350+ Best Unique Baby Names

This bold musical word name is given to just a handful of baby girls per year in the US, but it has a very contemporary sound. Hallie and Lou/Lulu would make for more mainstream nicknames. Lovers of the music and lyrics of Leonard Cohen might also appreciate the link to one of his most successful hits.

This is a solid surname choice for people looking for a change from Cooper, Parker and Carson. Australian parents will probably instantly associate this name with famous rock legend Jimmy Barnes, but this has an even older pedigree as a namesake - Barnes Wallis was a UK aviator and inventor, most remembered for designing the Dambuster bomb (a bomb that bounces across water to reach its target) and working on supersonic flight in the 1940s and 50s.

Gives Corwin a Welsh appearance.

Derived from the Roman family name Naevius, which in turn came from the Latin word naevus, referring to a mole. Like many cognomina, Naevius likely originated as a nickname — in this case, for someone with a conspicuous mole.

Spirited Italian form of Octavius

This traditional Cherokee name could easily be borne by a modern baby girl with connections to the tribe.

An international rose name with strength and femininity. Nasreen is slightly more common in the US than the Nasrin variation.

A handful of baby girls were named Poem in the US in the most recent year, along with Poet and Poetry. But of course, these word names can work for boys too.

Arley is a fast-rising surname-name for girls, and Arlington isn't far behind.

This Swedish form of Sebastian would work nicely as a nickname.

Yardley, a surname redolent of British soaps and perfume, was used for her daughter by Megyn Kelly.

Riviera may work for lovers of River who want something rarer and more elaborate for their little girl. The A ending adds a feminine touch.

An elegant Persian name with a positive meaning. Ümi̇d, Umit, Umid and Umed are variations of the name.

Attractive Sanskrit boy name given to 22 American baby boys one recent year.

Gresham is more common as a surname than a first name, where it originally denoted one from the village of Gresham in Norfolk, England. These days, Gresham is also a city in Oregon, neighborhood in Chicago, and country in New South Wales, Australia.

This lively, springy, rarely used surname name has an interesting history. For the English, German, Dutch and Ashkenazic Jews it was a nickname for a lively person or traveling entertainer, deriving from the words springen/springhen/shpringen, and in English it's also a topographical name for someone living near the source of a stream. An unusual option if you're seeking an out-of-the-ordinary 'er'-ending name. Though for some it might bring to mind Jerry Springer, or a Spaniel.

A common unisex name in Nigeria. Kerry Washington used it as the middle name for her son Caleb.