What Are Your Favorite Names Too Unusual to Use in Your Own Particular Family?

I realize that is not a very snappy title I’ve got going on up there. BUT I AM STICKING TO IT.

This is the second in our new series of posts designed to be a brainstorming/idea-getting place for people looking for a particular kind of name. Our first post focused on unisex names. This time, I’d like us to make lists of names we really love, but that are too uncommon for our own naming style. Like, where you’d think “Oh I WISH this name would be used more, so that I could use it!,” and where, if you knew a friend who was more daring, you’d wish SO HARD that SHE’D use the name for HER child. Or maybe you’d use it as a middle name. Or they can be names that you don’t personally feel are too unusual, but that your family or spouse consider too unusual, so you’re frustrated and wish someone else could use them. It’s not that we think the names are UNUSABLY unusual—just too unusual for our own particular circumstances, or more unusual than they should be considering how awesome they are.

Remember that we are not being real STRICT around here with these category posts. Picture someone looking around the internet, thinking, “What I want is some more UNUSUAL names. I wonder what OTHER people like? I’d love to just BROWSE a LIST.” We won’t worry about whether our own standard of “unusual” matches theirs or not; we’ll just say what names we consider to be in that category, and let them browse to their own standards.

We also won’t worry about being COMPLETE. I find that as soon as I set my mind to this task, I think I need to list EVERY SINGLE unusual name I like—or that if I only list a few, they must be my VERY TOP few, and also I must have an equal number of boy and girl names. But no! That is not necessary! We can just…toss a few out, all casual-like! And we may come back whenever we want to add another one! And duplicates are fine—even desirable, to show consensus.

Here are mine:

Clover
Emerald
Ivy
Magnolia
Marigold
Millicent
Minerva
Persephone

Barnaby
Frederick
Giancarlo
Macon
Rufus

138 thoughts on “What Are Your Favorite Names Too Unusual to Use in Your Own Particular Family?

  1. KB

    Mine are Waverly and Xavier. The first is maybe not too unusual, but refers to a geographic area near us so it’s out. The second will be fine for some but is too unusual for my husband, so it’s out.

    Reply
  2. plantingoaks

    Lilith
    Cecily
    Ivy
    Zella
    Zettie
    Thea

    Linden
    Gavin
    Whit

    This is a bit skewed, as I’ve kept lists of the ‘on the edge’ names, but not of the ‘awesome, but no way’ ones I’ve run across, so I’ve forgotten most of the later.

    Reply
  3. Michelle

    I second Clover and Wren, and would add:
    Abilene
    Alfred
    Tobias (never Toby)
    Jedidiah
    Dixie
    Asa

    Who am I kidding-this could be my short list.

    Reply
  4. Emily P

    I’ll agree with Marigold, but its on the list for a middle name.
    Minerva(Minnie)
    Hermione(basically anything from Harry Potter)
    Harriet
    Raspberry

    Thorn
    Tiberius
    Leif
    Joaquin
    Guilllaume
    Ettienne
    Jean-Yves

    Reply
  5. Natalie Burke

    Saoirse
    Adelaide
    Emerson
    Ophelia
    Talulah

    Seamus

    Our favorite girl name is Saoirse (pronounced Sare-sha or Seer-sha) but we feel like the spelling/pronunciation thing would be ridiculous, as it’s not a common name in our area. Isn’t it beautiful though? I guess my naming style for boys is a little more traditional… could only think of one name on my list that’s unusual.

    Reply
  6. Emmuh

    My favorite name, which we discussed before we had our first child here, is Dock, for a boy. But alas, our last name won’t do with Dock.
    I also love Suzannah, but we can’t get passed the old song. Add Clementine to that, because I think a Clemmy could be cute.
    I also love Mary Jane or Mary Joanna. But I can’t help but think of marijuana when I think of Mary Jane.

    Reply
  7. Clarabella

    My list is much more limited by my partner’s last name (starts with a vowel, two syllables, ends in s) than anything else, which means that my “can’t use” list is not so much unusual as just will never work. It includes Penny, Carys, Rhys, Finn, and Phineas.
    But my “probably couldn’t convince him” list includes such jewels as Anastasia, Anais, Persephone, Clover, Juniper and Lorelei; Phineas, Jasper, Wolfgang, and Hansel.
    Of course, my partner didn’t like Liam when I told him it was going to be our son’s name, and I managed to convince him, so…never say never.

    Reply
  8. Tommie

    Daisy.

    I tried so hard to get my husband to agree to this name during both of my pregnancies and he just wouldn’t go for it. And I can so see either one of my girls being able to pull it off.

    I love Sebastian and Jasper but know my husband would never go for either too. He said they were too flowy, whatever that means.

    Reply
  9. Lauren

    I know many children with some of the above names. I know three girls named Ivy and an Adelaide. The name we’re planning to use for a girl is Lyra, a name made popular by the His Dark Materials series (Golden Compass). Both hubby and I love how the name is unique yet recognizable, and I think names like Lila and Kyra will help improve its mainstream appeal.

    Some other unusual names I love:
    Beatrix
    Maxine
    Fiona
    Calvin
    Milo
    Rupert

    Reply
  10. Anonymous

    How lucky that orhers are more daring than us?! My cousins are Emerald, Sapphira and Magnolia- Emma, Saphie and Maggie. My aunty got SUCH a hard time when she named her daughters, but their names are so cool!! However, Their younger brother was named Rock, but my aunt changed it to Brock when he was about two due to so many negative reactions…….even brave people can have namers remorse, I guess!!

