Unusual baby names: 200 unique baby names for boys and girls

For many parents, the baby-naming process is a challenging one. While some decide to opt for a traditional or old-fashioned baby name, perhaps a nod to a family member or a family moniker passed down through the generations, others prefer to stick to one of the most popular baby names. You’ll also find an abundance of gender-neutral baby names, cool baby names and even nature-inspired baby names if you’re looking for something more unique. 

Research shows that many parents who regret their baby's name do so because it became too popular, so choosing an unusual name for your baby girl or boy is a far better decision than it might first appear. 

According to our own survey conducted in 2016, 18% of parents regret the name they chose for their baby, while 2% have actually gone on to change their child’s name altogether. 20% said the regret came because their chosen baby name wasn’t distinctive or unusual enough.

As for what’s defined as 'unusual,' well that really depends on the area you live in and the circles you mix with. It might seem obvious, but if you live in Wales, you're likely to come across a lot more Sians and Catrins than you would were you to live in Sunderland, for example.

And you shouldn't forget that fashion is a fickle beast. Think about how popular Kevin was in the 1970s. On the flipside, traditional names, like Ava and Charlotte, have stood the test of time for a reason. There is nothing wrong with following the crowd to an extent – and indeed, when Jane does go on to rule the world, people will stand back in awe and say in hushed tones: “not-so-plain Jane.”

Choosing a unique baby name that no one else will have

You could also go off-piste and come up with your own unique spelling or combination of a more typical name. But be careful – if you go too ‘out there,’ your child will be forced to spell it out to doctors' receptionists and at job interviews for years to come, with the mumbled explanation that his mother had a spiritual awakening by way of Mumsnet when he was six months in utero.

You might also want to take inspiration from the great and the good (and perhaps the most bizarre) in the world of unusual celebrity baby names. After all, you wouldn't want your darling child to look passé at school sat next to Blue Banjo Science, would you?

Ultimately, it's up to you where on the spectrum of popular to esoteric you choose to sit. One thing is for sure here: you have to think about whether your future mini-me would be comfortable introducing themselves as the leader of the free world with the name you've chosen.

Want to avoid your child being one of five kids responding to the same name in the playground, but not quite brave enough to choose a name that doesn't appear on most baby name lists? If you're looking for a nice middle ground between overused classics and the really obscure, then why not opt for one of these popular but unusual baby names below, which still have a bit of an edge on Noah and Olivia?

How we chose the most unusual baby names

To help you in your quest, we’ve done the hard work for you and created a list of 200 unusual and unique baby names for both boys and girls. 

We’ve looked at the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) for 2021 (released October 2022), to find the most unique baby names in the top 100 as well as our own Baby Names forum for unique baby name inspiration from Mumsnet parents. 

Unusual baby boy names in the top 100

1. Albie

2. Blake

3. Brody

4. Carter

5. Chester

6. Elijah

7. Ellis

8. Ezra

9. Finley

10. Grayson

11. Harvey

12. Hudson

13. Jaxon

14. Jesse

15. Kai

16. Logan

17. Mason

18. Oakley

19. Otis

20. Reggie

21. Riley

22. Rowan

23. Sonny

24. Teddy

25. Tobias

Unusual baby girl names in the top 100

26. Amelie

27. Arabella

28. Aria

29. Aurora

30. Ayla

31. Bella

32. Clara

33. Darcie

34. Delilah

35. Eden

36. Elodie

37. Esme

38. Harper

39. Hallie

40. Luna

41. Lyla

42. Maryam

43. Mila or Myla

44. Maya

45. Nancy

46. Orla

47. Sienna

48. Summer

49. Willow

50. Zara

Related popular baby name lists

Unique baby boy names parents love

What are the most uncommon baby names for boys? Take inspiration from our list below.

