Unique Word Names for Babies

  1. Cassava
    • Origin:

      Nature name
    • Description:

      Better known as Tapioca, Cassava makes an innovative way to get to the nicknames Cass or Cassie.
  2. Arabesque
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Meaning:

      "ornate design"
    • Description:

      Fanciful, edging toward bizarre.
  3. Velveteen
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "soft fabric"
    • Description:

      A fabric name, or an unusual literary option, inspired by The Velveteen Rabbit.
  4. Horizon
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      A name with vision.
  5. Spur
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "galvanize, encourage; mountainous ridge"
  6. Tundra
    • Origin:

      Geographical name
    • Description:

      With geographical features like Savannah and Sierra and increasingly getting the baby-name treatment, could icy Tundra also see some use? It's only appeared six times on the Social Security rankings, all in the 1960s and 70s.
  7. Flux
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "flow"
  8. Camber
    • Origin:

      English from Latin
    • Meaning:

      "curved inwards"
    • Description:

      Part Cameron, part Amber, Camber may be a new name but it feels right for our times. As a word, camber means a slightly arched surface.
  9. Paladin
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "of the palace"
    • Description:

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

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "the earthy scent of fresh rain on dry ground"
    • Description:

      A poetic choice.
  11. Glacier
    • Origin:

      Nature name, French
    • Meaning:

      "ice"
    • Description:

      Nature names are often associated with Spring and Summer, but Glacier is ideal for a winter baby.
  12. Poetry
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Meaning:

      "literary form with distinctive style, rhythm, and line breaks; as beautiful as a poem"
    • Description:

      A lyrical choice with a similar feel to Story and Posy and a similar sound to Penelope. It might refer to either a work of poetry, a collection of poems, or something that is comparable to the beauty often associated with poetry as a form.
  13. Camp
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Meaning:

      "a place of temporary accommodation; deliberately theatrical and exaggerated"
    • Description:

      The word name Camp fits into the trendy Woodsy category for boys. While it was given to only 14 baby boys in 2023, that's a 1000 percent increase over 2022, which indicates a name on the way up.
  14. Viper
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "snake"
    • Description:

      As cool as it is frightening.
  15. Temple
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "dweller near the temple"
    • Description:

      Rather formal word name that has been used occasionally over the years, most notably for the autism activist and animal expert Temple Grandin.
  16. Fairweather
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "good weather"
    • Description:

      A sunny-sounding surname or an adjective meaning "only when the going's good" – as in, a fairweather friend.
  17. Tourmaline
    • Origin:

      French gem name
    • Meaning:

      "colorful jewel"
    • Description:

      An elaborate and shiny choice.
  18. Novel
    • Origin:

      English from Latin
    • Meaning:

      "new"
    • Description:

      A literary twist on rising star Nova, derived from the same Latin word.
  19. Hanalei
    • Origin:

      Hawaiian
    • Meaning:

      "crescent bay or garland valley"
    • Description:

      An appealing Hawaiian name which belongs to a town, river and bay on Kauaʻi island in Hawaii. The two possible meanings of the name, "crescent bay" or "garland (lei) valley" both describe the beauty of the place.
  20. Dittany
    • Origin:

      Plant name from French
    • Meaning:

      "grown on Mount Dikte"