No longer tied to the hapless Ace Ventura, this jaunty, high-flying nickname name is starting to take flight among celebrity and other parents, with its countless positive references to doing well in tests and poker games, on the tennis court and golf course, and in the air.
 Natalie Appleton, Tom Dumont, Jennie Finch, and Jessica Simpson all have little Aces. The best known grownup with the name is Ace Frehley, born Paul, one-time KISS guitarist.

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.

Acre

Agnes is the Latin variation of the name Hagne, which itself derived from the Greek word hagnos, meaning "chaste." In medieval times, St. Agnes was a very popular saint, leading to its popularity as a girl's name. Agnes Grey is the title of one of the two novels written by Anne Brontë.
 
Agnes, though it was the third most common English girls' name for four hundred years, has long been stuck in the attic. But now it looks like Agnes was so far out it's just about ready to come back in. It did look cute on a little girl in Despicable Me, and nickname Aggie has lots of retro appeal. 
 Agnes has also been making inroads in the celebrisphere—first actress Elisabeth Shue chose Agnes for her third child, and more recently Jennifer Connelly and Paul Bettany named their daughter Agnes Lark. 
 The French pronunciation—ahn-YEZ—could make it more attractive, but few Americans would comply. Other interesting variations: the Welsh Nesta, the Latin/Scandinavian Agneta, the Spanish Inez/Ines/Ynez, and the Scottish Senga—which happens to be Agnes spelled backwards.

Agnes

As flower names become more unique, so can gem names move beyond Ruby and Pearl to names like Topaz, Sapphire, and Peridot. Amethyst, the purple birthstone for February, has never been in the Top 1000, but could have some appeal, joining similarly-hued Violet and Lilac, all of which make great <a href="https://nameberry.com//list/614/names-for-aquarius-babies">names for Aquarius babies</a> or <a href="https://list/630/70-lovely-names-for-february-babies">names for February babies</a>.
 In the M.M. Kaye children's novel The Ordinary Princess, the protagonist is Princess Amethyst Alexandra Augusta Araminta Adelaide Aurelia Anne of Phantasmorani — Amy for short — who has been given the "gift" of ordinariness.

Amethyst

In Greek mytholgy, Antigone was the noble and courageous daughter of Oedipus, who acts as his guide after he blinds himself. Antigone is also the eponymous heroine of a play by Jean Anouilh.
 Despite her heroism, however, Antigone has not yet made it into the modern world, but with the increasing acceptance of longer, weightier Greek and Roman names, this could change.

Antigone

With mythological names rising, the handsome son of Zeus and god of medicine, music, and poetry among many other things might offer an interesting, if high-pressure, option. 
 
But if Romeo and Venus are now deemed baby-appropriate, why not Apollo? Olympic speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno might inspire some parents. And now that it's been chosen by Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale, it could take off as their first son's name—Kingston—has.
 Other cool associations include NASA's Apollo program, from 1961-72, that succeeded in putting the first humans on the moon when astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed their lunar module and walked on the moon's surface. There's also the historic Apollo Theatre in Harlem, on whose stage the careers of Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Artetha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, the Supremes, the Jackson 5, and countless others were launched.

Apollo

Araminta is an enchanting eighteenth-century invention familiar in Britain and just beginning to be discovered here. It was used in 1693 by William Congreve in his comedy The Old Bachelor, and in 1705 by the versatile Sir John Vanbrugh, architect of Blenheim Palace as well as a playwright, for his comedy The Confederacy.
 In the Enid Bagnold novel National Velvet, Araminta is the name of the central character's mother.

Araminta

Arlo, an unexpectedly popular name for boys these days, is also finding new life as a girls' name. The first name Arlo may be rooted in the surname Arlow or the place name Aherlow, meaning "between two highlands". As a surname, it also has roots in a place name meaning "rocky hill".

