Baby Names

Unique, interesting and unusual baby names

Names tend to cycle in popularity, as any Jennifer, Amanda or Jessica born in 1980 or Liam, Oliver or Noah in 2020 will know. Instead of picking a name for your son or daughter that’s at peak popularity, you might look for something that no one in their kindergarten class will have. You could get inspiration from just about anywhere—from nature, mythology, your favorite movie, comic books and so much more. If you’re looking for an unusual or unconventional name for your baby, here are some to get you started. Need some more ideas? Check out Huggies’ Baby Name Finder!

Baby names inspired by musicals:

If you’re a big fan of Broadway, these names might spark an idea for naming your baby.
  • Roxie: This girl’s name is the main character in the Broadway hit Chicago.
  • Eliza: The main character of My Fair Lady, the film adaptation saw iconic actress Audrey Hepburn in this role.
  • Sky: Sky Masterson was a smooth-talking gambler in Guys & Dolls. This could be a sweet name for either gender.
  • Adelaide: This heroine of Guys & Dolls could provide inspiration for your little girl.
  • Fiyero: The name of Wicked’s male lead could be a neat, unusual name for your little boy.
  • Cosette: This girl’s name from Les Miserables is the nickname of one of the central characters.
  • Dodger: Artful Dodger (also known as Jack Dawkins), was Oliver Twist’s sidekick in Dickens’ Oliver Twist, which was later turned into a musical.
  • Ilse: This girl’s name from Spring Awakening has Hebrew and German origins and means “God is my oath.”
  • Jet: Inspired by one of the groups in West Side Story, this could be a cool name for a little boy.
  • Magenta: From The Rocky Horror Picture Show, this little girl’s name could be shortened to Maggie or Madge.

Baby names inspired by movies:

Movie buffs might find a winner among these fun, unusual baby names.
  • Bastian: This could be a nickname for Sebastian, but this boy’s name is also the main character in The NeverEnding Story.
  • Elsa: Frozen’s main character might inspire a name for your baby girl.
  • Bianca: This Italian girl’s name means “white,” but it was made popular by Shakespeare’s play (and later movie adaptations), The Taming of the Shrew.
  • Cullen: This name got a boost in popularity for boys from the Twilight films.
  • Daisy: Let the female lead in The Great Gatsby inspire a name for your little girl.
  • Dawson: Jack Dawson was the main male character in Titanic, so this could be a fun name for a little boy.
  • Juno: A spunky girl inspired this film by the same name. Perhaps it will spark your interest for naming your daughter?
  • Forrest: Forrest Gump made this a cool name for baby boys.
  • Indiana: You could choose to name your little boy after Indiana Jones, the namesake adventurer of the films.
  • Clementine: Perhaps this character from The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind will inspire a name for your baby girl?

Names inspired by The Hunger Games:

This trilogy by author Suzanne Collins offers a wealth of unusual baby names.
  • Katniss: Katniss Everdeen, the main character in The Hunger Games, could be a brave and daring choice for your daughter.
  • Gale: Though this character in the books and films was male, this could be a gender-neutral name for your child.
  • Rue: Though this name means “regret,” the character in the books was admirable, making this an inspiring choice for a baby girl.
  • Peeta: Cool for a little boy, this character was Katniss’s partner in the games.
  • Primrose: Often called “Prim,” this character was Katniss’s little sister.
  • Cinna: Katniss’s fashionable male stylist for the Games has this name, though it could be gender-neutral.
  • Lavinia: This Avox servant’s name comes from Latin and means “purity.”
  • Cashmere: In the books, this female character was a tribute in the 75th Games. However, this name can be unisex.
  • Cato: Another gender neutral name of one of the tributes, this name means “wise” or “good judgement” in Latin.
  • Cressida: The director of the rebel’s propaganda, this girl’s name means “golden.”
  • Paylor: This could be a gender-neutral name, inspired by Commander Paylor, a leader of the rebel forces.

