One of those names you may not even be aware of if you haven't been paying attention to recent naming trends, Alani was given to more than 700 baby girls in the US in one recent year, to be the second most popular feminization of Alan after Alana. It's certainly the most modern-sounding female version of Alan.

Alani

Alba is quietly making a behind-the-scenes comeback, perhaps thanks to actress turned baby-product mogul Jessica Alba. Last on the Top 1000 a century ago, the name was given to nearly 200 baby girls in the US last year. Alba might be tomorrow's successor to Ava and Ella. In Spain, Alba ranks among the Top 20 <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls' names</a>. Alba is the name of a character in The Time Traveler's Wife.
 
Alba is a popular patriotic girl name in Scotland, as the Scottish Gaelic term for the country is Alba.

Alba

Aneirin is the original form of the more common Aneurin (which was a mistaken spelling used after the 17th Century). Aneirin was one of the first great Welsh poets who flourished in the 6th Century. He was said to be the Prince of Bards. 

Aneirin

Popular in India and among Indo-Americans, this name of the hero of a famous Hindu epic has an extremely pleasing sound. 
 Arjun is based on Arjuna, who was in Indian legend the son of the king of gods, close friend of Lord Krishna, and considered the greatest warrior on earth. Arjun is one of the best-known and widely-used <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/540/hindi-names-for-boys">Hindi names for boys</a>.

Arjun

This colorful Sanskrit name belongs to the Hindu god Aruna, the charioteer who drives the sun god Surya across the sky. Aruna can also be masculinized to Arun.

It can also be a female name in Japanese.

Aruna

Aurelia is an ancient Roman name that's become a surprise hit in the contemporary world. A top favorite on Nameberry, it reentered the US Top 1000 in 2014 after a 70-year absence and continues to climb.
 
Aurelia is the female form of the Latin name Aurelius, an ancient Roman surname. Aurelius is derived from the Latin word aureus, meaning "golden," which was also the name of a gold coin used in Ancient Rome. Aurelius was a cognomen, a third name in Roman culture that often referenced a personal characteristic or trait, likely used for someone with golden hair.
 
The Roman classic Aurelius, from which Aurelia derives, was very common in the Roman Empire and is currently experiencing a resurgence in the US—it re-entered the Top 1000 list in 2012 after a 61-year hiatus. 
 
The name of several minor early saints, Aurelia's sound and feel can be credited for it being on the rise again. Aurora and Oriana are Aurelia cousins you might also want to consider. 
 
Aurelia was the name of the mothers of Julius Caesar, the writer Sylvia Plath, and Arnold Schwarzenegger, who, in her honor, made it one of his daughter Christina's <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/673/middle-names">middle names</a>.

Aurelia

Aya, barely more than a breath, is an international favorite, with origins in several languages and cultures. Popular throughout Europe, It debuted on the US Top 1000 in 2012.
 In the entertainment industry, Aya has two international bearers: Aya Korem, an Israeli singer-songwriter, and Aya Liu, a Taiwanese actress. And actress Hilary Swank named her twin daughter Aya (and her son Ohm).
 
Aya is also a Danish name (a creative spelling of Aja) and is a highly popular choice there.
 In Arabic, Aya meaning "sign, evidence" or "verse" and is a popular name in the Muslim community.

Azure is a colorful gender-neutral choice, currently used equally for baby girls and boys in the US. It refers to a specific shade of blue seen in a cloudless sky. Elon Musk recently revealed Azure to be the name of his daughter with Shivon Zilis, twin sister to Strider. While X and Y didn't stand a chance at greater popularity, parents may be inspired to use the name Azure following this celebrity endorsement.
 
In the Middle Ages, azure was another name for lapis lazuli, the gemstone used to make the brilliant pigment seen in much medieval art.

Azure

Altan

This fabric word name would be a one-of-a-kind. 

Baize

Berilo

Dated British favorite that never caught on in this country, where Jade remains the green gem of choice. 
Interesting namesakes: British writer Beryl Bainbridge and British aviatrix Beryl Markham.

