The unusual and the odd

Ivo is an unusual, catchy name with the energetic impact of all names ending in 'o'. Hardly heard in the U.S., it is used a bit more frequently in England, as is the related Ivor, a favorite of such novelists as Evelyn Waugh and P.G. Wodehouse. Ivo is currently most popular in the Netherlands.

Unusual and unfashionable name found in Toni Morrison's novel Tar Baby.

Intriguing and unusual.

Lush and unusual.

Euro-cool. Heard more in Scotland than in England or the US, Ludovic Lesly is a character in the Sir Walter Scott novel Quentin Durward and Sir Ludovic Kennedy was a noted Scottish broadcaster and writer. Cute nickname: Ludo.

Unusual name chosen for her son by actress Nia Long, who combined it with the even more unusual literary middle name, Zhivago.

Unusual and lush Roman name adopted, improbably, by the Puritans.

A traditional Arabic choice, used on girls and boys, with a bright, fresh, and nature connected meaning. Naseem is an alternative Arabic and Urdu form, while Nesim is used in Turkey. Though unisex, Nasim leans masculine in Lebanon, Indonesia, Iran, England, Palestine, and Iraq, but is more evenly split in India, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. TikTok star and rapper Nasim Nabi is a notable bearer.

Highly unusual name of a small, tranquil island in the Caribbean; chosen for her daughter by singer Nelly Furtado.

Also an Israeli place-name, this is an unusual, feminine choice.

Shakespeare's moor has exclusive ownership of this name.

A cool Biblical option that entered the US Top 1000 for the first time ever in 2024, Ozias gets extra points for its user-friendly nicknames Oz and Ozzie or Ozzy. Given to around 280 boys in 2024, it is five times more popular than it was in 2014.

Patrin is a truly unusual yet easily comprehended choice.

This name of a saint martyred in Cornwall makes an unusual choice with traditional roots.

Familiar-sounding hybrid name, made more unusual by virtue of the Q.

Extremely unusual ella-ending choice.

Pretty and unusual, worth consideration.

Raphael is a romantic archangel name that sounds both artistic and powerful. Raphael is also a great cross-cultural choice, with significance for people with both Latinate and Jewish roots, plus plenty of grounding in the English-speaking world.

Straightforward but very unusual choice, deriving from a place name in Italy.

With its appealing double-a configuration, this is the name of an Israeli kibbutz on the Galilee beach. For girls, Saar is a popular modern name in the Netherlands, a shortened form of Sarah.