A Guide to Unique Baby Names

I always wanted my children to have names that were unique. I didn't want them to have to be called by their first name and last initial as they went through school, and I preferred that they might be the only child in their class with the name I gave them. So, needless to say, I am a huge fan of more unique names that you don't hear everyday.

I have found the book 100,000+ Baby Names, by Bruce Lansky to be a very helpful resource in looking for unique names. At the beginning of the book, there are several lists of names in different categories. There is a section on names that leave a certain impression, like names that are associated with someone who is athletic, friendly funny, or intelligent. Then, there is a section of names inspired by people, places or things like fictional characters, kings/queens, and old west figures. I have found a wealth of fabulous unique names in this book. Let's take a look at a few.

Some girl names taken from natural elements are: Autumn, Marina, Sierra, Skye, Terra, and Willow.
Some boy names taken from natural elements are: Ash, Heath, Oakes, or Ridge.

Some girl names that give a friendly impression: Joy, Lila, Millie, and Ruby
Some boy names that give an old fashion impression: Amos, Silas, and Spencer

Or maybe you are looking for a name that is popular in another country. Sometimes it can be fun and meaningful to give your child a name that comes from the country of your heritage.

Here are some popular names in Austria.
For girls: Lena, Katarina, Leonie
For boys: Florian, Tobias, Julian, Simon

Or how about some popular names in France.
For girls: Camille, Clara, Oceane, Maeva, Celia
For boys: Enzo, Maxime, Mathis, Romain

Here are some popular names in Africa.
For girls: Afi, Ashanti, , Halla, Mosi, Zina
For boys: Axi, Bello, Kayin, Moswen, Okapi

Here are some popular Scandinavian names.
For girls: Carina, Malena, Runa, Kalle
For boys: Anders, Steffan, Kieran, Halen

My favorite place to look for names is in the Bible. There are some wonderful names to be found there.
Here are a few more unique biblical names.
For girls: Delilah, Dinah, Miriam, Naomi, Phoebe
For boys: Zecheriah, Elijah, Ezra, Isaac, Titus, Solomon.

The names listed in this article are just a few of some of the less common names out there. Obviously there are countless more that you can find. I hope this has been helpful in finding the perfect name for your baby.