Truly Unusual Names for girls and boys

This Hindi name for the fifth element, related to the male Akash which means "open sky," was used by Anne Rice in her Vampire Chronicles.

This lovely name from Spenser's The Faerie Queene is borne by a character who represents married love. A related unusual-yet-usable choice: Amabel.

Fanciful, edging toward bizarre.

Ayat is a Quranic name for girls that literally translates to "sign" or "clue" but in the context of the name, it refers to signs of God, manifestations of the divine, or verses from the Quran. In Islamic tradition, Ayat al-Kursi, or "The Throne Verse", is considered the greatest in the Quran and is often displayed and memorised, giving this name a powerful feel.

This medieval sounding name is a modern invention, used in the video game Final Fantasy.

Belden is a little-used surname-name that might work in this age of Belles.

Cyane is a mythological Sicilian nymph who lived in a pool and whose name is an intriguing twist on the color name trend.

A Damian relative and the name of an ancient Spanish pope with modern possibilities.

Obscure, though legitimate, name that could be used to honor a relative named Barton or Martin.

Drexel is an occupational surname but the original meaning of what a person who "turned" for a living actually did is unclear: It may mean turning the soil or making hay or spinning cloth or creating decorative objects. With the rise of the similar-sounding Dexter, Drexel might catch on.

A warm-sounding word and virtue name used by the Puritans and still popular in parts of Africa, especially in the Favour spelling.

Ghislaine still sounds unusual to us, even though in France this name is dated. It can also be spelled Ghislain.

A name with an obvious meaning, for a long time associated with Golda Meir, the fourth Prime Minister of Israel. Nickname Goldie seems to be catching on in the celebrity community.

A rare name in Thailand.

A worldly and attractive choice for a child of any background. Two early New World explorers were Hernandos — de Soto and Cortés.

Like a large proportion of traditional Hawaiian names, Hoku can be used for both girls and boys.