle; culmination".
- Serendipity
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"unexpected good fortune"Description:
A unique virtue name with a sound as happy and lively as its meaning.
- Bard
Origin:
Irish variation of Baird, ScottishMeaning:
"minstrel, poet"Description:
Great Irish middle name choice for Shakespeare lovers.
- Aeolian
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"of or arising from the wind"
- Lazuli
Origin:
Persian place nameDescription:
Now deeply associated with the gemstone Lapis Lazuli, Lazuli is derived from one of the places where the stone was first mined. The word Lazuli is the root for words like azure. Lapis Lazuli is a deep and rich blue color and was used for pigments and jewellery. Lazuli can be used for a boy or a girl.
- Quartz
Origin:
Mineral nameDescription:
This may be a bit quirky to make it as a name, especially in first place. If you love it, you might try it in the middle.