Beryl

Blane is the attractive surname name of an important seventh-century Scottish saint, but is in danger of sounding slightly feminine and soap opera-ish.
 Blane was the name of the heroine's preppy object of affection in the iconic 80s movie 'Pretty in Pink'.
 It can also be spelled Blaine.

Blane

The middle name of the Travoltas' Ella, this French color alternative hasn't caught on with many other parents. 

Bleu

Bruna

It’s ok, we can talk about Bruno now!

Tough-yet-cuddly Bruno is an international name even in its origins: it derives from the Germanic word for “brown” plus a Latin ending, and was borrowed as a color word in many European languages.

Today, Bruno is popular in Latin America, Spain, and Eastern Europe, but has been — until recently, at least — neglected in North America.

In the middle ages, it was worn by several rulers and bishops, and an eleventh-century saint. In modern times, Bruno gets its “strong man” image from people like wrestler Bruno Sammartino, and Frank Bruno, the British boxer. That, and the fact it was traditionally a name for bears in children’s tales.

However, Bruno also has a more gentle, soulful side that more and more parents are seeing. Singer Bruno Mars (born Peter, but nicknamed Bruno from a young age after Sammartino) has done a lot to raise its popularity in the last 20 years.

The Disney movie Encanto may do even more, thanks to its misunderstood prophetic Uncle Bruno, and the catchy song We Don’t Talk About Bruno.

As <ahref="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/901/boy-names-ending-in-o">boy names ending in O</a> continue to rise, we can see this appealing to parents looking for something well-known, multicultural, and not too popular.

Its color meaning makes it especially good for a <ahref="https://nameberry.com/list/351/names-for-autumn-babies">boy born in autumn.</a>

Bruno

In Shakespeare's The Tempest, Caliban is the name of the deformed son of a witch: not the greatest literary reference for a child. But Caliban does have an appealing international-yet-accessible feel and a rhythmic sound. As long as nobody knows its origin, it might make a great name for a boy or even a girl.

Caliban

This traditional Italian name could have a whole new life when viewed as a color name. 

Carmine

Like Cerulean, one of the new and unusual color names -- it's a soft grayish green -- suitable for a boy. 

Celadon

Cerulean is just beginning to be heard as a name. Though Cerulean works as a name for both genders; the fact that it's a majestic light blue makes it particularly appropriate for a boy. 

Cerulean

Pronounced sham-me, this color and word name is soft and appealing.

Chamois

Popular name in Israel, worth considering for a dark-haired daughter with a bit of a bohemian cast. 

Charna

Associated with a vivid red-orange-colored lacquer, would make a more than distinctive color-related choice. 

Cinnabar

Even among the range of blue names on the current baby naming palette -- Blue itself, Azure, Cerulean, Teal, Aqua, Cyan, Indigo -- Cobalt remains the most unusual, not to mention the most masculine.

Cobalt

Crimson could be a possible competitor for Scarlett's success, though it's lacking that Johansson charm.
 
Crimson tends to be disproportionately popular in Alabama — the University of Alabama's athletic teams are called Crimson Tide.

Crimson

Crisanta, while not related to Christine, would make a pretty and highly unusual alternative to that tried-and-true name. Because of its relationship to the chrysanthemum, the flower of the month of November, it's one of the recommended <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/zodiac-baby-names-its-scorpio-season">names for Scorpio babies</a> as well as <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/605/names-for-november-babies">names for November babies</a>. Crisanta might also give you a fresh route to nicknames like Cris, Crissy, or Cristie.

Crisanta

Cyan is a highly unusual blue-green color name, a classmate of Celadon and Cerulean. It does come with the homey nickname Cy.

Cyan

Damek, which you might think of as Adam with a Slavic accent, considerably freshens up the original. 

Damek

Emerald is the intriguing color and jewel name of the deep green stone treasured as far back as ancient Egypt — it's supposed to open one's heart to wisdom and to love and be good for strengthening relationships — which could make for an interesting, unusual name, particularly with the popularity of so many Em-starting names. 
 Emerald is the birthstone of May, making it extra appropriate for a girl born in that month. Some pleasant associations: the Emerald Isle and the Emerald City.
 Esmeralda is the Spanish version.