 Arlo is a name with several unexpected lives thanks to celebrity associations. It was first known as the name of folksinger Arlo Guthrie, son of Woody; then it was revived by television's "Justified" character Arlo Givens. Now it's been spun again as a girl's name first by actor Johnny Knoxville and then by celebrity couple Leighton Meester and Adam Brody, who chose it for their daughters, no doubt inspired by soundalike girl names like Harlow and Marlowe.

 Arlo Parks (born Anaïs Oluwatoyin Estelle Marinho) is an up-and-coming British singer-songwriter, winner of the Brit Award for best new artist and the Mercury Prize for album of the year in 2021. 

 A growing number of girls are named Arlo in the US each year, with a handful more babies of both sexes receiving the Arlow and Arlowe spellings, which take this cool retro name more into sleek surname territory.

Arlo

Ukrainian Artem (ar-TEM) and Russian Artyom/Artiom (which can also be transcribed as Artem, though still pronounced ar-TYOM in Russian) are ultimately derived from the name of the Greek goddess Artemis: goddess of the moon and hunting. The meaning of her name is unknown, though it may be related to the Greek for "safe" or for "butcher".

Artem

You might think Artemisia is the feminine form of the name, but in fact the original Artemis is feminine too, the name of the Greek mythological goddess of the moon.  Artemisia Gentileschi was an esteemed Italian Baroque painter, unusual in an era when not many women were acknowledged.  Artemisia is also a genus of plants which include sagebrush and tarragon.

Artemisia

Arto

Hot star Ashton Kutcher is pushing this unisex choice toward the boys' camp, but its variation Ashtyn is on the rise. 

Ashton

This Scandinavian name was made famous in English-speaking countries as the name of the dog in the "Thin Man" series.  Danish actress Asta Nielsen was another famous bearer. Asta can be considered as a short form of Astrid or Augusta.

Asta

A starry-eyed, intergalactic name, far rarer than Stella or Esther. It's attached both to a comic book character and to Princess Astra on "Doctor Who". 

Astra

Atlas is one of those names that was previously thought too powerful for a baby boy, who would have to be strong enough to carry the world on his shoulders. Now Atlas has joined the pantheon of Greek and Roman god and goddess names in the realm of possibility, along with Mars, Zeus and Apollo.

 Atlas was one of the fast-rising names on the list in recent years in the USA, jumping from oblivion in 2012 into the Top 500 in 2015, and climbing several hundred places higher since then. Anne Heche was one of the first to make this audacious choice, but several celebrity parents have followed suit.

 As well as the mythological connection, Atlas is a cool geographical word name – perfect for the child of parents who love traveling or who hail from different parts of the globe.

Atlas

Atticus, with its trendy Roman feel combined with the upstanding, noble image of Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird, is a real winner among <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boy names</a>. Atticus entered the US Top 1000 in 2004 and is a firm Nameberry favorite. 
 
The reason for the popularity of Atticus is less its ancient roots than Atticus Finch, the upstanding hero of To Kill A Mockingbird.. In fact so many people have been inspired by the character embodied by Gregory Peck that Atticus Finch was voted the greatest hero of American film by the American Film Institute. Harper Lee's recently-released novel Go Set a Watchman paints Atticus Finch in a less flattering light, though that doesn't seem to have impacted the rising popularity of the name.
 
Atticus derives from the Greek Attikos, meaning "from Attica," the Ancient Greek region that contained Athens. Atticus is a literary name in more ways than one. Before it became synonymous with Atticus Finch, the name Atticus was associated with Titus Pomponius Atticus, a Roman literary figure.
 Daniel Baldwin and Isabella Hoffman were ahead of the curve when they chose Atticus for their son born in 1996; since then Summer Phoenix and Casey Affleck named their little boy Atticus, and Tom Dumont made it the middle name for his son Rio.

Atticus

Crisp and colorful, Autumn is the most popular season name now -- the only one in the Top 100 in recent years -- with Autumn's coolness only surpassed by Winter. Jennifer Love Hewitt named her daughter Autumn James.

