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Unique Word Names for Babies

Emma Waterhouse
By Emma Waterhouse
Updated Fri Feb 02 2024
Unique Word Names for Babies

Our favorite unique word names for babies include those that are used in very small numbers, like Samurai and Solstice, as well as those that have never appeared on the US baby names list at all, like Epoch and Everglade. None of the 200 original word names in this list has ever been given to more than 15 babies in any given year.

Along with Solstice and Everglade, other unique nature names for babies that make this list include Acre and Apricity, Fennel and Freesia, Pinto and Pipistrelle. Unique geographical names we think have great baby name potential include Bayou, Islet and Caldera. And rare modern virtue names like Kindred, Parity and Zeal set the right tone for the 2020s and beyond.

If you love word baby names but want to look beyond the obvious Rue and Rose, this list of uncommon and unconventional word name ideas compiled by our wonderful Berry community is for you! Names are ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.

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Unique Names

Word Names

  1. Luxury

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "extravagance, opulence"

    • Description:

      A particularly opulent way to get to the nickname Lux (or Luxe).
  2. Suede

    • Origin:

      French, word name

    • Meaning:

      "Swedish"

    • Description:

      In the nineties there was a "One Life to Live" soap opera character named Suede, but few fans picked up on it. Now however, parents may be reconsidering Suede, given its similarity in sound to Sage, Wade, and Zade and the recent interest in Denim, and unique word names more generally.
  3. Tempest

    • Origin:

      English word name

    • Meaning:

      "turbulent, stormy"

    • Description:

      Tempest is one of those names that could go either way. Cool, evocative modern word name? Or asking for trouble? Your call, but if you decide the former image is dominant, be warned that some people will see it as the latter.
  4. Sonder

    • Origin:

      Invented name

    • Meaning:

      "the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own"

    • Description:

      A neologism coined for the 2012 Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, which aims to come up with new terms for emotions that currently lack words
  5. Apricity

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "the warmth of the sun in winter"

    • Description:

      Part-April, part-Felicity, but with the wonderfully whimsical feel of Serendipity. Apricity debuted in the US charts for the first time in 2022.
  6. Solstice

    • Origin:

      English from Latin

    • Meaning:

      "when the sun stands still"

    • Description:

      Solstice graduated from word to official first name when author Lionel Shriver used it for a character in her novel Big Brother. But of course, there were people named Solstice before: 16 baby girls were given the name in the US in 2021 (and it is occasionally used for boys too).
  7. Selkie

    • Origin:

      Scottish

    • Meaning:

      "seal folk"

    • Description:

      A mystical name with a watery feel to it, selkies are mythical creatures that resemble seals in the water but assume human form on land. Appearing in Scottish folklore, their name comes from the word selch meaning "gray seal".
  8. Acre

    • Origin:

      English word name

    • Meaning:

      "a unit of land area equal to 4,840 square yards"

    • Description:

      Acre feels at home with other modern, fresh word names like Rumor, Snow and Ace. But with the feeling of wide open spaces and nature, Acre also offers a softer, earthier tone that will appeal to those seeking a unique name with a distinctly Americana feel.
  9. Whimsy

    • Origin:

      English word name

    • Meaning:

      "whimsical or fanciful"

    • Description:

      Whimsy is a new entry to the ever-expanding word name lexicon, sister for Pixie and Bliss. While it has an undeniable offbeat English aristocratic charm (maybe we're thinking of Dorothy Sayers' fictional detective Lord Peter Wimsey, whose middle name was Death?), we see this as more fitting for a middle than a first name.
  10. Cormorant

    • Origin:

      English from Latin

    • Meaning:

      "sea raven"

    • Description:

      Cormorant is definitely one of the most unusual of the newly fashionable animal names, and one of the rare bird names for boys.
  11. Elysian

    • Origin:

      Latin from Greek

    • Meaning:

      "of Elysium; blissful"

    • Description:

      The Elysian Fields of Greek mythology was the home of the afterlife for the blessed. As spiritual names and mythological names continue to rise, Elysian is a name to watch.
  12. Lazuli

    • Origin:

      Persian place name

    • Description:

      Now deeply associated with the gemstone Lapis Lazuli, Lazuli is derived from one of the places where the stone was first mined. The word Lazuli is the root for words like azure. Lapis Lazuli is a deep and rich blue color and was used for pigments and jewellery. Lazuli can be used for a boy or a girl.
  13. Serendipity

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "unexpected good fortune"

    • Description:

      A unique virtue name with a sound as happy and lively as its meaning.
  14. Comet

    • Origin:

      Nature name

    • Description:

      Soaring astral name has a great gender-free feel. It also has a pleasing christmas connotation, courtesy of the reindeer listed in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
  15. Nightingale

    • Origin:

      Bird name from German

    • Meaning:

      "night singer"

    • Description:

      Charming nature name made even more appealing by the connection to iconic nurse and statistician Florence Nightingale.
  16. Zircon

    • Origin:

      Gem name from Greek

    • Meaning:

      "gold-hued"

    • Description:

      Although Zircon means "gold-hued," the gem comes in a variety of colors.
  17. Madrigal

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "song for unaccompanied voices"

    • Description:

      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.
  18. Minnow

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "small fish"

    • Description:

      This adorable fish name debuted on the baby name charts in 2020, inspired by a young girl character in the Netflix movie Love and Monsters. Minnow resembles well-established girl names Minnie, Willow, and Marlowe.
  19. Aeolian

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "of or arising from the wind"
  20. Pearl

    • Origin:

      Latin gemstone name

    • Meaning:

      "pearl"

    • Description:

      While Pearl is predominantly used as a feminine name, it ranked in the US Top 1000 for boys from the 1880s until the 1930s, reaching the Top 200 on several occasions. Pearl fell out of style in general back in the 80s, but has been making a resurgence for girls in recent years.

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