Science and Technology Names

Could be an unconventional route to Theo.

A lovely name with a lovely meaning ("amusing, charming, graceful" in Sanskrit), Lilavati is a rare Indian name with a handful of historical namesakes. Notable bearers include the daughter of great 12th century mathematician Bhaskara, who named one of his mathematical treatises after her, and a 13th century Sri Lankan queen who was only the second woman to rule the country as sovereign in her own right.

Luxe baby name that could easily fit in among children named Onyx and Emerald. Goldie is a rising choice for girls.

Even more daunting than Nicodemus.

Turns Axel into a word name.

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.

Less commercial-sounding than Brand.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Omega is a perfect choice for a youngest child.

In Latin, quantum literally means "amount," but these days it is a physics term used to describe the smallest units of energy and matter. As of 2020, Quantum is also a baby name. That year it was given to five baby boys, the minimum required to make it onto the American baby name charts.

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