Unique Baby Names
A unique name should stand out without needing to be explained every day. Every name below is a real one with a real history and a meaning you can look up, and none of them sit near the top of the US charts. They range from overlooked vintage names such as Ottoline and Ambrose to myth, literature and languages from around the world.
We picked more than 100 names and sorted them by style. For even rarer choices, go to our lists of rare girl names and rare boy names. If you’d like the opposite, see what’s trending on popular baby names. Sweeter options are on our cute baby names page.
Unique girl names
Feminine and distinctive, and still easy to spell and say. More in our unique girl names list.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Ottoline | Wealth, fortune | Germanic |
| Isolde | Ice ruler (possibly); heroine of Tristan and Isolde | Celtic/Germanic |
| Seraphina | Fiery ones (from seraphim) | Hebrew |
| Oriana | Golden; to rise | Latin/Spanish |
| Liesel | God is my oath (from Elisabeth) | German |
| Marisol | Sea and sun | Spanish |
| Wilhelmina | Resolute protector | German |
| Delphine | From Delphi; dolphin | French, from Greek |
| Rosalind | Horse + soft (Germanic); later read as “pretty rose” | Germanic |
| Thessaly | A region of Greece | Greek |
| Ondine | Little wave | French, from Latin |
| Perpetua | Everlasting | Latin |
| Temperance | Moderation | English virtue name |
| Anouk | Grace (from Anna) | Dutch/French |
| Solenne | Solemn, dignified | French |
| Zinnia | The zinnia flower | Botanical |
Unique boy names
Strong and unusual, and none of them are made up. See unique boy names for more.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Ambrose | Immortal | Greek |
| Thaddeus | Heart, courageous | Aramaic |
| Evander | Good man | Greek |
| Caspian | From the Caspian Sea | English, from Persian place name |
| Lachlan | From the land of lochs | Scottish |
| Ignatius | Fiery (associated with Latin ignis) | Latin |
| Barnaby | Son of consolation | Aramaic |
| Cassius | Hollow, empty | Latin |
| Leopold | Brave people | Germanic |
| Cormac | Charioteer (possibly) | Irish |
| Florian | Flowering | Latin |
| Anselm | God’s helmet | Germanic |
| Tobiah | God is good | Hebrew |
| Peregrine | Traveler, pilgrim | Latin |
| Bartholomew | Son of Talmai | Aramaic |
| Alaric | Ruler of all | Gothic |
Unique gender-neutral names
These names aren’t tied to either gender and they don’t trend much, which makes them feel fresh. See also unique unisex names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Marlowe | Driftwood or lake remnant | English |
| Zephyr | The west wind | Greek |
| Wilder | Untamed | English |
| Lark | The songbird | English |
| Ellery | Elder tree island | English |
| Arden | Valley of the eagle; also the Forest of Arden | English |
| Sutton | South town | English |
| Oakley | Oak clearing | English |
| Indigo | Deep blue dye | Greek via Spanish |
| Shiloh | Tranquil, his gift | Hebrew |
| Ramsey | Wild garlic island | English |
| Lennox | Elm grove | Scottish |
| Revel | Merrymaking | English |
| Wynn | Fair, blessed (Welsh); joy (Old English) | Welsh/English |
Unique names from myth and literature
Old stories are full of names that are rarely used, from Greek heroes to Shakespeare’s heroines. Our mythology boy names and mythology girl names dig deeper.
| Name | Source | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Calliope | Greek muse of epic poetry | Beautiful voice |
| Leander | Greek myth, lover of Hero | Lion man |
| Cordelia | Shakespeare’s King Lear | Heart (possibly) |
| Orion | Greek hunter and constellation | Uncertain, possibly “boundary” |
| Thisbe | Pyramus and Thisbe, Ovid | Uncertain |
| Perseus | Greek hero who slew Medusa | To destroy (possibly) |
| Guinevere | Arthurian queen | White phantom/fair one |
| Tristan | Arthurian knight | Tumult (from Drustan) |
| Imogen | Shakespeare’s Cymbeline | Maiden (possibly, from Innogen) |
| Lysander | A Midsummer Night’s Dream | Liberator |
| Rhiannon | Welsh Mabinogion | Great queen |
| Endymion | Greek shepherd loved by Selene | To dive into (possibly) |
| Ione | Greek sea nymph | Violet flower |
| Gawain | Arthurian knight | White hawk (possibly) |
Forgotten vintage names ready for a comeback
These names were common in the late 1800s, then almost vanished. Browse Victorian names for more.
