Hipster Baby Names
A hipster baby name is the one you liked before it was cool: a vintage name your great-grandmother wore, a botanical word name, or a writer’s surname nobody at the playground has heard yet. Think Otis and Ottilie, Wren and Juniper, Atticus and Marlowe — names with personality, history and a little independent-coffee-shop charm.
We’ve rounded up 100+ of our favorites, sorted into girls, boys, vintage revivals, nature names, literary and artsy picks, surname-style names and short unisex gems, each with its meaning. For the gender-specific lists, see our hipster boy names and boho girl names, or browse more baby names.
Hipster girl names
Soft, a bit old-fashioned and never too common: these are the names you’ll hear at a farmers’ market. For more, see our hippie girl names.
| Name | Meaning / origin | Why it’s cool |
|---|---|---|
| Wren | The small songbird | Tiny, nature-inspired, gender-neutral edge |
| Juniper | The evergreen shrub | Botanical, with nickname June |
| Marlowe | Driftwood, remnants of a lake (Old English) | Literary surname, via Christopher Marlowe and Philip Marlowe |
| Clementine | Merciful, gentle | Vintage, sweet and a little folk-song |
| Ottilie | Prosperity, fortune | German vintage, nickname Tilly |
| Imogen | Maiden (possibly Shakespeare’s misprint of Innogen) | British-cool, rare in the US |
| Beatrix | She who brings happiness | Beatrix Potter; nickname Bea |
| Esme | Esteemed, loved | Short, sophisticated, bookish |
| Harriet | Ruler of the home | Strong vintage revival |
| Delphine | Of Delphi; dolphin | French and artistic |
| Margot | Pearl (French form of Margaret) | Chic and film-star cool |
| Frances | From France, free | Classic with the tomboy nickname Frankie |
| Greta | Pearl | Scandinavian cool |
| Winifred | Blessed reconciliation (Welsh Gwenfrewi) | Quirky vintage with nickname Winnie |
| Agnes | Pure, holy | Great-grandma chic |
| Sylvie | Of the forest | French, soft, woodsy |
| Maeve | She who intoxicates (Medb) | Irish queen energy |
| Liesl | God is my oath (German Elisabeth) | <em>The Sound of Music</em> nostalgia |
| Thea | Goddess | Short and airy |
| Romy | Short for Rosemarie (Rose + Marie) | Euro-cool, one of a kind |
Hipster boy names
Bearded-barista names that somehow suit a newborn perfectly. See our full hipster boy names list for more.
| Name | Meaning / origin | Why it’s cool |
|---|---|---|
| Otis | Wealth, prosperity | Soul-singer cool (Otis Redding) |
| Atticus | From Attica (the region around Athens) | <em>To Kill a Mockingbird</em>’s moral hero |
| Silas | Of the forest | Soft, vintage, biblical |
| Arlo | Possibly “fortified hill” | Folk music (Arlo Guthrie) |
| August | Venerable, majestic | Timeless with nickname Gus |
| Jasper | Treasurer; a red gemstone | Earthy and warm |
| Felix | Lucky, happy | Latin classic with a cartoon-cat wink |
| Hugo | Mind, intellect | Continental and compact |
| Rufus | Red-haired | Quirky Roman name |
| Ezra | Help | Poet Ezra Pound; biblical |
| Ansel | God’s protection (from Anselm) | Photographer Ansel Adams |
| Thelonious | Lord of the people (Latinized Tillmann) | Jazz legend Thelonious Monk |
| Linus | Flax | Peanuts’ philosopher |
| Otto | Wealth | Palindrome, vintage German |
| Ambrose | Immortal | Old saint, fresh sound |
| Cassius | Hollow, empty (Roman family name) | Muhammad Ali’s birth name |
| Soren | Stern, severe (Danish Søren) | Kierkegaard fans |
| Enzo | Italian name, often linked to Heinz, “home ruler” | Italian café vibes |
| Clement | Merciful, gentle | A saint’s name that feels new again |
| Fitzgerald | Son of Gerald | Jazz Age glamour, nickname Fitz |
Vintage names that are cool again
Great-grandparents’ names from the 1900s–1920s are the backbone of hipster naming. See our 1920s names and vintage girl names for more.
| Name | Meaning / origin | Gender |
|---|---|---|
| Mabel | Lovable | Girl |
| Opal | The iridescent gemstone | Girl |
| Ida | Hard-working, prosperous | Girl |
| Nell | Short for Eleanor or Helen, “light” | Girl |
| Mae | Variant of May, the month | Girl |
| Ruth | Companion, friend | Girl |
| Vera | Faith (Russian); true (Latin) | Girl |
| Ethel | Noble | Girl |
| Walter | Ruler of the army | Boy |
| Ernest | Serious, resolute | Boy |
| Harold | Army ruler | Boy |
| Stanley | Stony meadow | Boy |
| Frank | Free, from the Franks | Boy |
| Albert | Noble and bright | Boy |
| Bernard | Brave as a bear | Boy |
Nature names with hipster appeal
Word names from the woods and the garden are a hipster staple. Browse more in our nature names and nature boy names.