Autumn is one of those unusual names that's been popular for many years without ever becoming wildly overused, which can be a real plus if you're looking for a name that's familiar without being too trendy.

Autumn

Avalon, an island paradise of Celtic myth and Arthurian legend--it was where King Arthur was taken to recover from his wounds-- and also the colorful capital of the California island of Catalina-- makes a heavenly first name. Actress Rena Sofer and British musician Julian Cope used it for their daughters.
 Avalon manages to blend the appeal of Ava and Evelyn, while sounding more interesting and unique.

Avalon

Azalea is one of the fresher flower names, along with Zinnia and Lilac, that are new to the name bouquet — in fact, it entered the Social Security list for the first time in 2012. So if Lily and Rose are too tame for you, consider this brilliant pink springtime blossom with a touch of the unusual that has been growing in popularity. 
 Azalea is the name of the princess heroine of the novel Entwined, and, most recently, is connected to musical artist Iggy Azalea.

Azalea

Anthem

Arcade

Arnhem

Aster

Atwood

Avalanche

Axon

Although Disney's cute deer was a male, Bambi has always been used for girls. It first appeared on the charts in 1943, the year after the Disney movie was released. Bambi featured in the Top 1000 from 1954-1964 — a decade where girl names ending in I, like Lori and Teri, were big — and again from 1977-1982.
 
We once said that Bambi sounds far too flimsy to face the modern world, but the times are changing. Names that end in I are once again en vogue, and Love Island star Molly-Mae Hague recently named her daughter Bambi. It's too early to tell, but a Bambi renaissance may be upon us.

Bambi

An undiscovered option among occupational names, Banner has never been used for more than 100 baby boys in a single year. But Banner has undeniable charm, much due to its associations with fêtes and phrases like "a banner year".
 
Actor Jesse Eisenberg has a son named Banner, born in 2017.

Banner

A bit too bad-boy (think bars, beer, Harley) for us, as well as being the name of a grain. 

Barley

Like River and Lake, a cool, refreshing modern water-related choice. This name is also associated with bay leaves, the bay laurel, the contemporary term of endearment, "bae", and the Old English word beġ meaning "berry"

Blanche, which originated as a nickname for a pale blonde and then became associated with the notion of purity, was in style a century ago, ranking in the double digits until 1920. She then had to fight the stereotype of faded Southern belle, a la Blanche DuBois in Tennessee Williams's A Streetcar Named Desire and Blanche Devereaux in TV's Golden Girls. Now all three of the Golden Girls--Blanche, Rose and Dorothy--could be ready for revival, with Blanche sounding like a stronger, simpler alternative to Bianca.
 A saint's name, Blanche was a royal name in France by the twelfth century, then was brought to England by the French wife of Henry I. One possible powerful namesake is Blanche Scott, one of the original daredevil aviatrixes. You might also take its meaning to relate to snow, making it one of the perfect <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/89/winter-baby-names">winter baby names</a>.

Blanche

Originally a form of the saint's name Blaise, though now more likely to be a hot word name used for both sexes, though heavily weighted toward the boys. It has been in the boys' Top 1000 since the year 2000.
 br>On the pop culture side of things, Blaze Bayley is a singer and musician who has been connected to the bands Wolfsbane and Iron Maiden.

Blaze

Music legend David Bowie lends his adopted surname considerable charisma to this stylish <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/472/scottish-names-for-girls">Scottish name for girls</a> and boys. Born David Robert Jones, he changed his name to avoid confusion with The Monkees' Davy Jones. 

Another famous reference: Jim Bowie, an American hero of the Alamo, and the bowie knife's namesake. 

With girls answering to musically-inspired surnames like Marley and Lennon, Bowie has slowly started to appear on girls' birth certificates, too. Actor Jackson Rathbone has a daughter called Presley Bowie, and Dale DeHaan and Anna Wood named their daughter Bowie Rose.

Bowie

Out-of-the-way place name (it's an antiquated holiday spot on England's south coast) that might make a brilliant choice. Actor/director Jon Favreau named his daughter Brighton Rose.

