Adventurous parents-to-be who are interested in an unexpected and out of the ordinary baby names have a lot of choices these days, as unusual and surprising baby names are all the rage. Move over Anne and Michael, unique baby names like Adelia and Magnus are here to stay. Whether you’re seeking a baby name that stands out from the rest of the playground crowd or one that reflects your child’s individuality, we’ve got a variety of unique baby names to help you in your search. Read on for 100+ best unique baby girl names and unique baby boy names.

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Unique baby names that start with A

  1. Anise—meaning spice, this tasty name is the main ingredient in licorice!
  2. Adelia—If you love Ava and Abigail, this vintage name is more distinctive.
  3. Auden— in Old English, this name means “old friend”.
  4. Alma—This soulful name of Latin origin means “nurturing”.
  5. Abra—Love magic? This name is for you. It’s also the feminine version of Abraham.
  6. Amara—A multicultural name with various meanings, among them “immortal” and “peaceful”.
  7. Angelica— Fans of Broadway’s Hamilton will love this name, which means “angel” or “angelic” and is ofItalian, Polish, Russian origin.
  8. Ansel—from the photographer Ansel Adams to actor Ansel Elgort, this creative name is a sure bet.
  9. Arden—Of English origin meaning “Valley of the Eagle”, we love the unisex appeal of this name.
  10. Artemis—A fighter and Greek goddess of the hunt, but whose name has a strong unisex feel.
  11. Asa—A cross-cultural, unisex name which means “healer” and “born in the morning”.

Related: 75+ gender-neutral baby names

Unique baby names that start with B

  • Baldwin—Meaning “brave friend” in German, and perfect for fans of James Baldwin.
  • Bronwin—We endorse any name that sounds like it came from Wuthering Heights.
  • Bear—Once-unlikely animal name both cuddly and strong, gaining real traction.
  • Bishop—Of English origin, meaning “guardian”.
  • Blue—Queen Bey may have started a trend with hue-themed names, and we are all for it.
  • Booker—Future wordsmith? Or English origin, this name means “scribe”.

Unique baby names that start with C

  1. Cassia—A feminine take on newly-trendy Cassius and Cassian, with a spicy meaning (from Latin meaning “cinnamon”).
  2. Colson—Derived from the name Nicholas, this name means “People of Victory”.
  3. Cora—A pretty name of Greek origin meaning “fair”.
  4. Cordelia—A water-themed name meaning “daughter of the sea”.Anne of Green Gables fans will like this name as well.
  5. Calloway—A classic, unisex name that may be a fit for fans of jazz music (the late Cab Calloway was an American jazz singer, dancer, bandleader, and actor).
  6. Castial—This powerful, Biblical name means “Shield of God” or “My cover is God”.

Related: 31 popular girl names & their meanings

Unique baby names that start with D

  1. Darcy—Hello, Jane Austen fans, this one’s for you.
  2. Dion—A gender-neutral name used most recently in the Netflix show, “Raising Dion”.
  3. Declan—This Irish, Godly name means “man of prayer” or “full of goodness”.
  4. Dallas—Just a cool name, especially if you’re from Texas.
  5. Danika—Of Danish origin, this sweet name means “morning star”.
  6. Dyland—A spin-off of the popular name, “Dylan”, which has become popular for as a boy name and a girl name in recent years. 
  7. Dov—Of Hebrew origin, Dov means “bear”. 

Unique baby names that start with E

  1. Ellington—Jazz fans will be reminded of Duke Ellington, but this is also just a cool name on its own.
  2. Emil—The male take on Emily is finally seeing new light.
  3. Esme—Multiple meanings and they’re all lovely: “beloved”, “esteemed” and “emerald”.
  4. Emine—This trustworthy name means “one you can trust and believe”.
  5. Ezra—Meaning “helper” in Hebrew.

Related: Popular boy names & their meanings

Unique baby names that start with F

  • Faye—This sweet, old-fashioned name is slowly crawling back up in the popular name charts.
  • Fisher—Obviously a great name for fishing enthusiasts, it also just sounds cool.
  • Fleur—Say it with a French accent as this is the ultimate flower name of French origin.
  • Freya—In Norse mythology, Freya was the Goddess of Love and Fertility.
  • Fabian—Of Latin origin, this “bean grower” meaning has been used by Shakespeare.
  • Foster—Of English origin, meaning “one who keeps the forest”.

Unique baby names that start with G

  1. Gracia—Of Spanish origin, meaning “favor” or “blessing”.
  2. Greer—This Scottish name means “watchful” or “guardian” and sounds cool for a boy or girl
  3. Gulliver—Naturally, Gulliver’s Travels comes to mind with this adventurous name.
  4. Gage—This wealthy names means “money lender” in Old English.
  5. Gohan—This Japanese name is great for sushi lovers, as it means “cooked rice”.