    My favourites are: Siorese, Agnes, Carys, Beatrix ( Trixi) and I had a friend Cinnamon in school and wondered how on EARTH her mother could name her that…..but now I love it and salute her braveness!! Cinnamon (no nickname, ever) suited her spirited, easygoing, artistic and sociable name perfectly.

    Reply
  11. Rayne of Terror

    I’m excited to see Verity popping up on people’s lists because that’s a name my husband and I actually agreed to use during pregnancy 2 – but then we had boys. I adore that name! We named that son Quinino nn Quinn

    Awesome-but-too-unusual for us names include:

    Clementine
    Athena

    Clyde
    Larz

    Reply
  12. Anonymous

    I seem to like names that sound vaguely like Thumbelina. You know, the old German/Swedish names that are very long and tripsy on the tongue. Example: WENDOLENA! The fairytale association didn’t occur to me until I got vocal objections all around! I also used to love the name Cinnamon for a girl but was told it sounded like a stripper name :( I would so name a boy Bagley if I could! Or Heinrich if I could get away with it.

    Reply
  13. Valentina

    There are certain names I adore, but my husband has strongly nixed for the weird factor:

    India
    Esmeralda
    Ottilie
    Elodie
    Esme

    All of our boys names are fairly normal. Either that or we both like strange boys names. : )

    Reply
  14. Shari

    We considered a lot of what most people would call unusual names, but these are the a few from our lists:
    Loki, Taggart, and Tiberius for a boy. Bronwyn and Briar for a girl.

    Reply
  15. Ruthie

    Girls:

    Glory
    Honor
    Story
    Flora
    Liesl

    Boys:

    Leif
    Noel
    Roger (I guess that’s more outdated than unusual, but I love it and no one else does)

    It was fun to see my daughter’s name (Claudia) on someone else’s list!

    Reply
  16. Anonymous

    I love the names Carys and Adria!
    Boys: Jasper and Theodore.

    Unfortunately it is not a mutual love in my husband has vetoed all my favourites preferring Elizabeth and James (which I also love but much more common).

    Reply
  17. Helena

    I JUST made a list of names I love that could never use! Ahh, name nerdiness.

    Oy, I love some Irish names that I could never use here because no one would ever say them correctly.

    Aoife (EE-fah… kinda like Eva)
    Grainne (GRAWN-ya)

    I also love Ailith. I love the sound. My fiance would NEVER go for it.

    I love Lavender, too, but I couldn’t name someone Lavender…

    Yep, all girl names. I’m far more into girl names.

    Reply
  18. karintha

    Just a few that I love (some repeats!):

    When I read The Shipping News, I fell in love with Quoyle for a boy (interesting character, also a type of knot) and Petal for a girl (seems so sweet and delicate)

    Boys
    Seamus
    Atticus
    Jasper
    Dexter
    Grey
    Lachlan
    Hamish
    Magnus

    Girls
    Anya
    Verity
    Clover
    Scarlett
    Beatrix – nn Bee
    Freya
    Isla
    Esme
    Carys
    Saoirse
    Siobhan
    Allegra – why did that pharmeceutical company decide to mess up this gorgeous name???
    Juniper
    Lark
    Wren
    Blythe/ Bliss
    Maren/ Murron
    Arya
    Fallon

    I also love the names of the girls from the Blog GirlsGoneChild
    Fable
    Reverie
    Boheme

    Reply
  19. Lucy

    I can only think of girls names– and I would use any/all of these I could, but my husband won’t:

    Maive
    Greer
    Beatrix
    Astoria

    Luckily my husband is still relatively brave, so we still have some pretty unusual names that we have used or will use, but these were all no-go’s.

    Reply
  20. K

    Blue
    November
    Bonnie
    Darcy
    Mina
    Murphy
    Jules
    Lorelei
    Tabitha
    Alto
    Pippa
    Sam (only Sam, not Samantha)
    Saffron
    Cadmium (Caddy)
    Barbara, with Bobbie as a nickname
    Zelda
    Hero
    Lux
    Tuesday
    Wednesday

    March
    Friday
    Rocket
    Brenn
    Sully (or Sullivan)
    Declan
    Sirius
    Remus
    Flynn
    Jones
    Smith
    Rhys
    Conrad
    August
    Winston
    Arnold
    Patrick
    Wendell
    Felix
    Ralphie
    McCoy
    Cricket
    Rudy
    Art
    Sebastian
    Gordon
    Beauregard
    Hollis
    Gable
    Indigo
    Casey (I wish I could still justify using this for a boy! But I think he would be mistaken for a girl and hate me forever).
    Morgan (actually my middle name, and the name of my great-grandfather. I would love to use it as a middle name for a boy. It just strikes me as such a boyish name, in spite of its 90s-girl-name period).

    Most of these are names I’ve used for book characters, or have been used for characters in other books, and I’ve adored but thought, “No, no, too much!” My favorite names that I could never use but still adore include the sibling set from Hilary McKay’s Casson Family series–Cadmium Gold (Caddy), Saffron, Indigo, and Permanent Rose (Rose).

    Reply
  21. Erin

    My number one would have to be Canaan for a boy. I love biblical names, but all of the ones I like are way too common for my liking. I LOVE Canaan, but it’s nothing like the rest of my naming style.

