Classic, elegant, unusual names that aren't "try hard"

[CannyFradock]

I know I'm pretty much asking for the holy grail of names here, but I'm totally at my wit's end. I just want something y'know...nice for either gender that isn't uber common or attached to a million connotations. I'd quite like a literary, historical or European-sounding name if possible. Any ideas?

[mumzy]

Rosalind, Rosamund, Benedict, Edgar

[chickydoo]

Antonia
Theodore
Hector
Clarissa

[CannyFradock]

Ooh, thank you! Some lovely names here. I will say that when I said "unusual" I meant you're not going to meet another child with that name very often, so Isabella, Henry, Catharine etc are all out, even though they're nice names. I've been doing some thinking of my own and I've come up with the following:

Ferdinand (think it's already been mentioned here)
Lucian
Oberon
Lysander
Leopold
Salvador (maybe a bit too exotic for a wee Anglo lad?)
Anselm

Cordelia (again I think it's been mentioned)
Lilith
Juno
Margot
Celeste
Athena

[TillyIpswitch]

Oberon and Lysander, whilst delightfully Shakespearean, are perhaps a tad try-hard... Meant in the nicest possible way! And yes, I think he would need a certain, um, je ne said quoi, to carry off Salvador.

DD has one of the (Shakespearean) names mentioned a couple of times on here - well known, but am yet to meet another one.

My DB would have been called Margot, had he been a girl. Celeste is lovely.

[TillyIpswitch]

There is also much mileage to be had, playground japes-wise, to be had from a name which translates as 'King of the fairies'...

[Pandygirl]

Please not Lilith, after reading the Narnia series as a child it isn't a name you'd want to be associated with.
Love Athena as a girls name, isn't Margot a nickname? Why not pick a name that the child can play with? Elizabeth and Alexandra can both be nicked in a number of ways.

[PelvicFloorOfSteel]

I don't care about the king of the fairies bit, Oberon is the name which makes me want a DC3. We struggled to find names for DS1 and 2, now I have names lined up for DS3 and 4 but we're not having any more.

[CannyFradock]

OK, OK, so maybe I'm more pretentious that I originally let on I was just testing the waters, to be honest, I'm not sure I'd actually ever use any of those apart from maybe Lucian, Margot, Celeste or Ferdinand (come on, you've got to admit it's pretty cool). Please do fire away with your nice and sensible suggestions, I will listen!

Pandygirl - OK, not Lilith! Margot's a full name in itself, not a nickname.

[CannyFradock]

PelvicFloorOfSteel - Oh I'm sorry to hear that I'm sure your DS's have wonderful names anyway.

[duchesse]

Lilith is Biblical, not from Narnia!

[Pandygirl]

I think any royal name works, Richard, Charles, William, Henry (and all have decent nicks, Rick, Chaz / Charlie, Will / Bill, Harry), Victoria, Elizabeth, Isabelle, Mary, (nicks, Vic / Tori / Vicky, Eliza / Liz / Beth, Izzi / Belle)

[Pandygirl]

Duchesse, yes it's a biblical name (old testement I believe), but used in exactly the same context in the Narnia books (based on the bible stories) - Lilith is the "first" wife of Adam and is depicted as a demon / giant.

[seeker]

Patrick.

Best boy's name ever.

[seeker]

And Edith for a girl.
Or Maud.
Or - oh I do love this one - Clemency.

[TillyIpswitch]

Yes, as Pandygirl says, the point of Lilith in Narnia is that it's Biblical - there are many Biblical references in Narnia; this is part of it.

[bambiandthumper]

Rosanna
Violette
Oriel
Clarissa
Carolina
Emilia (not unusual but hey ho)
Perdita
Pandora
Delphinia - Delphi

[MerryMarigold]

Cannyfraddock. Lysander and Oberon . Not "try hard"?

Frederick, if you don't abbreviate, is very unusual (tons of Freddies around though)

From your list I think the following fit your original criteria
Ferdinand and Margot!

[emsies]

Hmm quite a lot of the more unusual ones on here would make me think "oh dear, trying a bit hard". I'm sure once I got to know you/ the kid I'd change but it would be a first impression!

I quite like classic names that aren't in the top 10 but wouldn't go for just odd myself.

[seeker]

Nobody is seriousl thinking of calling a poor little boy Oberon, are they??

[Bandwithering]

Rachel
Juliet
Marianne
Claudia

Dominic
Gregory
Saul
Marcus

I think those are all underused, classic but don't sound like you've been reading obscure wordsworth poems looking for inspiration!!

[Bandwithering]

Oberon. Oh right. When I think of not trying too hard, I'm thinking more of Peter. I'll leave yall to it!

[emsies]

I like your list Bandwithering. I'm wondering about Gregory for a boy if we have one. I love Catherine for a girl but don't want her to be one of 100s "kates"

[razzlebathbone]

ooh Vita and Lucian are good.