Nameberry's Favorite Unique Names

Sweet, contemporary, and with a hint of magic, Emryn is a new addition to the US Top 1000. Combining that popular 'Em' beginning of Emma and Emily, the sounds of Erin and Evelyn, and the vibes of Elowyn, Bronwen and Wren, Emryn is fun, quirky, and currently cool.

Pretty French sound, but there might be a lot of "umbrella" cracks.

Adds some thorns to the smooth texture of Lily.

Sprightly.

Embroidered lace hankie of a name, used in a Thomas Hardy novel. That literary cred lends some gravitas.

An Anglicized form of Medb borrowed by both Shakespeare and Percy Bysshe Shelley for the of queen of the fairies. Perfect if you want something both adventurous and simple - though you could use it as a nickname for Mabel, Mirabel, Mabli, or Amabel too.

An attractive Irish surname that is used more often among girls — likely due to the feminine associations with Kerry.

A common animal name in Finland, it could work as an alternative to Otto or Otis.

Originally used as a diminutive of Marguerite, this French term of endearment is super-rare as a given name in France, but could make for a sweet alternative to Mia in English-speaking countries. A variation is Mietta.

In Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet, the friend who persuades Romeo to go to the party where he meets Juliet. Alas.

While this may be the Dutch version of Cooper, English-speaking parents are likely to choose this with reference to the Kuiper Belt, a band of small space rocks near Neptune thought to be where many comets come from. With Kai or Ky as potential cool nicknames, this is one underused name with a lot to offer.

As an Arabic name, the normal transcription is Na'ima, with an apostrophe. It was a Top 200 name in France in the 1970s and '80s, and ranked in the US Top 1000 from 2005 to 2008.

A distinguished English and Irish surname, probably deriving from the Old Gaelic name Fearsithe, meaning "man of peace". It's also possible that the surname derives from a place name now lost to history, in which case the meaning would be "fairy meadow" or "fairy mound", from Gaelic fer "grass" or for "hill, mound" plus sithe "fairies".

Cygnus is a northern constellation of the Milky Way, derived from the Latin word for "swan".

Voltaire is the nom-de-plume of François-Marie Arouet, who became noted for his witty and satirical takes on enlightenment philosophy and Western society. Voltaire's most famous work, Candide, used satire as a vehicle to advocate against religion, monarchy, greed, and for tolerance, freedom and reason. It is said that his moniker was a variation of his sister's family nickname "le petit volontaire" (the determined little thing).

Prometheus of Greek Mythology was a Titan known for creating humankind out of clay. He stole fire from the gods and gifted it to humanity, which triggered the rise of civilizations.

Prometheus might be better known as Ridley Scott's 2012 film of the same name.

This title of honor given to Charlemagne's twelve best knights would be prized as a name by most sword-loving little boys.

Maisel is a German-Jewish surname, brought into the spotlight as that of Miriam Maisel, aka The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. The TV show, which premiered in 2017, has led to small numbers of girls given the name in recent years. It feels like a blend of stylish vintage names Maisie and Hazel.

Italian surname most Americans will associate with actress Edie Falco, of Sopranos fame.

This name of a son of Noah, whose descendants were said to have populated Europe, was well used by the seventeenth century Pilgrims. Pronunciation challenges would seem to hinder its chances for resurgence today, but "Ja" names and obscure Old Testament names are both trendy these days, so you never know.