Science and Technology Names

A rare way to get to that striking X initial. Xenon is also a chemical element: a colorless, odorless noble gas with atomic number 54.

Mendel is an Old World Jewish name that is also the surname of the founder of genetics.

A much rarer alternative to Alexander that also gives you the oh-so-cool nickname Nico. Nicander derives from the Greek name Nikandros "man of victory", which belonged to a 2nd century BC poet and grammarian.

Could be an unconventional route to Theo.

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.

Turns Axel into a word name.

Theta is the name of the eighth letter of the ancient Greek alphabet, which is also the symbol of death. As such, it has rarely been used as a baby name.

This can be a cool and unusual way to honor your family Robert, conjuring up memories of Robinson Crusoe and Swiss Family Robinson, as well as narrative poet Robinson Jeffers, born John Robinson, who shared his mother's middle name.

Even more daunting than Nicodemus.

Delta is an unusual vintage name for girls or an futuristic modern option for boys. Delta is the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet and also the geographical name given to an island formed at the mouth of a river.

Less commercial-sounding than Brand.

A form of Adelaide (and therefore related to Alice, too) used in the Netherlands. The country's first female physician was Aletta Jacobs. In the USA, Aletta is rare, but on a slight upward trend. It fits perfectly into the sweet spot of being deep-rooted and straightforward, yet barely used, and has Etta and Lettie as potential nicknames.

Never officially on the baby name charts, but British soccer player Andy Carroll has a son named Wolf Nine, after the number on his football shirt at the time. Nine doesn't have the on-trend sounds of Seven, but as a long monosyllable it has potential as a strong, surprising middle name.

We count Techno among the weird celebrity baby names, and yet we have to admit that it's the perfect choice for a child of Grimes and Elon Musk.

Omega is a perfect choice for a youngest child.

If you've heard this name, it's probably from the hero of the acclaimed Julia Glass novel, Three Junes, or else the political scientist Richard Fenno. As well as a Finnish name, it's alos a Frisian diminutive from names in the Frederick family, making it is a cousin of Freddie, Fritz and Fedde. This name is so rare it's never appeared on the charts, but with its energetic O ending it might appeal if you're looking for an alternative to names like Otto and Arlo.

A Welsh name for space fans, thanks to Tecwyn Roberts, a pioneering aerospace engineer at NASA.

As well as Japanese physicist Hideki Yukawa, two Yankees ballplayers, Hideki Irabu and Hideki Matsui, made this name familiar to Americans.