Uncommon but useable names
- Haddie
- Hastings
- Ike
Origin:
Diminutive of IsaacDescription:
Ike, once the quirky one-person nickname of President Dwight Eisenhower, has morphed into a cool kid nickname of the early 21st century.
- Jabari
Origin:
SwahiliMeaning:
"comforter, bringer of consolation"Description:
Coolly attractive African name, with distinguished representatives in sports and literature. Jabari has been on the rise recently, returning to the US Top 1000 in 2023.
- Jago
Origin:
Spanish and Cornish variation of JacobMeaning:
"supplanter"Description:
Jago is a dashing alternative to overused favorite Jacob.
- Jessa
Origin:
Short form of JessicaDescription:
Once rare, this streamlined form of Jessica has been boosted by two very different television figures: the Jemima Kirke character on HBO series Girls, and reality television daughter Jessa Duggar.
- Jory
Origin:
Cornish variant of George, or diminutive of JordanDescription:
A rarely-used name even in its native Cornwall, Jory nevertheless feels very wearable, thanks to its similarity to familiar picks like Rory, Corey and Joey. Jory Cassel is a minor character in the first season of Game of Thrones.
- Karina
Origin:
Scandinavian, German, Polish, and Russian variation of CarinaDescription:
This sweet and loving name, favored in recent years by a mix of Hispanic-American parents and Bob Dylan fans, was chosen for her daughter by TV actress Melina Kanakaredes.
- Katerina
Origin:
Macedonian, Czech, Russian, Bulgarian, and Greek form of KatherineDescription:
Katerina and its near-identical twin Katarina have a pleasingly lilting European sound, though for some Americans they may be uncomfortably close to Katrina, which will be linked for a long time to the hurricane that devastated New Orleans.
- Kenna
Origin:
Scottish, feminine form of KennethDescription:
Kenna is the Scottish version of Kendra, both of which are feminine versions of Kenneth. Used in the TV show Reign for one of the supporting characters.
- Kian
Origin:
Irish; PersianMeaning:
"ancient; king"Description:
A friendly Irish and Persian name chosen by Geena Davis for one of her twin boys, whose father is Iranian.
- Langston
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"tall man's town"Description:
The great African-American Harlem Renaissance writer Langston Hughes put this one on the map; actor Laurence Fishburne adopted it for his now grown son, born in 1987. Despite these popular associations, the name didn't make it into the US Top 1000 until 2013. This name is even less used in England or Wales, where as recently as 2014 no births were registered using this name.
- Luella
Origin:
Spelling variation of LouellaMeaning:
"battle famous fairy maiden"Description:
Luella is a sleeker spelling variant of the girls' name Louella and is now more popular than the original. Sweet, but lively, it was a popular name in the the early 19th century, but fell out of favor in the 50s. Now, after a 60 year absence, it's back in the charts, in the US and the UK.
- Luna
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"moon"Description:
The name of the Roman goddess of the moon, Luna is derived straight from the Latin word for moon, luna. Luna may be the name most likely to surprise someone from an older generation by its Top 10 status in the US and its widespread international popularity.
- Maelie
Origin:
BretonMeaning:
"Princess"Description:
The French Miley? This trendy choice from Brittany, which is pronounced either as Miley or May-lee, is related to the traditional (male) saint's name Mael, traditionally feminized as Maelle.
- Maude
Origin:
English and French diminutive of Matilda, GermanMeaning:
"battle-mighty"Description:
Maude, also spelled Maud, is a lacy, mauve-tinted name that was wildly popular a hundred years ago, but has been rarely heard in the past fifty. Some stylish parents are starting to choose it again, especially as a middle.
- Nellie
Origin:
Diminutive of Helen, Eleanor, et alDescription:
This ready-for-revival nickname name recalls the old Gay Nineties and bicycles-built-for-two era. In the US, Nellie is one of the most popular unique girl names, lying just beneath the Top 1000. About five times as many baby girls are named Nellie in the US today as shorter form Nell.
- Nico
Origin:
Italian, diminutive of NicolaMeaning:
"people of victory"Description:
A much more dynamic nickname than Nicky for any of the Nic-names. Nico was chosen by Thandiwe Newton for her daughter.
- Noaz
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"bold"Description:
Love the popular Noah but want to make it more distinctive? You can vary it to Noam, and going all the way to Noaz takes it from distinctive to unique.
- Otto
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"wealthy"Description:
Otto is cool again. Long a quintessential Old Man Name, Otto has been promoted to trending darling of adventurous baby namers.