| Name | What it is | Vibe |
|---|---|---|
| Fern | The feathery woodland plant | Vintage and green |
| Sparrow | A small songbird | Free-spirited |
| Rowan | The rowan (mountain ash) tree; Gaelic “little red one” | Celtic and unisex |
| Moss | The soft forest ground cover | Minimalist cool |
| Briar | A thorny wild rose | Fairy-tale edge |
| Linden | The lime (basswood) tree | Gentle and rare |
| Birch | The white-barked tree | Scandi-woodsy |
| Oak | The mighty tree | Strong and simple |
| Clover | The lucky meadow plant | Sweet and sunny |
| Marigold | The golden flower | Vintage florals |
| Bear | The animal | Rugged, cuddly |
| Fox | The clever animal | Sly and short |
| Lark | The singing bird | Joyful |
| Ash | The ash tree | Crisp, unisex |
| Hazel | The hazel tree; warm brown | Cozy classic |
Literary and artsy hipster names
Name your baby after a favorite author, painter or musician for a built-in story. Our creative names list has more inspiration.
| Name | Inspired by | Gender |
|---|---|---|
| Scout | Scout Finch, <em>To Kill a Mockingbird</em> | Girl or boy |
| Holden | Holden Caulfield, <em>The Catcher in the Rye</em> | Boy |
| Zelda | Zelda Fitzgerald, Jazz Age icon | Girl |
| Beckett | Playwright Samuel Beckett | Boy |
| Sylvia | Poet Sylvia Plath | Girl |
| Harper | Author Harper Lee | Girl |
| Frida | Painter Frida Kahlo | Girl |
| Georgia | Painter Georgia O’Keeffe | Girl |
| Coltrane | Saxophonist John Coltrane | Boy |
| Miles | Trumpeter Miles Davis | Boy |
| Dashiell | Crime writer Dashiell Hammett | Boy |
| Emerson | Essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson | Girl or boy |
| Thoreau | <em>Walden</em> author Henry David Thoreau | Boy |
| Eloise | The Plaza Hotel’s storybook heroine | Girl |
| Ramona | Beverly Cleary’s Ramona Quimby | Girl |
| Poe | Edgar Allan Poe | Boy |
Surname-style and music-inspired names
Last names as first names feel polished yet laid-back. See our list of last names that are first names.
| Name | Meaning / reference | Gender |
|---|---|---|
| Hudson | Son of Hudde; the New York river | Boy |
| Lennon | Lover (Irish); John Lennon | Girl or boy |
| Bowie | Blond (Scottish Gaelic); David Bowie | Girl or boy |
| Marley | Pleasant wood; Bob Marley | Girl or boy |
| Crosby | Village with a cross | Boy |
| Monroe | Mouth of the river Roe | Girl |
| Sullivan | Dark-eyed (Irish) | Boy |
| Arden | Valley of the eagle; Shakespeare’s forest | Girl or boy |
| Hollis | Near the holly trees | Girl or boy |
| Wilder | Wild, untamed | Boy |
| Hendrix | Son of Hendrick; Jimi Hendrix | Boy |
| Joplin | From Janis and Scott Joplin | Girl |
Short, quirky and unisex hipster names
Punchy names that work for any gender. More in our unique unisex names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Rory | Red king (Ruairí) | Irish |
| Remy | Oarsman; from Rémi | French |
| Jude | Praised | Hebrew |
| Blue | The color | English |
| Echo | Sound reflected; a Greek nymph | Greek |
| Indigo | Deep blue dye, “from India” | Greek, via Latin |
| Lux | Light | Latin |
| Kit | Short for Christopher or Katherine | English |
| Ever | Always | English |
| Sunny | Cheerful, bright | English |
| Birdie | Little bird | English |
| Bodhi | Enlightenment, awakening | Sanskrit |
How to choose a hipster baby name
- Check the trend line. Some “hipster” names (Hazel, Ezra, Silas) have gone mainstream. If uniqueness matters, look at SSA popularity before you decide.
- Mine your family tree. The coolest vintage names are often your own great-grandparents’ — Otis, Mabel or Ida with a family story attached.
- Balance a quirky first name. Pair Thelonious or Marigold with a simple middle name, or vice versa.
- Test the nickname. Winifred becomes Winnie, Ottilie becomes Tilly, Fitzgerald becomes Fitz — make sure you love the short form too.
- Look further. For even rarer picks, browse our unique baby names and rare names.
Frequently asked questions
What is a hipster baby name?
It’s an informal label for names that feel artsy, vintage or nature-inspired and a little off the beaten path — think Otis, Wren, Juniper, Atticus or Marlowe. Many were popular a century ago and are coming back.
What are hipster girl names?
Popular hipster girl names include Wren, Juniper, Marlowe, Clementine, Ottilie, Beatrix, Esme, Margot, Imogen and Delphine.
What are hipster boy names?
Good hipster boy names include Otis, Atticus, Silas, Arlo, August, Jasper, Felix, Hugo, Ansel and Thelonious.
Are hipster names still unique?
Some are no longer rare — Hazel, Ezra and Silas are now common in the US. Names like Ottilie, Thelonious, Linden or Dashiell are still unusual.
What is a hipster unisex name?
Wren, Rowan, Rory, Remy, Jude, Lennon, Bowie, Emerson and Scout all work for girls or boys.