Brighton

For centuries, this name had a romantic, windswept image due to its strong connection to the poet Lord Byron, who inspired its use as a first name. It is one of those surprise names that's appeared on the Top 1000 every year since 1880. 
 William Faulkner used Byron for characters in two of his novels--Light in August and The Town' It was seen as a character on Arrested Development (the real name of Buster), is the appellation of several high-scoring athletes, was given to his son by Lost 's Matthew Fox in 2001 and--trivia tidbit bonus--was James Dean's middle name.

Byron

Boston

Calla is a lily name that is much more distinctive and delicate than Lily. Rarely heard today, it did appear in the popularity lists in the last decades of the nineteenth century.
 Calla is the eponymous heroine of the Rebecca Wells novel The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder, and there's an English rock band called Her Name is Calla.
 Actress Mare Winningham named her daughter Calla way back in 1987.
Sound-alike Cala is an Arabic name meaning fortress.

Calla

Cannon sits amongst other weapon names like Colt, Pistol, Lance, and Remington. Definitely a name that offers bombast.

Cannon

Canyon is a <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/317/unique-baby-names">unique baby name</a> evocative of natural splendor and the old Steve Canyon comic-strip heroism, making it an intriguing new word-name possibility. 
 Similar but less word-like: Kenyon.

Canyon

Captain

Chet is an old-fashioned short form that, ala Ned and Joe, is starting to sound cool again.

Chet

Clementine is a Nameberry favorite that broke back into the US Top 1000 in 2014 after more than half a century off the list. 
 A female variation of the more-unusual Clement, Clementine's meaning suggests peace and happiness, a lovely image. Other girls' names with similar meanings include Beatrice, Felicity, Hilary, Arcadia, Irina, and Mercy.
 If "Oh, My Darlin'" still rings too loudly in your ears, consider pronouncing Clementine as Clementeen—or even using Clementina, which rhymes with Christina. Stylish Claudia Schiffer chose Clementine for her daughter, as did Ethan Hawke and Rachel Griffiths. 
 Kate Winslet played a character named Clementine in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. And for a kid reference—there's a Muppet named Clementine.

Clementine

A royal name in ancient Egypt that's never quite made it to the modern world, though nickname Cleo is widely used.  Other now-extinct Cleopatra diminutives, including Cleora and Cleola, achieved some popularity in the early 20th century when there was a crazy for all things Egypt-related as the ancient tombs were opened and artifacts displayed.  In the US, Cleopatra became a popular silent film in 1917 starring Theda Bara.

Cleopatra

Cliff is a familiar, timeless short form -- never too popular, yet widely known -- that you might also think of as a geographical name ala Vale or Field.

Cliff

Clover is a charming, perky choice if you want to move beyond hothouse blooms like Rose and Lily, and it's recently become a new celeb favorite, chosen by both Neal McDonough and Natasha Gregson Wagner, who used it to honor her mother, Natalie Wood, one of whose most iconic films was Inside Daisy Clover. 
 Clover also has a long association with good luck, via the four-leaf clover, and through the shamrock symbol of Ireland. It first came to wide notice via a couple of soap opera characters.
 In the movie The Good Shepherd , Angelina Jolie's character is called Clover--but her birth name was actually Margaret.

Clover

Even among the range of blue names on the current baby naming palette -- Blue itself, Azure, Cerulean, Teal, Aqua, Cyan, Indigo -- Cobalt remains the most unusual, not to mention the most masculine.

Cobalt

Colt is the kind of unconventionally macho name that is so trendy right now, because of or in spite of its association with horses and guns. 
 Samuel Colt was the inventor and industrialist credited with popularizing the revolver.
 Colt is a perfect jock name, associated both with Washington Redskins quarterback Colt McCoy and an entire football team, the Indianapolis Colts.

Colt

More unique than Cooper, and a favorite among pet parents. Copper was the loveable bloodhound from Disney's Fox and the Hound. Keep in mind that Copper is also slang for a policeman. 