    Others for boys:
    Linus
    Sterling
    Atticus

    Girls:
    Clementine
    Louisa
    Greta
    Lucia (loo-cee-uh)
    Cecily
    Cosette

    Reply
  22. Annika

    Pepper. I would name my daughter Pepper in a heartbeat if A) I had another daughter (we don’t plan to), and B) it went with my other children’s names (it doesn’t) and also C) my husband would agree to it (I doubt it).

    Reply
  23. Crafty Beth

    I have a girl’s list handy–I kept sending ideas to my friend who was looking for an alternative to Jane (you may remember her post on this site a while back!) She liked old-timey names that didn’t end with the -a or -y sound. Some of these aren’t THAT unusual, but I left them on the list anyway.

    Miriam
    Pearl
    Opal
    Coral
    Helen
    Beatrice
    Frances
    Ruth
    Agnes
    Edith
    Maude
    Olive
    Florence
    Delphine
    Esther
    Penelope
    Sybil
    Margot
    Arden
    Lenore
    Arlene
    Imogen
    Sabine
    Hesper
    Harriet
    Estelle
    Cecile
    Lorraine
    Millicent
    Ardith
    Elaine
    Winifred
    Marin
    Elspeth
    Emerald
    Dolores
    Ingrid

    And some that didn’t fit her criteria but I couldn’t resist sending on:
    Vera
    Willa/Willamina
    Dorothy
    Cecily

    I can’t think of too many boys’ names off hand, so I’ll just list the more unusual ones from my kids’ preschool!

    Walter/Walt (LOVE this on a little guy!)
    Bruno
    Raymond/Ray
    Calvin
    Clement/Clem

    Reply
  24. Anonymous

    For me, these fall into two categories. First, there’s the names I could never talk my partner into:

    Tamsin
    Elowen
    Leocadie (family (first) name)
    Verity
    Bronwyn
    Honor
    Isolde
    Dashiell
    Silas
    Otto
    Felix
    Sebastian
    Linus

    And then there’s the “Not my ethnic/cultural background” type names:

    Ayelet
    Hadassah
    Saoirse
    Parminder
    Heera
    Graciela
    Christobel
    Hamish

    Reply
  25. Anonymous

    Ok wow almost 50 comments and I don’t see my favorite secret crush name. And my husband loves it too. But we didn’t use it. And now we will likely name a future dog it so we can use the name. Inez. Inez Emerald.

    Reply
  26. Brooke

    Girl:
    Wren
    Beatrix
    Liesl
    Greta
    Brigitta
    Daphne

    Boy:
    Jett(still trying to figure out a way to use this one as a nickname…)
    Phoenix
    Blaise

    Reply
  27. Nichole

    Oh how fun!
    My lists (all over the place!):

    Girls:
    Adia
    Amalie
    Amara
    Anai
    Cecily
    Ceres
    Daysha
    Emre
    Enara
    Enya
    Lola
    Noelle
    Quillan
    Solenne
    Zola

    Boys:
    Avram
    Aitalas
    Andres
    Aurek
    Calen
    Cash
    Conrade
    Dante
    Dario
    Desmond
    Efraim
    Enzo
    Henley
    Hurley
    Iestyn
    Iram
    Joaquin
    Karsten
    Kenai
    Leandro
    Leonidas
    Mauricio
    Octavius
    Osric
    Raanan
    Rafe
    Raiden
    Remy
    Rhys
    Royden
    Santiago
    Talon
    Tavarius
    Tennyson
    Teren
    Tevan
    Thedric
    Traven
    Truitt
    Ulyses

    Reply
  28. Anonymous

    Rowena
    Gwendolyn
    Georgina
    Lola or Lolita (thanks, Nabokov)
    Lloyd for a girl (like in The Little Colonel books, anyone?)
    Eve
    Hester
    Edith

    Gabriel
    Julian

    Reply
  29. Sunk Costs

    i’m reading these names WILLING these people to use them. i understand everyone has reasons not to use certain names, but i say “too weird” is no reason to pass up on your favorite! your kids’ names are one of the only things in life you get total credit for. follow your heart!

    i LOVE Pepper Ann. Adorable, spunky, everyone would pronounce it correctly. My last name has an -er ending, so plain old Pepper is out, but a double name first name is tough. And would everyone be certain it was only because of the cartoon? (it is, but it’s so great I aaaalmost don’t care.)

    Reply
  30. Anonymous

    I just have basic high school Spanish and I’m not hispanic in the slightest but I LOVE the name Javier, nickname Javi!

    Reply
  31. Kacie

    I have so many of these! Love this topic!

    Mirowska
    Krishna
    Micka
    Katarzyna
    Xiomara
    Starling
    Kestrel
    Aeowyn
    Sapphira
    Femke
    Ravenna
    Mojdeh
    Mireya
    Caoimhe
    Geneve

    Rhodri
    Delacroix
    Brenix
    Bryer
    Stellan

    Most are out due to partner veto, pronunciation issues, or just too long of names for my taste.