Unique baby names that start with H

  1. Hadley—This pretty yet uncommon name is of English origin meaning “heather field”.
  2. Horatio—An ancient name made famous by Shakespeare, only to drop off the popular name list in the1500s. Bring it back?
  3. Harlyn—A unisex name with a nice ring to it, meaning “army land”.
  4. Honor—You already know the meaning and it’s a pretty special one.
  5. Huma—in Muslim, this name means “lucky bird”. I love that!

Unique baby names that start with I

  1. Ina—A Welsh name first heard in the 5th century. Foodies know and love it, thanks to cookbook author Ina Garten.
  2. Ivo—An unusual, catchy name of German, Irish and Dutch origin meaning “archer”.
  3. Iago—Of Spanish origin, this name means “supplanter”.
  4. Idina— A certain Disney princess (who voiced “Elsa”) has this name, but it’s far from popular.
  5. Idris—Same goes for a British actor Idris Elba, though I hope this one makes a resurgence.

Unique baby names that start with J

  1. Jenson—This Scandinavian name has a lovely, soft tone to it. Meaning “son of Jan”.
  2. Juliette—Made popular by Shakespeare, we love this French spelling.
  3. Jago—this name is derived Jacob, from Cornish origin.
  4. Jett—I mean, this is just a cool, unused name, plain and simple.
  5. Jabari—From Swahili, meaning “brave one”.

Unique baby names that start with K

  1. Keira—An Anglicized name meaning “little dark one” (similar to Ciara and Kira).
  2. Kit—What a spunky yet simple unisex name (I’m thinking “Game of Thrones” actor Kit Harington and the American Girl doll, Kit Kittredge).
  3. Koa—Of Hawaiian origin meaning “warrior” and “brave one”. Typically used for boys, I like this as a girls’ name, too.
  4. Kian—Of Gaelic Irish origin meaning “ancient”.
  5. Karys—This lovely Welsh name means “love”.

Unique baby names that start with L

  1. Leon—Roar! Of Latin origin meaning “lion”.
  2. Ledger—A twist on the German Ledger, meaning “people” and “spear”.
  3. Lilia—A twist on popular Lily, meaning, you guessed it, “lily”.
  4. Lucinda—Meaning “light”, if you want a more formal name than Lucy.
  5. Laith—Make up your own meaning as this name doesn’t really have one, but is derived from Arabic and Scottish Gaelic.
  6. Lennox—Meaning “with many elm trees” which is great if you like trees, but also Annie Lennox.

Unique baby names that start with M

  1. Maia—A new spelling and twist on an old classic (Maya).
  2. Matson—If you like Matthew, Matson is an unusual take on a classic name.
  3. Marisol—A bright and cheerful name of Spanish origin meaning “sun and sea”.
  4. Marlowe—A cool name meaning “driftwood”, this one is quickly becoming a celebrity favorite.
  5. Maverick—This cool name means “independent; nonconformist”, so they will surely think for themselves!
  6. Maude—A fierce name meaning “powerful battler” and one of the coolest one syllable monikers out there.
  7. Millicent—This old-fashioned name comes with a pretty adorable nickname; “Millie”.

Unique baby names that start with N

  1. Niamh—An Irish name meaning “bright” and “radiant”; variations include Neve and Nieve.
  2. Nova—For the celestial-minded, a Nova is a star that suddenly releases a huge burst of energy, temporarily becoming extraordinarily bright.
  3. November—An underused, unisex month-themed name.
  4. Neve—*see Niamh above.
  5. Nadir—in Arabic, this name means “precious”.

Unique baby names that start with O

  1. Olympia—A favorite of Serena Williams, this name is of Greek origin meaning “from Mount Olympus”.
  2. Omari—Of Hebrew origin meaning “Speaker” or “Chief”, and in Swahili, meaning “God is exalted”.
  3. Orson—Meaning “bear” in Latin, it’s hard not to think of the famous director, Orson Welles.
  4. Otto—Of German origin meaning “wealth” and “prosperity”.
  5. Odin—The name of the Norse god of art, culture, wisdom and law.

Unique baby names that start with P

  1. Petra—A strong, Greek name meaning “rock”, this is also the feminized version of Peter.
  2. Pascal—Typically given to boys, this French name means “of the Passover/Easter”.
  3. Phinneas—Of English and Egyptian origin meaning “the Nubian”, these days you might think of singer Billie Eilish’s brother and fellow bandmate.
  4. Poppy—A floral name that doesn’t get more fun.
  5. Pacey—Of Latin origin meaning “peace”.

Unique baby names that start with Q

  1. Quincy—This unisex name of English origin has a royal ring to it, don’t you think?
  2. Qamar—in Arabic, this name means “moon”.
  3. Quenby—Of Scandinavian decent, this name means “womanly”.
  4. Quinn—There are various meaning of this name, but the best one is definitely “living with royalty”.
  5. Quan—in Chinese, this means Goddess of Compassion.