Copper

Cove is an up-and-coming nature name whose cool sound and peaceful image saw it rising for both sexes... until COVID-19 hit. It remained steady in use for boys in 2021, but actually increased for girls, although it remains a seriously rare and distinctive choice for either gender. 

Cove

This elegant surname has great potential to turn into an unusual first name, especially with its literary associations to both Stephen and Hart Crane.
 Crane is a surname that originated for a tall man with long, thin legs. It can now be seen as one of the newly stylish bird names, like Wren and Lark, and could fit in well with future classmates Zane, Kane, Dane, Lane, Rain--and Jane.

Crane

Crescent is an intriguing word name with a pretty sound and links to the moon. Cressie could make for a cute nickname, as used in the Worst Witch children's TV series, short for Crescentmoon.

Crescent

Cobain

Corduroy

Creedence

A name with a bit of glamor but also cowgirl vibes, Dallas entered the US Top 1000 for girls in 1992. It fell out of style during noughties, but reappeared in 2012 when other gender neutral names like River, Sawyer, Rowan, and Blake were also climbing fast. 

Perhaps most obviously associated with the city in Texas, Dallas is also a Scottish place name with the meaning "meadow dwelling"; an English surname, meaning "valley house" and possibly an Irish name, meaning "skilled, assembly, council, or, blindness" depending on the translation
 
Currently given to around 480 girls each year, Dallas does lean more masculine - not surprising perhaps, since it's been in the US Top 500 for boys since name records began in 1880. Given to nearly three times as many boys as girls, this still makes the name, statistically, a solidly unisex option.

Dallas

Melodic and lively, Delilah has cut itself (mostly) free from its treacherous past to become a contemporary favorite. 
Though some people are naturally still put off by the deceptive Biblical figure, a large number of parents have been tempted by Delilah’s charms, meaning it now ranks in the Top 100 in the US, the UK, and Australia. 
Delilah is a Hebrew name, meaning “weak and languishing”, or, more appealingly, “delicate.” In the Old Testament, Delilah was the lover of Samson, but she betrayed him by cutting off the source of his strength – his hair – before handing him over to his enemies. 
Despite this negative namesake, Delilah has been occasionally used in the English-speaking world since the 1600’s when it was revived by the Puritans. 
It danced in and out of the charts during the 20th century, but by the mid 2000’s, it began to make significant gains. By 2018, it was in the Top 100, where it’s continued to rise ever since. 
With its alluring cadence, Delilah has been a hit in the music world. Camille Saint-Saens composed an opera based on the Biblical story in the 1880’s, while Tom Jones saw success in the 60’s with his song “Delilah.” 
Other artists who have sung about her include Queen, Chuck Berry, Sufjan Stevens, and Florence and the Machine, though it was after the release of the Plain White T’s song, “Hey there Delilah” that the name really jumped up the charts in 2007. 
Actors Harry Hamlin and Lisa Rinna were well ahead of the trend when they named their daughter Delilah back in 1998, and since then, it’s been a sparkling choice for celebrities. Kimberly Stewart, Benicio del Toro, Laurence Fishburne, Gina Torres, and Keira Knightley are among those who’ve selected Delilah for their daughters. 
Given to nearly 4000 babies every year, Delilah is still on the rise, while its international form, Dalila, remains popular in Italy and Bosnia and Herzegovina. 
If the sparkly, energetic sounds of Delilah do appeal to you, but the popularity or associations don’t sit right, then you could consider Tallulah, Keziah, Alaia, Azura, Talitha, or Fifer.

Delilah

Fresh, bright, and sunny, Della could be an alternative to Ella, Delilah, or Adeline. Familiar but not yet overused, it combines the elements of contemporary favorites with vintage charm.
 
With its noble meaning and associations with delight, Della was a popular choice in the 19th century and remained so up until the 1930s, when it slowly began to fall out of favor. It disappeared from the Top 1000 in 1978, but, after an absence of 40 years, it re-entered the charts in 2018.
 
