Unusual Baby Names

Putting the emphasis on the "elle" softens a name that seems at once futuristic and medieval.

The Indre is a river in France. Spelled Indra, it's the name of a powerful deity worshipped by Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains — roughly the South Asian equivalent of the Greek Zeus or Norse Odin. But either Indra or Indre might make a simple, captivating, attractive name for a modern little girl.

Americans may not realize Barclay is the phonetic spelling of the British Berkeley -- though both sound like old-fashioned butler names.

A plausible color name, it was chosen by the singer Sting as a middle name for his daughter, after a character in the Gormenghast fantasy trilogy, of which he's a big fan.

An Arabic name with a powerful and alluring meaning, in Islamic tradition, Isra refers to one part of the Night Journey that the Prophet Muhammad, in which he led other prophets such as Ibrahim, Isa, and Musa in prayer. Popular in Belgium, the UK, and the Netherlands, it is climbing the US charts.

Upbeat name that cheers you as soon as you hear it. One famous bearer is Maori feminist Meri Te Tai Mangakāhia.

The mythological queen whose perpetual weeping for her slain children turned her into a stone has always cast a pall over this name. Still, when other names with less-than-savory associations -- Delilah, Ophelia, Persephone -- are becoming popular, parents might want to consider this one of the more unusual mythology names for girls.

If you find Grover too fusty and furry, this is a much cooler-sounding alternative.

An uncommon surname name with that energetic -er ending. Might appeal especially to baseball fans.

This Cornish place name is possibly named after a female saint, Senara. However, it can work just as well on a boy and would make a very interesting choice for those of Cornish descent or who love Cornwall.

Narine has been a top name in Armenia since records began in 2012. Even more common is its short form, Nare, which has ranked first each year with the exception of 2016.

Old-school Italian names that shortens a wide range of longer names, making it feel much more popular than it is on its own.

Feminine form of Nadir

Mauro, a Top 100 name in Spain and Puerto Rico, is etymologically unrelated to the girls' name Maura, but that won't stop many English speakers from drawing the comparison.

A name with various origins, Elmira combines the sounds of multicultural Mira with the popular El- beginning. Despite this, the name is rarely heard in the US, though it does rank in the Top 100 names in Azerbaijan.

Bleuenn is a name virtually unknown in the English-speaking world but trendy in its native France. Bleuenn's origins are in Brittany, in the north of France, and it's related to the Welsh Blodwen. Other spellings include Bleuen and Bleunwenn. This might give the perfect twist to a color name that feels too slight.

Despite Thornton Wilder, playwright of the perennial Our Town, only a handful of baby boys receive this name each year..

Kitto updates Dad Name Christopher with a trendy o-ending short form. Use it as an honor name or an original nickname.

An ancient name used by numerous conquerors throughout history, most notably the Central Asian leader popularly known as Tamerlane.

Medina commonly refers to a city in Saudi Arabia where the prophet Muhammad began his work to establish Islam. It is considered the second holiest city in Islamic tradition, and is also known as The Luminous City, The Enlightened City, and The City of the Prophet.