It’s so challenging to name a baby. It will be theirs for life and will be a part of their identity. You don’t want him to be one of the many in his class, to be known as Jacob S. through elementary school, but you also don’t want to subject him to mass amounts of ridicule. So, there's a fine line between cool and kooky — how do you find it?
Top 1,000
You’re probably familiar with the most popular baby name list that comes out every year from the Social Security Administration. Well, these names don’t even come close, or even come near the edge of that list. You won’t find them, for the last 13 years at least, striking the top thousand popular baby names in the United States.
This doesn’t mean these names are all super weird or made up — you may know that some celebrities raise eyebrows because of the unusual and outright wacky names they give their kids. But these names, while more uncommon than Jacob and Sophia, aren’t necessarily of that ilk. Some are literary in origin, some hail from other languages, others were popular back in the 1920s and have yet to see their revival, and others are simply unusual in and of themselves.
Unique baby names for boys
From Abner to Zenith, these names aren’t commonly found on the birth certificates of boys, and all will help him stand out from his peers.
Unique baby names for girls
If you’re looking for something a little different for your baby girl, pair these names with your last name and see how it looks and sounds.
Some look down upon unusual or uncommon baby names — even if you're a celebrity — but if you choose carefully and find a name that goes well with your last name and can be spelled and pronounced easily by other children and adults, your child will be able to pull off his awesome name. Everyone will remember a baby girl named Wren or a little boy named Lucan!
More baby name ideas
Western names for your baby boy
Batter up: Baseball baby names
Middle name trends for boys