This reappearance was perhaps partly inspired by actress and singer Della Reese, who died in 2017. This could have brought the name to the attention of a new generation of parents, and it has been climbing the US charts ever since. 
 
As a diminutive of Adela or Adelaide (or perhaps Delphine, Madeline, or Idella), Della fits into the trend of nicknames as proper names, blending well with the likes of Mila, Josie, and Nora.
 
As of 2023, it is given to around 450 girls in the US each year and may well be one to watch out for. A small caution, however, is that della does mean "from the" in Italian.

Della

Dune is a name of several layers. It's a modern nature name, like Ocean, Bay and Reef, although rarer, conjuring up images of breezy sand dunes on summer beach days.
 
It's also assocated with Frank Herbert's Dune iconic series of sci-fi novels. The name increased in popularity in 2021, when the most recent movie adaptation was released.

Dune

Dali

Darwin

Dion

Dusk

Easton is a stylish Ivy League-ish place and surname name, more modern than Weston, on its way up for both sexes as part of the new direction baby names are taking, as in North and West. Easton was used for her son by Jenna Elfman--and by Elizabeth Rohm for her daughter.
 Easton came onto the popularity list at Number 921 in 1995, and is now solidly in the Top 100.

Easton

Easton is a stylish Waspy-sounding surname that's climbing up the popularity charts. TV actress Elisabeth Rohm named her daughter Easton August Anthony, which seemed like a real gender bender, and now Rachel Leigh Cook has made it the middle name of her baby Charlotte.
Note that Easton is now in the Top 100 for boys--for whom directional names are a real trend-- but we won't be surprised to see more and more little lady Eastons arriving.

Echo, the pretty, resonant name of a legendary nymph, was the heroine of Joss Whedon's sci-fi series Dollhouse. Nick Hexum, of the band 311, named his daughter Echo Love.
 In the Greek myth, Echo was a nymph whose unrequited love for Narcissus caused her to fade away until all that was left was the sound of her voice. Obviously, a name with a lot of reverberations.

Echo

Though the tragedies of the Greeks and Eugene O'Neill that used this name are filled with incest and murder, Electra is still a brilliant choice. Isabella Rossellini chose the gentler Italian verson, Elettra, for her now grown daughter.


Electra

Unlike Amber, which is in decline, this name still has a bit of a glow left -- though confusions between the two will inevitably arise.

Ember entered the Top 1000 in 2009 and has risen steadily in the years since. The Em beginning can make it an original route to the nickname Emmy.

Ember

This popular Turkish name has a very on-trend sound and is familiar to English speakers thanks to Orson Scott Card’s sci-fi novel Ender’s Game. The book has recently been turned into a movie, starring Asa Butterfield as Andrew "Ender" Wiggin.
 
Ender was chosen by Halsey and her partner Alev Aydin for their son born in 2021. It was an ideal choice for the couple, nodding to their love of Sci-Fi (Ender's middle name is Ripley) and Aydin's Turkish heritage.

Ender

With "Eve" and "Ever" names trending in a big way, The Hunger Games heroine Katniss Everdeen’s surname definitely has first-name potential for adventurous parents. It was chosen as a nod to
Bathsheba Everdene, the central character of Thomas Hardy’s Far From the Madding Crowd; according to the author Suzanne Collins: "The two are very different, but both struggle with knowing their hearts".

Everdeen

A twist on the standard Everett takes it to lofty heights. The snow-capped Everest would surely stand out in a classroom, yet has an acceptable name-like feel. 

Everest

Evie was derived from Eve, which in turn comes from Chawwah, a Hebrew name related to the concept of life. Evie can be used as a nickname for any name that starts with Ev-, including Eva, Evelyn, and Evangeline, but also for names such as Genevieve and Maeve. Evie is typically pronounced with a long E sound, but a short E is also valid.
 
