Nameberry's Favorite Unique Names

Lucan is a rarely heard Irish name, a Luke form with the trendy an ending.

Oslo, the capital city of Norway, makes for an intriguing new place name, especially with its bookended O's, as in Otto. One Berry has already used it and we predict others will follow.

America has fallen in love with Hayes and Brooks and Banks and Rhodes. Now, we'd like to introduce you to Townes. Townes feels predestined for mainstream success with its fashionable S ending and image that can read as preppy or country or cowboy, depending on the context.

Adding a final a to Tamar lends it a more sensual Slavic tone, making it a more popular choice than the original.

Nimue (Lady of the Lake) is the ruler of Avalon in the Arthurian legend. Nimue plays a pivotal role in many stories, including giving King Arthur his sword Excalibur, enchanting Merlin, and raising Lancelot after the death of his father.

Adventurous parents are starting to look back to names of ancient gods like Mercury, Zeus, and Apollo. This one is also a planet and a metallic element, and has a friendly nickname, Merc. The Roman god Mercury, which derives from the Latin words for trade or wages, is the patron of tradesmen and travelers and the fastest-moving planet in the solar system. Mercury is the planet associated with the sign of Virgo, so this is one of the prime names for Virgo babies.

Cerelia is a melodic and unusual choice, perfect for a child born in April or May. Another version is Cerella.

Ancient name, near obsolete now, but could make a good alternative to Owen for the adventurous baby namer.

Ancient name, near obsolete now, but could make a good alternative to Owen for the adventurous baby namer.

A paramour of Alexander the Great and the heroine of a Jules Massenet opera based on the life of a fourth century Egyptian saint, this name is nothing if not dramatic. Often spelled with a diaeresis or umlaut -- aka two dots -- over the letter i, Thais is a Top 100 girls' name in France and is also popular in Spain. 

Arwel is well-known in Wales from figures such as composers Arwel Hughes and Owain Arwel Hughes, and Rugby players Arwel Thomas and Arwel Robson — though not especially popular for baby boys today. It has never been recorded in the American baby name charts, but would be an accessible Welsh heritage choice.

Ayelet is an unusual -- and somewhat challenging -- Israeli name familiar thanks to sometimes controversial Jerusalem-born novelist-essayist Ayelet Waldman.

Madrigal might be a pretty and highly distinctive choice for a child of a musical family--or for the parent looking for a less conventional path to the nickname Maddie than Madeline or Madison . Definitely more striking than Cadence or even the increasingly popular Aria.

Edelweiss, made famous by the Rogers and Hammerstein song in "The Sound of Music", is a rare female name.

Today Show anchor Savannah Guthrie put this name of a geographical feature on the baby name map when she chose it for her newborn daughter, Vale Guthrie Feldman. Vale might be considered part nature name, part place name: A vale is a kind of valley, often used in poetry. This truly unique choice doesn't even register on the US extended list of names given to five babies or more, but we expect Vale to register as parents are inspired by Guthrie and husband Mike Feldman's creative choice. More prosaicly, Vale might be a short form of Valerie or Valentina.

Mythological spirit of the waters; spelled Undine, she was an Edith Wharton heroine.

This charming mini name began life as a nickname for Rodrigo but has since taken on a life of its own, ranking as an independent name in Portugal, it’s country of origin. If you’re looking to honor a Rodrigo, Roger, or Roderick in your life, Rui is an appealing international option. Ruy is a spelling variation that is more commonly seen in Spain.

Nehemiah is an Old Testament name used by the Puritans, whose white-bearded image kept it out of favor for centuries, until it suddenly reappeared in 1998, along with the more user-friendly Josiah and Isaiah.

Digby is a place-name in Lincolnshire turned surname turned quirky first name that is starting to get some attention.

This unusual Welsh mythological name just might appeal to architect parents wishing to honor Frank Lloyd Wright, who called his two famous residences Taliesin and Taliesin West.