    Reply
  32. Angela

    For me it’s theme names and nature names. I love Pride and Prejudice names:
    Darcy (boy or girl)
    Pemberly
    Georgiana

    Harry Potter names:
    Hermione
    Luna
    Cedric
    Ginevra

    Nature names: (They don’t feel like “real” names sometimes when I say them)
    Juniper
    Rowan
    Linden

    Reply
  33. gail

    Balthazar
    Bartholomew
    Solomon
    Arundel
    Aladdin
    Everest
    Montague
    Orlando
    Oberlin
    Salvador

    Wisteria
    Donatella
    Aquifer
    Leonora
    Passage
    Pandora
    Quintana
    Rozenn
    Rumi
    Noemie
    Odessa

    Reply
  34. Caroline

    I know many girls with Irish names that include: Siobhan, Sinead, Mairead, Aiofe, and Aisling/Aislin, so those don’t seem too out there for me. Nmaes that are too out there for me to use would include:

    Lennox (nn Leni for a girl)
    Juniper
    Penelope
    Niamh

    I also know a Stone, who is a boy – definitely an interesting choice. Some boys names are:

    Xavier
    Winston
    Walter
    Conrad
    Phillip (not too out there, but it hasn’t been common lately where I live)
    Theodore
    Thaddeus
    Nicolai
    Lennon
    Grey/Gray

    Reply
  35. Jess

    I only really have a boy name list here because I have a boy so had to try–and reject–a whole lot more names.

    Aksel
    Emil
    Johan
    Rhys
    Clayton

    And one for a girl: Briony.

    Reply
  36. phancymama

    This is fun!
    Girls:
    Agate
    Bellatrix
    Cimarron
    Genesis (nickname Ginny)
    Hester
    Juniper
    Linden
    Magenta
    Sage
    Sierra (thanks to my accent, I pronounce it like a nasal Sara)
    Wilhelmina

    Caius
    Everest

    Reply
  37. Anonymous

    Ford
    Blaise
    Graham
    Ezra
    Garrison
    Brier
    Rendor
    Emerald
    Calla
    Risa
    Leland
    Blessing
    Creed
    Palmer
    Bliss
    Baron
    Steele
    Lander
    Trucker
    Indee
    Carver
    Fuller
    Frye

    Reply
  38. Anonymous

    Girls

    Aislinn
    Andromeda
    Calliope
    Christabel
    Desdemona
    Dreama
    Elysia
    Euphemia
    Jezebel – well, it is a pretty name…
    Krystyna – the Polish version of Christina, NOT a creative spelling
    Lorelei
    Mercedes – stupid car
    Ophelia
    Persephone
    Psyche – too much teasing potential
    Rhiannon
    Salome
    Seraphina
    Serenity
    Ursula
    Verity

    Boys

    Balthazar
    Casimir
    Crispin
    Dmitri
    Orion
    Vladimir

    Reply
  39. Nedra

    Here are some that are totally normal to me, but “too weird” for my husband:

    Liesl
    Zoe
    Leo
    Linnea
    Zelia
    Lucia
    Zenobia
    (Hmm….I’m noticing a strange pattern of “L” and “Z” names…)
    Milo
    Nico

    These are the ones that one of us likes, but are too weird for both of us:

    Orion
    Enver
    Zinnia

    Reply
  40. Anonymous

    Leonie/Leona
    Giselle
    Belen
    Astrid
    Mooney
    Pearl
    Zabelle
    Zinnia
    Maiza
    Tomasina
    Marguerite
    Marilla
    Simone

    Dominic Domingo
    Peter
    Leonard Lionel
    Xavier
    Leopold
    West Weston Wesley
    Grover
    Barney
    Micky for boy or girl
    Art
    Ernie
    Frederick
    Rafael
    Inigo
    Otto
    Frank
    Hector
    Ike
    Zeke

    Reply
  41. Carolyn

    India
    Wilhelmina
    Calogera
    Antonette
    Antonia

    Salvatore
    Antonino
    Giuseppe
    …all those great Italian names that go with my last name don’t go well with the BF’s name :(

    Reply
  42. Z

    In reference to Anonymous a few posts above, Dimitri is my top boy’s name and I intend to use it if I ever have a boy!

    Besides that, there aren’t many boys names I like so here are the girls:

    Protea
    Solange
    Zulima
    Phaedra
    Ilsa
    Rezenet
    Clotilde
    Nineveh
    Amandine
    Miette
    Solenne
    Kitra
    Petra
    Sephiroth
    Cimarron

    Reply
  43. jess

    Fortunately DH and I agree on all girls names.. even convinced him that Sutton was perfect for baby girl #2 despite reluctancy at first!! Boys names are a competely different story:

    Rhys
    Hollis
    Pierce/Piers
    Leif
    Rafe

    Hopefully if/when baby #3 comes if it’s a boy he will give in once again!

    Reply
  44. Anonymous

    Amity
    Amethyst
    Amaryllis (all with nn of Amy)
    Golden
    Chrysanthymum
    Calendula
    January
    Aubergine
    Oasis
    Soliloquy (nn Lily)
    Epiphany (nn Poppy)
    Eloquence (nn Ella)

    Watson
    Crew
    Domingo
    Briggs
    Castle
    Vito
    Hawkins
    Lawson
    Oakley
    Hamilton
    Ernest
    Bruin

    Great post, Swistle!

    Reply
  45. Alisha

    loving all the Celtic names!

    my favourite girl’s name EVER is Findabhair.

    it would sadly be brutalized by everyone and likely result in teasing. it’s similar to Guinevere (with F), but I have no love for that name…

    Reply
  46. Mason's Mama

    Girls:
    Anina
    Carys
    Elise
    Isla
    Jade
    Jezebel
    Kyrie
    Rhiannon
    Seraphina
    Thessaly

    Boys:
    Arlie
    Finn
    Deacon
    Gage
    Jacobi
    Jasper
    Luca
    Milo
    Sebastian
    Porter

    And so many more!

