Starlight Sailor

Sophisticated Gallic version of Lucian, Lucien may appeal to parents attracted to this meaning over that of Lucas and Luke, which have a different root, and also looking for a more unusual choice.

An Old Testament name with a Gaelic lilt, Malachi entered the list in 1987.

Adventurous parents are starting to look back to names of ancient gods like Mercury, Zeus, and Apollo. This one is also a planet and a metallic element, and has a friendly nickname, Merc. The Roman god Mercury, which derives from the Latin words for trade or wages, is the patron of tradesmen and travelers and the fastest-moving planet in the solar system. Mercury is the planet associated with the sign of Virgo, so this is one of the prime names for Virgo babies.

In geography, a meridian is a line drawn around the curve of the Earth between the North and South Poles. The term comes from Latin meridianus, meaning "pertaining to midday", and the association with midday has led to the word gaining an added figurative meaning of "pinnacle; culmination".

A common family name in Scotland, occasionally used as a first.

A relatively popular Arabic name that featured in the French Top 500 for much of the second half of the 20th century and into the 21st. It is also used as a given name in Turkey, Iran and Israel, as well as being a relatively common surname (also spelled Nader). Notable bearers include an 18th century Shah of Iran, a 19th century King of Afghanistan and a former Prime Minister of Jordan.

The meaning makes this name interesting, but the sound is too related to nemesis.

One of the best known early Nemos was the captain in Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea, while the more familiar modern one is the animated little orange fish in the Disney movie. Unusual name well worth considering. By the way, there is also a Shakespearean Nemo and one in Dickens's Bleak House. An enchanting early comic strip by Winsor McCay was called Little Nemo.

This Roman mythology (and planet) name would be very hard to handle. It derives from a root meaning cloud.

Rhythmic and intriguingly unusual.

A lot of attention was drawn to this name when Kim Kardashian and Kanye West announced it as the name of their baby daughter, making it instantly unisex.

Nature names like Ocean and River are flowing back into favor, especially with nature lovers and green-oriented parents.

Orion is a rising star, with both mythical and celestial overtones.

Name of the legendary ancient Greek poet and musician — whose music was so beautiful it made trees dance and rivers stop to listen — would provide a child with a challenging but indelible identity.

In the past, Orson has felt like a one-person moniker, tied to film director Orson Welles, who dropped his given name of George in favor of his more distinctive middle. While the Citizen Kane creator seemed to own the name during his lifetime, it's now an interesting possibility for any parent seeking an unusual yet solid name. It's started to appear to the celeb set too -- both Paz Vega and Lauren Ambrose have little Orsons.

Shakespeare's moor has exclusive ownership of this name.