Unique baby names that start with R

  1. Rhys—Always ready to go, this name of Welsh origin means “enthusiasm”.
  2. Rafferty—Of Irish origin, your child will be successful with a name that means “prosperity wielder”.
  3. Ramona—Beverly Cleary fans will love this one, a classic, old-fashioned name that’s slowly making a comeback.
  4. Renata—Operatic name of Latin origin which means “rebirth”.
  5. Renn—means“reborn, little prosperous one”
  6. Rubin—From Hebrew, meaning “see, a son”.
  7. Romy—A lighthearted, fun “nickname-name” that doesn’t need a formal name to back it up.
  8. Roscoe—For those that love the outdoors, this woodsy name of Norse origin means “deer forest”.
  9. Rowan—Increasingly seen as a unisex name, this means “little redhead” and is of Scottish and Irish origin.
  10. Rocco— Take a break from baby name decisions with this Italian and German origin meaning “rest”.

Unique baby names that start with S

  1. Sabine—Of French origin, more commonly seen as Sabina.
  2. Sasha—This unisex name is of Russian origin and typically seen as a nickname for Alexander orAlexandra.
  3. Saffron—This “spicy” name of English origin means “a type of crocus” (the expensive orange spice,Saffron, comes from this flower).
  4. Sinead—Meaning “God is gracious” and of Hebrew and Irish origin.
  5. Silas— A name that means “of the forest” foreshadows a lot of camping and outdoor time!
  6. Serafina—Of Hebrew origin meaning “burning ones”, I like this twist on the more classic Sara.
  7. Shalia—This name is so unusual it doesn’t have an origin, but safe to say it’s a variation of other girl names that begin with “Sha”.
  8. Shepherd— This name means “Guardian of the sheep” and also has a cool built-in nickname: Shep.

Unique baby names that start with T

  1. Teddy—From Old English, meaning “wealthy protector”, “brave people” and “God’s gift”. Often seen as a nickname for Theodore.
  2. Tempest—Of Old English origin meaning “stormy” or “turbulent”.
  3. Teo—Of Spanish origin meaning “gift of God”. I also like this as a more unusual take on Theo.
  4. Talia—Meaning “dew of Heaven” this ethereal name is of Hebrew origin.
  5. True—This one may begin to see a comeback thanks to Khloe Kardashian.

Unique baby names that start with U

  1. Ulani—This happy-sounding name is of Hawaiian origin and means “cheerful”.
  2. Uma—This ancient name means “tranquility” and “splendor” in Sanskrit.
  3. Ulysses—Another ancient name of Latin origin meaning “wounded in the thigh”.
  4. Uday— To “materialize” (into this air?)
  5. Ugo—The Italian variant of Hugo, meaning “intelligent”.

Unique baby names that start with V

  1. Vaughn—This unisex name of English origin means “small” but there is nothing tiny about this cool, dignified name.
  2. Vera—An old-fashioned name that is very slowly making a comeback. Get it while the getting’s good!
  3. Virgil—This ancient, literary name is of Latin origin and means “staff bearer”.
  4. Viviana—A twist on the more classic Vivian.
  5. Vivica—This strong, powerful name means “war fortress” and is of Scandinavian and Old German origin.

Unique baby names that start with W

  1. Wade—Perfect for those on the move, this unisex name means “to go” and is of Anglo-Saxon English origin.
  2. Wells—This pretty name of English origin signifies “spring”.
  3. Willow—Meaning “freedom” and “willow tree” of English origin. A pretty, whimsical name.
  4. Winslow—An “old man’s name” that has come a long way. Meaning “friend’s hill” and of Old English origin.
  5. Wynn—This unisex name means “friend” and is a lovely one indeed.
  6. Wren—Like you might suspect, this name means “small bird” and is of English origin.

Unique baby names that start with X

  1. Xen—Meaning “form of Buddhism”this zen-like name works for either gender.
  2. Xander—Of Greek origin meaning “defender of men”.
  3. Xena—From Xenia, meaning “hospitable” and “welcoming”.
  4. Xia—This Chinese name means “glow of the sunset or sunrise”. How pretty.
  5. Xanthe—Of Greek origin, meaning “yellow” or “fair”.

Unique baby names that start with Y

  1. Yael—(also spelled Jael), this Hebrew name sets a spiritual tone, meaning “to ascend”.
  2. Yardley—Meaning “fenced meadow”. 
  3. Yair—Another Biblical name, this means “He will enlighten”.
  4. Yoel—in Hebrew, this means “Jehovah is the Lord”.
  5. Yuvan—A young prince in Sanskrit.

Unique baby names that start with Z

  1. Zeren—This name is so unusual it belongs to a very specific animal breed, the Mongolian Gazelle.
  2. Zia—Of Latin and Arabic origin meaning “light” or “splendor”.
  3. Ziggy—Adorable nickname for Zigmund or a fun unisex nickname-name on its own.
  4. Zion—A setting in the Bible, this name means “highest point” in Hebrew.
  5. Zora—Early risers will love this name which means “dawn” and is of Slavic origin.

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