    Reply
  47. Ms. Sprout

    I don’t think anyone has mentioned this one yet, but I love Theodosia. It was even Theda Bara’s real name. But I just can’t image that on a little girl! Does it sound unusable to anyone else?

    Also:

    Sabine
    Salome
    Fable
    Rowena
    Cosima
    Forrest
    Hiram
    Leif
    Hugo
    Tesla

    Reply
  48. Eva.G

    I love this! A lot of these names mentioned above are on our baby name list! I love so many of them and will definitely be back again to browse and add to the list. It’s rare for me to find a name too weird – but here are some…..and secretly I still may try to use them :-)

    Fable
    Hermione
    Juniper
    October
    Primrose
    Remember
    Spring
    Sunday

    Finnick
    Gable
    Hezekiah

    And the ones I’m so grieved about: Ever and Evening. I’d use them in a heartbeat if it weren’t for clashing with our last name!

    Reply
  49. Jill

    I’m surprised to see Lorelei on so many unusual lists! I love the name and fully plan on using it if I get the chance :) Some names I like if they wouldn’t elicit eyebrow raising:
    Appolonia
    Gretel
    Chalcedony
    Marilla

    Hugo
    Arthur
    Niello
    Valentine

    Reply
  50. Anonymous

    Asa – I love this and would have it on my list of possibilities, if only my husband could be convinced.
    Scout – I love this for a boy but nearly everyone thinks it is better for a girl, or a dog.
    Casper – too dangerous for a mixed race individual.
    Caspian – Husband thinks it sounds too “Whimsical”
    Dexter – Serial Killer and “poindexter” associations.

    Wilhelmina – I love the idea of this one, but I know I would hate the clunkyness of it if it were my own.
    Clover – this one is almost moving to my actual possibilities list

    Reply
  51. Sasha

    For a girl I also like:

    Jemima…very popular in the UK but here in the US associated with pancakes.I know an English girl with that name and it is just lovely.

    For a boy:

    Rafe: a wonderful character in my favorite novel, Wolf Hall, so the name has really grown on me.

    Reply
  52. Toniette

    Gilbert. I read Anne of Green Gables while pregnant, and fell in love. Husband nixed it. But, I manage to convince him to name our daughter Blythe :)
    Also, Clementine.

    Reply
  53. Rebecca

    It amused me, scrolling through the comments, to see that all of my children’s names made several “too unusual” lists! Especially since I don’t think my daughter’s name, Miriam, is all that unusual. (Her middle name is, however, Ines.) My boys are Jasper and Rhett.

    The names we rejected for being too weird included Jasper’s middle name, Clive. We still kind of wish we had just used it for his first…

    For girls: Marisol, Delphine, Edith, Agnes, Astrid, Margot, Eleni, and most unusual of all, Phaedra.

    Reply
  54. Katipo

    I can only think of boys names – for some reason I find it harder to be adventurous with male names:

    Barnaby
    Wilbur
    Bernard
    Wolfram

    Reply
  55. kristin

    Anton/Antonin (if only Tony weren’t the go to nickname)
    Atticus
    Augustin
    Barnaby
    Casimir
    Caspar
    Caspian
    Cassius
    Ender
    Ignatius
    Phinneaus
    Solomon

    Ceridwen
    Clothilda
    Elfrida
    Eowyn
    Everild
    Ida
    Ramona
    Saoirse
    Starling
    Zosia

    Reply
  56. vanessa

    I call these my guilty pleasure names ;)

    Clementine–top of the list!
    Poppy
    Linnea
    Lyric
    Storey
    Juniper
    Larkin
    Persephone
    Minerva
    Evangeline
    Tallulah
    Isla
    Ayelet
    Adair
    Heidi
    Olive

    Caspian
    Anderson
    Deacon
    Phoenix
    Sirius
    Atticus
    Aidric
    Casper
    Hugo
    Lennox
    Leopold
    Finian
    Arlo
    Enzo

    Reply
  57. MrsRuiz

    My husband has vetoed:

    Girls:
    Gladys (too old lady)
    Jasmin (too stripper!?!)
    Pilar (Love this character in For Whom the Bell Tolls, our last name is hispanic…it could work…he says no)
    Hermia (despite being “little, but firce”, hubby said no way)

    Boys:
    Atlas and Cedar (I think these names sound strong and masculine…the thinks they sound like nouns)

    Reply
  58. MrsRuiz

    My husband has vetoed:

    Girls:
    Gladys (too old lady)
    Jasmin (too stripper!?!)
    Pilar (Love this character in For Whom the Bell Tolls, our last name is hispanic…it could work…he says no)
    Hermia (despite being “little, but firce”, hubby said no way)

    Boys:
    Atlas and Cedar (I think these names sound strong and masculine…the thinks they sound like nouns)

    Reply
  59. Kiri

    Love this question!

    Auden
    Lux
    Bronwyn
    Briony
    Wren
    Winter
    Andersen
    Lakelyn
    Lochlyn
    Laken
    Aurora

    Flynn
    Archer
    Atticus (seems to be on a lot of lists!)

    Fun stuff!

    Reply
  60. Lena Phillips

    Okay, so some of these aren’t “weird/unusual” just not as common. They are taken straight off of mine and my husbands baby name list.