In the land of the nickname name, otherwise known as the UK, where diminutives like Freddie, Millie, Maisie, Alfie and Ollie are all the rage, Evie is a highly popular choice. In the US, she entered the popularity ranks in 2007 for the first time since 1941, appreciated for its energy and spunk.

Evie's star has been on the rise in the US, but her popularity here still lags behind that in the rest of the English-speaking world. Evie is a Top 100 name throughout the British Isles, in Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.

Princess Evie is the deuteragonist, or second most important character, in Disney's Descendants franchise. She is the daughter of the Evil Queen.
 Natalie Portman played an Evie in V for Vendetta and Rachel Weiss bore it in The Mummy.
 Evie, of course, can stand on its own, but its diminutive origins put it firmly in the ranks of <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/508/cute-baby-names-for-girls">cute baby names</a>

Evie

Endry

Evani

Farah is a soft and lovely Arabic name, best known here in this original spelling via the last Empress of Iran, Farah Palavi. It's currently a Top 250 name in both France and the Netherlands, which both have a large Arabic-speaking population, and appears in at least two video games.
 
The variant spelling Farrah had a brief moment of popularity when Farrah Fawcett burst onto the scene in Charlie's Angels in 1976: her name shot up to Number 177 the following year, and after many years off the charts, it's back at Number 780 thanks to a Teen Mom named Farrah. Farrah Fawcett claimed that her mother made up the name because she thought it went well with their surname.

Farah

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

Fielder

Fleet is one of the uncountable number of new word name possibilities, and a particularly cool choice at that.  Connoting speed, Fleet beats Rush any day.  Might be short for Fleetwood, but we prefer it on its own.

Fleet

Fleur is a generic, delicate flower name that emigrated into the English-speaking world when John Galsworthy bestowed it on one of the Forsytes in his celebrated saga. More recently, there was Fleur Delacour, a French witch and the Beauxbatons champion for the Triwizard Tournament in Harry Potter. 
 Fleur is currently in the Top 100 in Belgium and the Netherlands, home of the tulip and other fleurs.

Fleur

Flint is one of the new macho names on the rise today, part old-school tough guy, part rebel. You won't find a tougher, steelier-sounding name; it's part of a genre on the rise along with cousins Slate, Stone and Steel. 
 Flint found itself on the popularity list for a few years in 1959-60, but would prove a distinctive choice today.
 Flint has superhero overtones--there's one in "Spiderman"--aka Sandman--and Captain Flint was a Marvel comic, and Flint is both a legendary pirate and a parrot in Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island. But on the softer side, there's also inventor Flint Lockwood in Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs.

Flint

Foster is one commonly heard last name that makes a fine first. The word foster means "to nourish" — as in "fostering hope", or "fostering a relationship". The only problem with Foster might be its association with "foster child."
 There are numerous notable last-named Fosters, including composer Stephen, actresses Jodie and Sutton, architect Norman, and comic strip artist Hal, creator of "Prince Valiant."

Foster

Firefly

Fiver

Astrological sign with enough rhythm to make a plausible astral name. 

Gemini

More Sadie than Sadie, this old canasta player--somewhat modernized and energized by Goldie Hawn--looks like it could be making a comeback. It was recently chosen for her daughter by Ione Skye and Ben Lee, as well as by shoemeister Steve Madden.
 Goldie was one of those saucy nickname mainstays from the late 1800's through the 1940's, topping at Number 114 in 1904-05, then sliding off the list completely in 1958.
 Goldie Clemens is a major character on the TV show The New Normal.