Emerald

Elvan

Instead of the more obvious Aqua, Turquoise, or Blue, consider this offbeat Arabic name, brought into the American name pool by actress Fairuza Balk (named by her father for the color of her eyes). Since turquoise is the birthstone for December, Fairuza is one of the perfect <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/577/names-for-december-babies">names for December babies</a>.

Fairuza

More unusual than Fiona and more user-friendly than Fionnuala, the engaging Scottish Fenella, has been scarcely heard in this country.
 Fenella first became known outside of Ireland when Sir Walter Scott used it for the character Finella Christian in his novel Peveril of the Peak.
 Finola is another underused Anglicization of Fionnuala.

Fenella

Flanagan is an elabortion of Flann, and cousin of Flynn and Finn: a member of the family of  colorful Irish red-headed names. This one is lively and undiscovered.

Flanagan

A plausible color name, it was chosen by the singer Sting as a middle name for his daughter, after a character in the Gormenghast fantasy trilogy, of which he's a big fan.

Fuchsia

One of the jewel names in use a hundred years ago, for both boys and girls, due for revival along with sisters Ruby and Pearl. But interestingly, Garnet means pomegranate, the fruit who shares a deep red color with the jewel.


Garnet

Two famous women, both with the same surname, feature this name in Scottish history. The first, Lady Grisell Hume Baillie, was an 18th century songwriter. The second, Grisell Baillie, was the first woman to be admitted to the position of Deaconess in the Church of Scotland.

Grisell

Like Violet, Lavender and Lilac, Ianthe is a purple flower name. Chosen by the poet Shelley for his daughter, Ianthe has a poetic, romantic, almost ethereal quality. In the ancient myth, she was the daughter of Oceanus, supreme ruler of the sea, and also a Cretan woman so beautiful that when she died the Gods made purple flowers grow around her grave.
 Iantha is also used.
 Ianthe was a favorite of the pastoral poets of the seventeenth century and then again in the early nineteenth. She appears in the works of Shelley, Barbara Pym and Georgette Heyer. Writer Richard Brautigan named his daughter Ianthe.

Ianthe

Indigo is one of the most appealing and evocative of the new generation of color names. Color names have joined flower and jewel names -- in a big way -- and Indigo, a deep blue-purple dye from plants native to India, is particularly striking for both girls and boys. Although most people don't think of it like this, Indigo might also be considered among the most stylish <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/167/greek-names">Greek baby names</a> in use today.

Some cultural references: The Indigo Girls are a folk duo, 'Mood Indigo' is a classic Duke Ellington jazz composition, and there is a 1970's New Age theory that Indigo children possess special, sometimes supernatural abilities. Indigo is the name of a character in the Ntozake Shange novel Sassafrass, Cypress & Indigo, and was used for his daughter by Lou Diamond Phillips.

Indigo

Isla is hot, Iona is cool – maybe it's time Iola got a second look? Last heard from on Carol Burnett's Mama's Family show, Iola feels like just the sort of uncommon, vowel-rich, vintage name that should be ripe for rediscovery.

Iola

This unusual Greek flower and color name has gained considerable recent attention via actress Ione Skye, who is the daughter of sixties folksinger Donovan.
 Ione was one of the fifty sea nymphs — Nereids — in ancient Greek mythology.
 Parents attracted to newer I-names like Isla might want to consider the distinctive Ione. The English pronunciation usually starts with the long I, while in the Latin languages such as Italian it starts with the long E sound.

Ione

Irissa

Ivory was last popular a hundred years ago. In 2013, it finally began to regain some momentum in the female rankings, reentering the Top 1000.
 A word of caution, however—people may associate this name with illegal poaching of elephants and the ivory trade. Or, more prosaically, the popular brand of soap.

Ivory

Energetic choice that bounces off the tongue. 

Kanika

Kiona

Lavender lags far behind sweet-smelling purple-hued sister names Violet and Lila, but is starting to get some enthusiastic attention from cutting-edge namers along with other adventurous nature names like Clementine and Marigold. 