    Girls:
    Amaya
    Claudia
    Jemma
    Hollis
    Esther
    Stella
    Marley
    Nia
    Giselle
    Corinne
    Bridget
    Adina
    Tabitha
    Cozette (my daughter’s name)
    Sariah (my daughter’s name)
    Lena (family name that both my daughter and I have)

    Boys:
    Sid/Sidney
    Mordecai
    Maximus
    Abe/Abram
    Roland
    Tristan
    Dieter
    Dietrich
    Lars
    Wolfgang (husbands idea)
    Ender
    Harvey
    Amos
    Asa
    Ezekiel
    Ezra
    Hezekiah
    Hyrum
    Dakota
    Otto
    Saul
    Elden
    Lawson
    Dickson
    Si/Silas
    Cael

    Reply
  61. Anonymous

    Noticed a lot of people have Lachlan on their list, especially in the first 50 or so commenters. Here in Australia it is in the top 10! Jasper is also not at all unusual here.

    Boys:
    Thor
    Crispin
    Torstein
    Gunnar
    Eskil

    Girls:
    Lovisa
    Elin

    My husband is swedish so I think about those kind of names a lot.

    Reply
  62. Megz

    Tatiana and Roisin for girls.

    One of my favourit boys names is Dion but hubby says it’s a girls name thanks to Dionne Warwick.

    Reply
  63. Maria

    I got the biggest kick out of all three of my kids’ names being on this list – Eleni, Rhys and Isla. :)

    Here are some on my never to be used, always to be loved list:

    Stellan
    Enzo

    Linnea
    Lucia (Italian pronunciation)
    Caia

    Reply
  64. kathleenicanrah

    most fun game ever!

    My list:

    girls:
    Manna
    Elysium (from 12th night, means heaven, nn Elise)
    Viola (clearly, I’ve got a 12th night thing)
    Matilda

    boys:
    Canaan (Saw it above too!)

    Reply
  65. Rin

    Some that I love but don’t think my family would (read, husband, mother & inlaws!)

    Boys
    Atticus
    Bruno
    Casimir
    Guy
    Leif
    Lennox
    Odin
    Solomon
    Stellan
    Thaddeus
    Ulysses
    Winslow
    Winston

    Girls
    Anoushka
    Bijou
    Elettra
    Eugenie
    Inez
    Juniper
    Ondine
    Orla
    Phaedra
    Saffron
    Zuleika

    Reply
  66. Erin

    I love Ophelia but I don’t know that I’d use it. I also love Bianca but my husband isn’t on board with it.

    When I was in middle school I decided if I ever had a son I would name him Jack Daniel. I have since changed my mind on that (which kills me, I still love the name, but couldn’t do it).

    Reply
  67. Eliza

    I have been working on this list for a few days now. Here are names that are awesome but have a roadblock set in front of them beyond the fact that I am not pregnant. I might even say that “too out there” would never be a roadblock if I really loved a name. My son carries a name most have never heard of, but his sibling will never have these names:

    Veda
    Waverly
    Harmony (nn issues)
    Salome (a family name)
    Helena (nn issues)
    Orla (last name issues War-)
    Freya
    Maeve
    Lavinia
    Lydia (grandma’s sister, so can’t use without having honored her first!)
    Mireya
    Leocadia (Family Name)

    Warren (last name issues)
    Ernesto
    Casimir
    Edward (last name issues)
    Elias (issues w/ last name)
    Dashiell
    Ivan

    Reply
  68. Moomoo

    Arietty
    Siorese (Sir-sha or Seer-sha)
    Guenevere (Gwen-ev-ear)
    Beatrice or Beatrix

    Blaze
    Fox
    Wolf
    Bear
    Soldier
    Hero

    I LOVE these names but did not use them and now will never get the chance! Maybe my kids will consider them…

    Reply
  69. MrsF

    I like Olive for a girl and love love love Griffith, Garreth, Garrick, and Bearach (Irish; can be pronounced like Barack or Bear-ack. I personally prefer the latter pronunciation). My husband, unfortunately, likes none of these. Perhaps I can wheedle Garreth in for a middle name :)

    Reply
  70. Allyn Haley

    I saw alot of names that I have on my own list of possibilities! I love unique names, so all of my names are pretty much what some would call ‘out there’.

    Boy’s that I love but can’t use:

    Jet(my brother and I have fought over this family name for quite some time, but while I do still love it, I think the fight has taken some of the love for it away, so I gave it to my brother. And after all, he is older.)
    Cullen(twilight ruined this)
    Carlisle(twilight, again)
    River(a younger cousin is named this)
    Braxton(it’s on my list, and for some reason I can’t take it off, but I’ve actually always kind of love-hated it)
    Chevelle(it’s also my fave car)
    Camper
    Eli(little cousin’s name)
    Guy(feel like it’s too popular)
    Wallace

    Girls names:

    Persephone(meaning)
    Hermione
    Marilyn Lucille(Monroe and Ball combined! But I like them together, not seperate and no nn! But no one would call her the whole thing)
    Aria
    Claidissa(Claidi)
    Harley
    Melody
    Lolita
    Sorcha
    Sutton(my dad’s wifes maiden name)
    Belle
    Lemon
    Montana
    Birdie
    Havana
    Antoinette
    Journey

    My Top Possibilities:
    Boys:

    Ebenezer(nn Eben)(N <3 w/this!)
    Leif
    Declan
    Chord
    Waylon
    Greer
    Memphis

    Girls:

    Meadow
    Azalea
    Eyre(like Jane Eyre)
    Salem
    Auburn
    Saoirse
    Georgiana
    Ever
    Everleigh
    Paulette(grandma’s name)
    Wilhelmina(great gma’s name was Wilma)
    Poet
    Story
    Persia
    Clementine
    Fable
    Clover
    Poppy
    Harvest
    Lark
    Eowyn
    Shohleh
    Isolde
    Auden

    Sorry for the length! Got carried away! Enjoy!