Goldie

The girls have Violet and Scarlet and Ruby and Rose, but for the boys there's a much more limited palette of color names. Grey/Gray is one exception, which could make for a soft and evocative—if slightly somber—choice, especially in the middle. Kaitlin Olson and Rob McElhenney named their son Leo Grey. 
 A common surname, Grey/Gray is still an unusual first name choice (it entered the Top 1000 for the first time in 2013), while longer forms Grayson and Greyson are climbing rapidly. Grey is a color associated with the sign of Virgo, so Grey, Gray, and Grayson are perfect <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/zodiac-baby-names-ideas-for-your-virgo-babe">names for Virgo babies</a>.
 The best known bearer of the name, former Governor Gray Davis of California, was born Joseph Graham Davis, Jr, and others with Grey/Gray names include Graydon Carter, editor of Vanity Fair, and Grayer, the child in The Nanny Diaries.
 It's worth noting the connection to Christian Grey, of E. L. James's Fifty Shades of Grey. Do with that what you will.

Grey

Glacier

This highly unusual name -- the Halycyone was a mythic bird who could calm the seas -- conjures up images of utter peace and tranquility because of the phrase "Halycon days"...and the sleeping pill. 

Halcyon

Jean Harlow (born Harlean Carpenter), the original platinum blonde bombshell, was a symbol of 1930s glamour, a factor that first Patricia Arquette and then Nicole Richie and Joel Madden probably had in mind when they gave their daughters the distinctive surname name Harlow. 
 It hit the Top 1000 for the first time in 2009, one year after the arrival of Ms. Madden. Harlow would fit right in with contemporaries Arlo and Marlow(e).

Harlow

Harvest has been occasionally used as a name since the eighteenth century, originally as evenly unisex, though it tips a bit in the girls' direction in the contemporary US. Given the rise of such <a href="https://nameberry.com/popular-names">popular baby names</a> as Harper and August, plus new word names from Heaven to True, Harvest sounds more possible now than ever.

Harvest

Haze

Heathcliff is the name of the original passionate macho hero of Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights, and also of the cartoon cat. It was chosen by fashionista Lucy Sykes for her son, and inspired the late Heath Ledger's name. But otherwise it's barely used, and perhaps a bit much of a namesake. For a modern boy we'd recommend Heath....or Cliff.

Heathcliff

The chic Euro spelling of Henry is rising along with the original form.

Henri

Has that blunt masculine feel -- à la Cole and Kyle -- that many modern parents are drawn to. 

Holt

Horizon

Hurricane is a storm, but it's also an <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/519/american-baby-names">American name</a>, thanks to rising tennis star Hurricane Black -- whose sister's name is Tornado. There's no reason this tempestuous choice can't work for boys too, inasfar as the name can work for any child. As a name, Hurricane is definitely original and attention-getting, but is it a name you'd want to carry around for life?

Hurricane

Harbour

This Yaygir Aboriginal name is the name of two towns in Australia and is also occasionally spotted as a name. Meaning "by the sea" the name is perfect for beach-going families.

Iluka

Indiana is one of those place-names (think Camden and Trenton) that sounds cooler than the place that inspired it. Its fashionable -ana ending certainly sounds eminently name-like, and Indie/Indy/Indi is one of the hottest <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/220/nicknames-for-girls">nickname names for girls</a> right now.

Indiana

This form of Agnes, Ines has always been popular since the true story of the thwarted lovers Queen Ines of Castro and King Peter of Portugal. This has to be one of the most heartbreaking and bloody true romances in history!

Prince Peter fell in love with the beautiful and lovely Ines, but their relationship was forbidden by his father King Afonso. Peter (who had been married) became a widow and planned to marry Ines, but this too was disallowed. When Peter followed her into exile, Afonso ordered Ines to be murdered in front of her own child. Distraught, Peter hunted her murderers down and ripped the hearts out of their bodies, claiming they did not have any hearts. When he later came to the throne, Peter made Ines his queen, exhumed her body and made the court vow allegiance to her.

Ines recently achieved new prominence in the US as the name of the second daughter of actors Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds.

Inez is the Spanish spelling.

Ines

indiehappy's list "BADASS UNIQUE NAMES" of 228 great name ideas: Ace - Zellan!

BADASS UNIQUE NAMES

A bunch of crazy, badass, cute, quirky and unique monikers for the future generations. May not be everyone's cup of tea, but I personally swoon over these.