 The flower's name derives from Latin lividus "bluish", influenced by lavō "wash" due to use of lavender in washing clothes. It has long been used in traditional medicine and in cooking for its sweet fragrance and soothing properties. But it also has a long history as a name, going back to the eighteenth century, when it was also used for boys. 

 Famous fictional namesakes include Lavender Brown, a witch character in the Harry Potter saga, and the eponymous heroine's best friend in Roald Dahl's Matilda.

Lavender

Though it sounds like a chopped-off variation of Olivia, which means olive, the distinctively attractive Livia has been an independent name since the days of the ancient Romans, when it belonged to Livia Drusilla—the powerful wife of the Emperor Augustus—and is still commonly heard in modern Italy. 
 Livia was a literary favorite from the sixteenth century, appearing in the plays of John Fletcher and Thomas Middleton, and playing a minor role in Romeo and Juliet. Anna Livia Plurabelle is the name of a character in James Joyce's Finnegans Wake.
 Livia entered the US Top 1000 in 2004 but unlike its popular sister Olivia, it's never risen that high in the ranks. But Livia is a Top 100 girls' name in many other countries, including France, the Netherlands, Brazil, Sweden, Switzerland, and Austria.

Livia

Magenta is a vivid Crayola color name, that could make a vivid, colorful choice. It was named in 1859 after the Napoleonic Battle of Magenta, a town in Northern Italy.
 One of J.K. Rowling's imaginative Harry Potter name creations, it was attached to Magenta Comstock, an experimental artist whose portrait eyes would follow the viewer around and out of the room. There are also characters named Magenta in The Rocky Horror Picture Show and on the Nickelodeon show Blue's Clues, for an artistic puppy who loves to draw.
 Magenta is a deep purplish-red color, somewhat similar to Fuchsia--an equally original option.

Magenta

Mauve is an offbeat color name whose soft and sentimental Victorian spirit is conveyed by the name. One of the newer color names like Blue, Gray and Plum that are increasingly being used as novel <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/673/middle-names">middle names</a>.

Mauve

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

Melora

In Japan, color names symbolize human qualities (in this case, fame); name of gifted violist Midori, but also a Japanese melon liqueur. 

Midori

This name has been in the Chilean popularity charts for a while. Millaray makes a good choice for those looking for a feminine floral name that manages to look and sound fresh and modern.

Millaray

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

Mora

Named for its snowcapped mountains, Nevada is a state name which, unlike Carolina, Montana, and Dakota, has been relatively undiscovered. Warning: today's unvisited place-name could become tomorrow's trampled tourist attraction. 

Nevada

A sweet, simple Sanskrit name which would work in many languages and has an sparkling, colorful meaning. 
 
Fitting in besides Nina, Mila and Nola, Nila was one of the fastest rising names for girls in the UK in 2022. Social media influencer Nila Nambiar may have brought new attention to the name, as could the Indian-Tamil TV series Nila which aired between 2019 and 2021. 
 
Alternatively, parents may be using Nila as a variation of the modern invented name Nyla, for a more concise looking spelling, in tune with Lila. 
 
Used steadily but quietly in the US, Nila is given to around 100 girls each year, though the name did feature in the Top 1000 back in the 1930s, when parents may have taken inspiration from radio director Nila Mack, who created the long-running series Let's Pretend. Mack's own name might have come about as a feminine form of Neil/Neal and as an alternative to the once popular Nealie.

Nila

Ochre is an exceedingly rare name, found only a few times since the nineteenth century, and not showing up in any current data. Yet it means much the same thing as popular Sienna (another clay coloured with iron oxide) and sounds similar to fashionable Oakley. A strong earthy nature name that is both unusual and evocative.


Ochre

Omaira is an intriguing Middle Eastern possibility. 

Omaira

A calm and gentle multicultural choice. Oran is popular in Ireland, where its Gaelic form is Odhrán, meaning "little green one". In Scottish Gaelic, the name means "song", and in Hebrew, it's a combination of Or "light" + Ran "singing".

Oran

Pretty Victorian-feeling cousin of Ariel; also, more prosaically, a kind of bay window. 