    Reply
  71. Niamh

    Nothing my family or friends say could deter me from a name i really liked, but they would put up a fuss!

    Thisbe
    Prairie
    Tupelo
    Mitten
    Nettle
    Persephone
    Flora
    Magnolia
    Ivorie
    Dovie
    Elfin
    Posey
    Leisel
    Amity
    Nepenthe
    Nebula
    Minnow
    Hero
    Langley

    Lupo
    Edgar
    Aleph
    Arley
    Ezra
    Ochre
    Elden
    Rocket
    Moses
    Mowgli
    Robin
    Jonah

    Reply
  72. Ira sass

    i love this game…

    mine are:

    loki
    liko
    indigo
    jericho
    artemis
    lavendar
    maceo
    chayton
    october [nn toby]
    luz [sounds too much like “loose”]
    israel
    misael
    ayelet
    blaze/blaise
    storm
    evander
    javier [nn javi]
    niamh
    monet
    lionel
    lake
    scout
    posy
    journey
    delano
    apple
    justice
    paloma
    ocean [but i might actually use it]

    and these are names other people mentioned that i know people in real life with [i know a lot of people who have chosen their own names, so i noted that- not because it’s less valid of a name but because it’s a bit different than someone’s parents giving them a name]:

    cecily
    ivy
    wren
    miriam
    blue (nn]
    saoirse
    adelaide [chosen]
    penny
    lorelei [chosen]
    juniper
    iris
    lachlan [chosen]
    amara
    sapphira [chosen]
    athena
    clyde
    india
    grey [chosen]
    anya
    freya
    siobhan
    allegra
    siobhan
    felix
    sebastian
    rudy
    cricket [nn]
    casey
    morgan
    louisa
    lucia
    pearl
    edith
    ruth
    esther
    helen
    arden [chosen]
    estelle
    lorraine
    elaine
    dolores
    vera
    dorothy
    raymond
    winter [chosen]
    giuseppe
    duncan
    alden [boy and girl]
    echo
    cash [nn]
    joaquin
    eve
    gabriel
    daphne [nn]
    rowan
    linden [chosen]
    solomon
    philip
    walter
    penelope
    grahame
    clayton
    sierra
    risa
    bliss [chosen]
    rhiannon
    ursula
    orion
    vladimir
    nico
    zoe
    zinnia
    canyon [also on my list of weird ones]
    giselle
    astrid
    simone
    simona
    antonia
    antonino
    salvatore
    deacon [chosen]
    luca [chosen]
    sabine
    arthur
    marisol
    margot
    ida
    linnea
    anderson [chosen, nn andy]
    jasmine
    gemma
    bridget
    corinne
    nia
    adina
    cozette
    lena
    mordecai
    roland
    ezekiel [chosen]
    harvey
    roisin
    tatiana
    eugenie
    orla
    lydia
    eli [my actual name!]
    miranda
    shane
    rhea
    nils
    jonah
    lilith

    Reply
  73. Brea

    I have a few I haven’t seen show up on these lists:

    Nimue
    Isolde (I might actually use this, but I’d rather have Tristan for a boy)

    Fyodor (Dostoevsky’s first name! I love it)
    Percival

    Reply
  74. Jemima

    I have found not only my own name, but my sister’s and my brother’s on quite a few of these lists! :) My name is Jemima, my (twin) sister is Gretel, and my brother is Barnaby (always called Barney). I love all of our names! I love having an uncommon / unusual name, so please use some of these beautiful names you have in your lists! Some of mine include…
    Pandora (but worried about the ‘Pandora’s box’ associations…)
    Hermione (I’ve seen this on a few. I LOVE Harry Potter and it’s such a great name, but I think I will confine it to the mn spot)
    Scout (Love the name, but feels a little nicknamey to me)
    Neroli (my grandmother’s name)
    Enid (I LOVED Enid Blyton as a child, but is this just too dated?)
    Persephone

    Amos (I’ve seen this on a few, too)
    Romeo (why is it acceptable for girls to be called Juliet but not for boys to be called Romeo? How unfair)
    Ambrose (the ‘rose’ part just sounds too girly)
    Lysander (have had comments that it sounds like mouthwash but I still LOVE it, especially with nn Sandy).

    Reply
  75. Megan

    Just came across this list, and as I’ve been looking for an outlet to “let go of” some of my favorite, unusable names….also some my husband would never agree to as HE finds them too “out there.”