51. Ambrose

52. Amos

53. Arran

54. Atticus

55. Axel

56. Bertram

57. Blaise

58. Brock

59. Cassius

60. Clarence

61. Clement

62. Corin

63. Cormac

64. Elric

65. Emil

66. Enzo

67. Ernest

68. Flynn

69. Gregor

70. Innes

71. Ivo

72. Jago

73. Jolyon

74. Kingsley

75. Laurie

76. Lucian

77. Magnus

78. Malachi

79. Marin

80. Nelson

81. Orson

82. Oswin

83. Otis

84. Pascal

85. Peregrine

86. Rafferty

87. Raoul

88. Rufus

89. Silas

90. Solomon

91. Sorley

92. Struan

93. Sullivan

94. Sylvester

95. Thibault

96. Valentine

97. Vaughan

98. Victor

99. Wulfric

100. Xavier

What Mumsnetters say

"Is Peregrine too 'Lord of the Rings'?" - Mumsnet user, 1horatio

"I love the name 'Sorley'. Its Gaelic, derived from Somerled (Scottish) but originally from Old Norse. It means Summer Warrior or Viking and is pronounced as it looks" - Mumsnet user, polkadottytotty

Unique baby girl names parents love

What are the most uncommon baby names for a girl? We list our favourites here. 

101. Allegra

102. Anais

103. Antonia

104. Ariadne

105. Blythe

106. Calliope

107. Catrin

108. Constance

109. Cressida

110. Daphne

111. Delilah

112. Deryn

113. Eden

114. Elin

115. Etta

116. Gaia

117. Gloria

118. Honey

119. Imelda

120. Judith

121. Laurel

122. Leonie

123. Lucinda

124. Maeve

125. Malin

126. Merryn

127. Morven

128. Nina

129. Nora

130. Octavia

131. Ophelia

132. Paisley

133. Paloma

134. Phaedra

135. Priscilla

136. Quinn

137. Raven

138. Romilly

139. Rosamund

140. Sage

141. Saskia

142. Savannah

143. Seraphina

144. Tallulah

145. Verity

146. Willa

147. Wren

148. Xanthe

149. Yasmin

150. Yolande

What Mumsnetters say

"[Paloma is] absolutely beautiful, a lovely name. Paloma Picasso is who I think of first when I hear it, and then Picasso's drawings of doves. Doves are a symbol of peace" - Mumsnet user, AdaColeman

“My friend has just had a Willa which I think is quite unusual. I think a celebrity [recently] had one too though so might get more popular” - Mumsnet user, renovationfatigue

Related trending baby name lists

Rare baby boy names parents love

There are certain names, however, that stray past the boundaries of unusual and right into outlandish. From the mythical to the biblical and everywhere in between, here are some of the most unusual baby names that Mumsnetters mentioned on our forums.

151. Achilles

152. Algernon

153. Aloysius

154. Bronx

155. Cassian

156. Cornelius

157. Fox

158. Garnet

159. Griffin

160. Jedediah

161. Jupiter

162. Leonidas

163. Kyro

164. Merlin

165. Montgomery

166. Obsidian

167. Orion

168. Osiris

169. Phineas

170. Ptolemy

171. St John

172. Tiberius

173. Tidus

174. Wilder

175. Wolf

What Mumsnet parents say

“It’s spelt Ptolemy, but pronounced Tolomey. Probably best known, Ptolemy was an ancient Greek general who served under Alexander the Great. Nice name, unusual, but not too unusual” - Mumsnet user, shelscape

Rare baby girl names parents love

176. Amethyst

177. Arizona

178. Athena

179. Bathsheba

180. Bellatrix (Trixie)

181. Cleopatra

182. Cymbaline/Cymbeline

183. Emerald

184. Euphrasia

185. Finty

186. Ganymede

187. Ginevra

188. Guinevere

189. Heaven

190. Hepzibah

191. Loveday

192. Myrtle

193. Nyx

194. Ottoline

195. Pixie

196. Queenie

197. Thalia

198. Tigerlily

199. Waverley

200. Winter

What Mumsnet parents say

"I like Emerald. I think it can be shortened to something twee when she’s little and it’s quite a bold name for an adult" - Mumsnet user, icelollycraving

How to choose a baby name

For more unusual baby name inspiration or opinions on your baby name ideas, head on over to our Baby Names Talk forum. Or get weekly insight into your pregnancy and baby's development with our Pregnancy newsletter.

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About the author

Laura Westerman is an editor, writer and Deputy Head of Editorial Content at Mumsnet, overseeing the website's baby and pregnancy content. She is mum to a one-year-old.

With over seven years' experience as a full-time editor and a passion for SEO, Laura has written extensively on everything from parenting to travel, but likes nothing more than researching the best and most unique baby names, as well as their fascinating origins, to help parents decide on the perfect moniker for their new arrival.