Oriel

Intriguing name that's a Top 100 choice in Spain and virtually unknown outside that country.  But has definitely possibilities for the adventurous baby namer.

Oriol

This Irish saint's name sounds like a lopped-off Lorna. 

Orna

Though unrelated, this would probably be taken as a fanciful spelling of Patsy. 

Patzi

Interesting on paper, though most people would confuse it with the word peruse. 

Perouze

This ancient saint's name was borne by the infamous midcentury playboy, Porfirio Rubirosa. 

Porfirio

Ancient martyr name that sounds totally modern, but perhaps too close to rumor. 

Rumo

Both rhythmic and serene, Serenella is one of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/505/italian-names-for-girls">Italian names for girls</a> virtually unknown in the US but definitely usable. An unusual route to Ella as a short form?

Serenella

Sienna has been a Top 100 choice in England & Wales since 2005, the year after Sienna Miller's acting breakthrough in the hit movies Alfie and Layer Cake. In the US, it also got a big boost in the early noughties, before dropping slightly then rebounding to reach an all-time high in 2022.

 Now the name Sienna has gotten maybe its biggest boost of all when it was announced as the name of the daughter of Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. The royal baby, born in 2021, is named Sienna Elizabeth. Cable newsperson Campbell Brown also chose Sienna for her daughter, as did Kevin James. 
 
The historic Tuscan city is spelled Siena, but the Sienna spelling is the one used recently by Princess Beatrice for her daughter. Sienna, also the spelling used by American-born English actress Miller, is more popular than Siena in the English-speaking world. 


 The city of Siena is said to have been founded by Senius and Aschius, two sons of Remus. The name of the city may derive from Senius, although other possibilities include Roman or Etruscan family names, a Gaulish tribe name, or a Latin root meaning "old". 

 The English color word "sienna" ultimately comes from the name of the iron-rich clay in the Italian city, brownish yellow when raw and reddish brown when burnt, making this a vibrant color name as well as a romantic place name.

Sienna

A fragrant herbal and color name that could make a sensitive, distinctive choice. 

Sorrel

Sini

This name of both a grayish-greenish-blue color and a kind of wild duck can be used for both boys and girls. 

Teal

A creative choice, suggesting the Venetian Renaissance painter (born Tiziano), and the brownish orange red hue that was featured on his palette.  But try explaining to the boys in seventh grade that it's pronounced tee-shun. 

Titian

As a name, Topaz is sophisticated and sultry; as a golden gem, it's said to have healing and energizing properties and also to bring good luck-- and being the birthstone for November it's one of the perfect <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/605/names-for-november-babies">names for November babies</a>, with that final 'z' giving it some extra sizzle.
 The topaz gets its name via French and Latin from Greek; it is probably ultimately of oriental origin.
 There is an eponymous novel by Leon Uris--later made into a 1969 Hitchcock movie--in which Topaz was the name not of a person but a spy code name, and in the Dodie Smith novel I Capture the Castle, there is a character named Topaz Mortmain.

Topaz

Conjures up the rich brown colors of raw and burnt umber, but it may be too close to girls' Amber. 

Umber

This vivid reddish orange color name is an undiscovered possibility -- kind of a female equivalent of Cerulean for boys. 

Vermilion

Unusual and beautiful blue green color and name possibility, a la Cerulean. 

Viridian

Viridiana is a frillier version of the medieval name Viridis, meaning green. Viridiana briefly made it into the top 1000 in the US in the 1990s.

Viridiana

A yellowish chemical compound that produces fluorescent dyes ranging from bright yellow to hot pink to flaming red -- but as a name sounds glaringly sci-fi.

Xanthene

The more dignified and attractive Hebrew equivalent of Golda or Goldie. 

Zehava

A Czech surname derived from the word for "green", which has a certain spark. 

Zelenka

Both a first and last name, Zorina has a pretty, ballerina-like quality. 

Zorina

saoirse123's list "Cool Colours" of 80 great name ideas: Alani - Zorina!

Cool Colours

A list of the more unusual colour names that I know of. Some are definitely more usable than others.