    Persephone nn Poppy
    Penelope nn Poppy (love, but my cat is Penny Lane soooo though it’s not too unusual I felt I had to lay it to rest here ha)
    Imogen (not too unusual, I just don’t think anyone would pronounce it right without my nagging!)
    Aurelia (not in a US diction, sorry)
    Ophelia (same as above)
    Bronwyn
    Bryony
    Alessandra (LOVE but not Italian so it feels weird; actually insert most Italian names here)
    Viola
    Ellery (hate androgynous or gender-neutral names)
    Ainsley
    Susquehanna
    Brynnleigh/Brinley/Brinlee/Brynleigh/Brinleigh/Brynnlee/etc (also hate every spelling; it sounds so pretty)
    Linnea
    Everleigh
    Lucia/Luciana
    Aliya
    Natasha
    Evangeline
    Sansa
    Prudence (though MAYBE…Prue is a cute nn)
    Aura
    Lula
    Ione
    Phillippa
    Aubrey
    Carmel (as a middle name for my mom who hates her middle name so…no go!)
    Cecelia (again, not too uncommon, but I’m not going around singing Cecelia 20 times a day)
    Wren
    Kiera (Keer-ah)
    Keeva/Caoimhe
    Orla
    Saoirse
    Mairead
    Gemma
    Aura
    Lavinia
    Jasmine
    Birdie
    Desdemona
    Finiola

    Boys:
    Lawrence
    Callum
    Barnaby
    Colton
    Jonah
    Lennon
    Harrison
    Ambrose (although MAYBE as a middle name?)
    Elijiah
    Ezra
    Ephraim
    Ezekiel
    Elias
    Alberth
    Sebastian

    …I guess I have a thing with E names for boys and B ones for girls!

    Reply
  76. Lauren

    Unusual/uncommon names I love; some I’d definitely use, some maybe not.

    Girls:

    Mar
    Marais
    Mariamne
    Mazarine
    Xiomara
    Roses
    Anaïs
    Xanthe
    Persephone
    Artemis
    Athena
    Xia
    Calliope
    Art
    Sienne
    Aris
    Ari
    Aster
    Astrid
    Asa
    Cassia
    Carmen
    Geneva
    Wren
    Lark
    Isle
    Valentine
    Flore
    Ira
    Etienne
    Mariel
    Isolde
    Asterix
    Sonnet
    Agnes
    Anwen nn Annie
    Linder
    Sterling
    Daria
    Juno
    Marine
    Minerva
    Marielle
    Annecy
    Larkin
    Soledad
    Luz
    Lux
    Flannery
    Sinclair
    Friday
    Sunday
    Tea (pronounced Tay-ah)
    Anaïs
    Agatha
    Marigold
    Mariposa
    Evening
    Ivory
    Ivy
    Ivoire
    Ophelia
    Serafina
    Persephone
    Ester
    Juniper
    March
    January
    India
    Bridget nn Birdie
    Stevie
    Maire
    Melrose
    Altalune
    Posey
    Calliope
    Linnet
    Arden
    Madigan
    Noir
    Oriana
    Orion
    Autumn
    Asa
    Bird
    Birdie
    Willow
    Winslet
    Wilde
    Woolf
    Margeaux
    Zola
    Xola
    Xena
    Linden
    Essa
    Mills
    Mille
    Red
    Kestrel nn Kess
    Kimber
    Aurelia
    Zanna
    Plum
    Izabel
    Dallaway
    Maguire
    Dia
    Nico
    Autry
    Eira
    Cassiopeia
    Delphine
    Matisse
    Zinnia
    Ianthe
    Junia
    Indre
    Ira
    Mileva
    Merry
    Orianthe
    Odelle
    Thessaly
    Emme
    Georgie
    Orchard
    November nn Nova
    Peridot nn Perry
    Henna
    Hunter
    Hathaway
    Aspen
    Ember
    Aeowyn
    Geneve
    Octavia nn Tavi
    Aries
    Ariel
    Auburn
    Persia
    Monet
    Theia
    Valery
    Valory
    Silvet
    Silver
    Banks
    Poet
    Xanthe
    Ocean
    Scarlet nn Scout
    Esmerelda
    Emerald
    Mallory
    Saffron nn Saffy
    Mirabel
    Boheme
    Indigo
    Solander
    Solace
    Auden
    Findabhair nn Finn
    Zosia
    Sunday
    Marisol
    Amarië
    Anairë
    Míriel
    Indis
    Lúthien nn Lux
    North
    Inez
    Maren
    Amelie
    Agathe
    Peregrine nn Perry
    Sparrow
    Arietty
    Hero

    Boys:
    Kit
    Dorian
    Montgomery nn Monty
    Forest
    Ira
    Wilder
    Adams
    Wells
    Ford
    Finnick
    O’Hara
    Cassian nn Cass
    Fitzgerald
    Apollo
    Adonis
    Aristides
    Orlando
    Oberlin
    Salvador nn Sal
    Salvador nn Sal
    Fielding
    Aidric
    Felix
    Fox
    Peregrine
    Atlas
    Aleph
    River
    Orestes
    Gray
    Fennec
    August
    Gunner
    Adair
    Connall
    Leonardo
    Griffin
    Morrissey
    Orion
    Adair
    Ossian
    Beckett nn Beck
    Callahan
    Casimir nn Cas
    Fletcher
    Bowen
    Julien
    Asa
    Caspian
    Ira
    Ari
    Aris
    Aristo
    Redding
    Miller
    Leander
    Leandro
    Osric

    Reply
  77. I loooove names

    Hehe this was forever ago but I have to reply!

    Girls:
    Wendy (like Peter Pan :)
    Maybe (nickname May)
    Wednesday
    Lavender
    Dorothy (nickname Dot)
    Marian
    Minnie
    Bea

    Boys
    Sebastian

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.