Unusual Baby Names

This Nova-offshoot is hot in the Netherlands, where it was recently one of the fastest-rising names of the year. It could eventually see great success in the US as well, and was given to 46 American girls at last count.

Ebba, the feminine version of Eberhard and also a form of an old English name, is in the Swedish Top 10 but virtually unknown in the US. However, with the rise of Emma, Ella, Ada, and similar simple-yet-traditional names, Ebba may enjoy more widespread popularity.

Actress Tilda Swinton injected this dated nickname name with some modern charm.

Taj is a cool-sounding name reflecting the magnificence of the seventeenth-century Indian Taj Mahal, chosen by Aerosmith's Steven Tyler for his son.

To the non-Scandinavian ear, a cute and unusual nickname name, used by Finnish supermodel Suvi Koponen.

Pronounced to rhyme with nice, Thijs is a popular Dutch name short for that country's form of Matthew. Matt Lauer's half-Dutch son is called Thijs.

Keeley is well-used in modern Ireland, also found as Keely and Keela. The boys' form is Keelan. Largely unknown in the US, this could make an interesting update for Kelly or Kaylie or Kylie. A famous bearer is actress Keeley Hawes.

Mazarine is a deep blue color also used as a first name in honor of Cardinal Mazarin, a leader of France in the 17th century. As a first name, Mazarine is as charming as it is unusual.

The unusual-to-the-English-ear Moritz is a Top 25 name in Austria and a form of Maurice or Morris, which are modern variations of the ancient Roman Maurus. There were several early saints named Maurus and a famous 3rd century Saint Maurice, who was a Roman infantryman who was martyred when he refused to worship Roman gods. The Moritz form also references the posh Swiss ski resort St. Moritz and Justine Moritz is a character from Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein.

Moby, the nickname of musician Richard Melville Hall, was thanks to his ancestor Herman Melville, creator of the infamous whale. You can imagine calling a child Moby as a cute nickname in honor of a grandfatherly Richard or Dick, but the ghost of a Dick would always follow the name around. In Melville's classic book, Moby was an invented word whose meaning has never been firmly established, though the best scholarship calls it a fictional place name that, in the custom of whaling ships of the time, helped identify the whale called Dick.

In Norse mythology, Embla is the equivalent of the Bible's Eve. With a lovely nature meaning, and a soft but distinctive sound, Embla is one of the most popular girl names in Iceland.

Contrary to popular belief, the name Kahlo has German origins, rather than Spanish. It derives from kahl, a German word meaning "bald." Mexican Artist Frida Kahlo was born to a German father, photographer Guillermo Kahlo.

A popular choice in Ireland, Clodagh was the name of a river and later a saint. The "cloddy" aspect of the name has prevented it from spreading beyond Ireland, but that could change. Famous namesakes are singer Clodagh Rodgers and chef Clodagh McKenna.

A Slavic classic, as common as Jane or Joan here.

Lucienne is a soft and ultra-sophisticated French-accented option in the Lucy family, one that could provide a fresh alternative to such fatigued Gallic choices as Danielle and Michelle.

Absalom, because of its biblical and literary associations, just might appeal to the daring namegiver.

Basque name for a Spanish city where the Virgin Mary appeared in medieval times, now a popular girls' name throughout Spain.

Nasrin has a strong sound and lovely floral meaning. International variants include the Turkish Nesrin and Egyptian Nesreen.

The name of a character from Hiromu Arakawa’s Fullmetal Alchemist manga and anime series. She is a strong-willed teenage mechanic, who has consistently been ranked among the best female characters in anime.

A son of Noah in the Bible who is also thought to be an ancestor of the Greek people and the guardian angel of Greece. An alternative to Jason or Jayden, perhaps.