| Name | Meaning | Era |
|---|---|---|
| Ottilie | Wealth, fortune | Popular 1880s–1900s |
| Clement | Merciful | Victorian favorite |
| Philippa | Lover of horses | Tudor to Edwardian |
| Augustin | Great, venerable | 18th–19th century |
| Winifred | Blessed peacemaker (English reading of Welsh Gwenfrewi) | Edwardian |
| Lucian | Light | Roman revival, 1800s |
| Mathilda | Mighty in battle | Victorian |
| Ephraim | Fruitful | Puritan era |
| Cressida | Gold | Rare since Shakespeare |
| Horatio | Timekeeper (possibly, from Horatius) | Georgian/Victorian |
| Beatrix | She who brings happiness; voyager | Victorian |
| Cyrus | Sun; throne | 19th-century America |
| Agatha | Good | Victorian |
| Emmerich | Home power | German, 1800s |
Unique names from around the world
Well-known in their home countries, rare in the US, and easy for English speakers to say.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Saoirse | Freedom (SEER-sha) | Irish |
| Anwen | Very fair, beautiful | Welsh |
| Idris | Ardent lord | Welsh |
| Kenji | Strong second son (depending on kanji) | Japanese |
| Freya | Lady; Norse goddess | Norse |
| Soren | Stern (from Severinus) | Danish |
| Ilaria | Cheerful | Italian |
| Elio | Sun | Italian |
| Zuri | Beautiful | Swahili |
| Amara | Grace (Igbo); eternal (Sanskrit) | Igbo/Sanskrit |
| Mateo | Gift of God | Spanish |
| Leilani | Heavenly flower | Hawaiian |
| Anneliese | Grace + God is my oath | German |
| Kasimir | Destroyer or proclaimer of peace (debated) | Polish/Slavic |
| Noor | Light | Arabic |
| Tove | Beautiful (possibly, from Thor) | Scandinavian |
Unique word and virtue names
English words that have become names. They’re simple to spell and have a clear meaning.
| Name | Meaning | Feel |
|---|---|---|
| Onyx | Black gemstone | Bold |
| Haven | Safe place | Gentle |
| Ember | Glowing coal | Warm |
| Sterling | High-quality silver | Polished |
| Story | A tale | Whimsical |
| Valor | Great courage | Strong |
| Journey | A trip | Free-spirited |
| Meadow | Grassy field | Soft |
| Atlas | Titan who held up the sky | Adventurous |
| Echo | Greek nymph; reflected sound | Airy |
| Honor | Integrity | Classic |
| Cove | Sheltered bay | Coastal |
How to choose a unique baby name you won’t regret
- Check the numbers. The Social Security Administration publishes how many babies get each name every year. A name used fewer than 200 times a year will almost never be shared in a classroom.
- Pass the phone test. Say the name to someone over the phone. If they can spell it after one try, your child won’t spend a lifetime correcting people.
- Look for real roots. A name with history, from myth, literature or another language, feels unique and still established. Invented spellings of popular names (Jaxxon) can feel dated fast.
- Balance with a familiar middle name. Isolde Anne or Barnaby James lets your child use the middle name if they ever want to. Try boy middle names for ideas.
- Check the meaning and pronunciation. Make sure the name means something you like and doesn’t sound odd in the other languages your family speaks.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most unique baby name?
A truly unique name is one given to very few babies each year, like Ottoline, Thisbe, Peregrine or Endymion. All of them are real names with centuries of history, so they feel distinctive but not invented.
How do I know if a baby name is unique?
Look it up in the Social Security Administration’s annual baby name data. If it doesn’t appear in the top 1,000, fewer than a couple hundred babies a year get it.
Is it OK to give a baby a very unusual name?
Yes, as long as it’s easy to say, has a positive meaning and doesn’t invite teasing. Adding a familiar middle name gives your child a backup.
What are unique but not weird baby names?
Names such as Ambrose, Marlowe, Delphine, Caspian, Ellery and Liesel are rare but recognizable. People know how to say them, even if they’ve never met anyone with the name.
Where do unique baby names come from?
Good sources include mythology, classic literature, nature, virtue words, family surnames and names from other languages that are easy to pronounce in English.