Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Inspiration
  3. Evergreens

80 incredible, unique baby names

Distinctive baby names to put on your list

By
Add as a preferred source on Google
Baby names
New Africa / Shutterstock

If you’re expecting, there are a lot of things to do to get ready. Perhaps choosing a name tops that lengthy to-do list. Deciding on a name for your little one can be challenging. Many parents are searching for unique baby names. They want to pick a name that’s different. Of course, you don’t want to go overboard on the unique element. Think Seven on Seinfeld. 

It’s a fine line between distinctive names and names children may grow to hate once they start going to school. Thankfully, there are quite a few unique baby names that are singular, but not over the top.

Recommended Videos

Unique baby names

Cute baby girl surrounded by possible names
Africa Studio / Shutterstock

Madison is a fairly common name these days, but not when it first hit the baby name list in the mid-80s. The origin of the name Madison actually comes from the movie Splash. The mermaid character chooses her name using the NYC street sign Madison Avenue as inspiration. By the 2000s, Madison was topping the popular baby name list. So, if you’re looking for a name to set your little one apart, there are a lot of avenues to head down, including revisiting classics or the emerald isle.

Vintage girls’ names

  • Eleanor
  • Nora
  • Eloise
  • Claire
  • Charlotte

Vintage boys’ names

  • Theodore
  • Fletcher
  • Asher
  • Jasper
  • Louis

Vintage gender-neutral  names

  • Remy
  • Emerson
  • Avery
  • Drew
  • Aubrey

Irish girls’ names

  • Aisling
  • Bridget
  • Delaney
  • Finola
  • Maeve

Irish boys’ names

  • Finn
  • Callum
  • Ronan
  • Donal
  • Tiernan

Irish gender-neutral names

  • Rory
  • Quinn
  • Riley
  • Dylan
  • Peyton

Unique baby names from books

Simple nametag for family reunion
Billion Photos / Shutterstock

If these names don’t roll off your tongue or pair well with your surname, try these noteworthy baby names that take a bit of inspiration from literature.

Literary girls’ names

  • Harper
  • Juliet
  • Scarlett
  • Daisy
  • Cosette

Literary boys’ names

  • Atticus
  • Darcy
  • Holden
  • Watson
  • Jarvis

Literary gender-neutral names

  • Brett
  • Robin
  • Montgomery
  • Beckett
  • Chandler

Celebrity baby names

Baby with lights
zechyrix15 / Pixabay

Another place where parents-to-be may find unusual baby names is to take a little motivation from the entertainment industry.

Related

Celeb girls’ names

  • Maple
  • Sterling
  • Prairie
  • Willa
  • Banks

Celeb boys’ names

  • Cosmo
  • Ever
  • Bear
  • Rhodes
  • Onyx

Celeb gender-neutral names

  • Dusty
  • Bowie
  • Saint
  • Grey
  • Riot

More unique baby names

Baby girl with a "hello my name sign is" on her onesie
Africa Studio / Adobe Stock

If you are still not inspired by these distinctive baby names, see how these roll off your tongue.

  • Major (boy)
  • Ocean (gender neutral)
  • Elina (girl)
  • Alora (girl)
  • Anders (boy)
  • Diya (girl)
  • Zander (boy)
  • Kadence (girl)
  • Rhiannon (girl)
  • Dallas (gender neutral)
  • Lorelai (girl)
  • Wesley (boy)
  • Jolene (girl)
  • Kya (girl)
  • Ledger (boy)
  • Brooklyn (gender neutral)
  • Jax (gender neutral)
  • Kaelynn (girl)
  • Zuri (girl)
  • Journey (gender neutral)

Finding a name that is just right for your little one can be trying. You want a name that stands out but isn’t too off the beaten path. It’s a hard line to navigate. Unique baby names come from all different places. Literature is a great place to find a bit of creative inspiration for your baby’s name. Irish baby names are always popular. Then, there’s going back to the classics. With the majority of parents looking for distinctive baby names, you just might find a unique baby name by going vintage. Of course, there are celebrity baby names. Celebs have long been famous for choosing noteworthy baby names. With this list of 80 unique baby names, you just might find one or two that speak to you.

Topics

Editors’ Recommendations

Ear piercings for kids: A complete guide for parents
Thinking about ear piercings for your children, read this first
cute baby sitting in a box with pierced ears

Do you have ear piercings? Many people do. Most get their ears pierced for the first time as teens. For some, ear piercings are typically dictated by family and cultural traditions. Some parents believe strongly in getting their child's ears pierced as infants or toddlers.

While others wouldn't consider it until their children are older. For parents who don't have ear piercings, the decision may not even come up until your child asks. So, if you have questions about when, where, and how to go about getting your child's ears pierced, we've got your go-to guide.
Ear piercings for kids

Read more
Do you agree with these unpopular parenting opinions?
Everyone has an opinion on parenting styles, what's yours?
Parent scolding teen about electronic device

Pretty much everyone has an opinion on parenting kids and the boundaries children and teens have or don't have, including people who aren't parents. Sounds crazy, right, but it's true. Some of the most opinionated people on parenting don't actually have kids to worry about. E

veryone has an opinion,n though. A recent Reddit discussion focused on unpopular parenting opinions that ran the gamut from screentime to letting kids do as they please and quite a few controversial things in between. So, what do you think? Do you agree with these unpopular parenting opinions or think they're too extreme?
Sounding off with unpopular parenting opinions

Read more
Do men get paternity leave? Here’s what you need to know
We know women take time off for having a baby, but do men get paternity leave?
A parent holding a newborn baby in the hospital room

When a woman finds out she is pregnant, part of the initial planning is figuring out maternity leave, from when it will start to how long it will be. While we immediately think of the time the mom will take off work for the baby, what about the dad? Do men get paternity leave? Here's what you need to understand about dads taking time off work for the birth of a child.
If men get paternity leave, here's how they can take it

There are a few options for the dad to take time off work for the birth of a baby, and it's all pretty similar to how a mother would take maternity leave. There are types of leave dads can't take since they aren't the ones having the medical procedure or going through the actual birth, but there are some workarounds.
Take FMLA
FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act) allows mothers, fathers, and non-birthing parents to take up to 12 weeks off work to care for a new child. The time off is unpaid, but your position will be there for you when you return. There are rules and stipulations to use FMLA depending on where you work and for how long, and you may not qualify to use it under certain conditions, so talk to your employer as soon as you find out your partner is pregnant to know your options. FMLA is amazing if you qualify, but please remember it is unpaid. 
Use your PTO and vacation time
Another way to take some time off (and still get paid for it) is to use your PTO and vacation time. The second you know your partner is pregnant, start saving up your time. Talk with your HR department to see how much time off you can stack together and see if they will work with you on how to best use your time. If you can't use it all at once, see about peppering days off throughout the week to get you down to only working one to three days a week so you can still be home quite a bit.
Use unpaid time
Another option is to talk to your HR department about unpaid time off. Depending on how long you have been with the company, you could be entitled to an extended unpaid leave or a sabbatical, or your work will let you take time off for certain things like a medical issue or the birth of a child. This is another unpaid way to take time off, so you need to plan appropriately. 
What is paternity leave?

Read more