Names inspired by Harry Potter:

There are so many unusual names inspired by J.K. Rowling’s best-selling books. Here are a few.
  • Sirius: The Greek origins of this boy’s name mean “glowing,” but the character is Harry’s godfather.
  • Hermione: Hermione Granger was one of the main characters, along with Harry and Ron, so this name for little girl’s would be perfect for a major Harry Potter fan.
  • Percy: This name is a nickname for Percival, which in French means “one who pierces the sea.” In the books, he is Ron’s older brother.
  • Luna: This Hogwarts witch shares a name with the Roman moon goddess.
  • Rubius: Rubius Hagrid had a special fondness for Harry and his friends. This boy’s name means “red” in Latin.
  • Minerva: Professor Minerva McGonagall was a Harry Potter character, but in Latin, this name for girls means “intellectual.”
  • Remus: Hogwarts professor Remus Lupin is a werewolf in the books, though his first name means “oar” in Latin.
  • Fleur: This character was such a beauty that many of the Hogwarts boys developed intense crushes on her.
  • Orion: In the books, Orion was Sirius’ father. In Greek mythology, Orion was a brave and mighty hunter.
  • Parvati: This character, whose name means “daughter of the mountain,” had a twin named Padma (also a cool name for little girls).
  • Pandora: Luna’s mom in the books, this name means “all gifted” in the original Greek.

Baby names inspired by travel:

If places you’ve traveled (or places you want to go!) inspire you, these names are for you.
  • Zuma: This boy’s name means “peace.” It’s also a beach in California.
  • Sicily: If you love Italy, you could name your daughter after the country’s largest island.
  • Nile: This cool name, inspired by Egypt’s key river, would be equally great for girls and boys.
  • Avalon: Meaning “island of apples,” this Celtic name is sweet for a baby girl.
  • Rio: The Spanish word for “river” is a neat name for a baby boy.
  • Odessa: A Ukrainian port city, this name is pretty for a little girl.
  • Bronx: One of the New York boroughs, this boy’s name is a fun, modern option.
  • Sahara: If Africa fascinates you, name your daughter for the continent’s largest desert.
  • York: Love all things England? Name your little boy after this English city.
  • Senora: This state in Mexico could inspire a sweet girl’s name.
  • Georgia: One of the American South’s states is a cute, old fashioned name for a baby girl. Georgie is a cute nickname.
  • Cayman: This Caribbean island is an unusual name for a baby boy.

Science-inspired baby names:

Love all things science? One of these baby names might just fit your little one.
  • Curie: Why not name your baby girl after Marie Curie, the scientist who discovered radioactivity?
  • Hawking: You could name your little boy after Stephen Hawking, the physicist who discovered the mechanics of black holes.
  • Sagan: Consider naming a girl or boy after astronomer Carl Sagan.
  • Cori: This girl’s name would honor Gerty Cori, the first American woman to win the Nobel Prize in Medicine.
  • Dian: This is the unusual spelling of Dianne that marks Dian Fossey, the famous primatologist who studies gorillas in Rwanda.
  • Darwin: A boy’s name could honor Charles Darwin, the originator of the idea of natural selection.
  • Hedy: Hedy Lamar was as beautiful as she was smart. A Hungarian actress, she also discovered some of the radio technologies that laid the foundation for modern-day bluetooth and wifi.
  • Galileo: This boy’s name means “rolling sea” in Hebrew and was the astronomer credited as the father of modern physics. You could also choose Galilea, the name’s feminine form.
  • Blaise: This name honors Blaise Pascal, one of the inventors of the mechanical calculator.
  • Temple: Name your little girl or boy after Temple Grandin, the American zoologist and pioneer of animal welfare.
  • Albert: “Noble and bright” is an apt meaning for this name shared with Albert Einstein, the physicist known for the theory of relativity. Bertie is a cute nickname.
  • Anders: Name your son after Anders Jonas Ångström, a famous physicist.
  • Atom: Name your little boy for the smallest unit of ordinary matter.
  • Dalton: You could name your son after Englishman John Dalton, the first chemist known to theorize the existence of atoms.

Futuristic or space-inspired baby names:

If you love stargazing or science fiction, these names could be for you.
  • Ursa: A diminutive of the Latin name Ursula, this girl’s name means “little she bear.” Ursa Major is a prominent constellation in the northern sky.
  • Neo: The name of the main character in The Matrix, this boy’s name means “new” or “gift.”
  • Bowie: Inspired by David Bowie and his performance in Labyrinth, this could be a cool gender-neutral name.
  • Arya: This Game of Thrones name has Persian roots that mean “faithful friend,” a lovely sentiment for a baby girl.
  • Lex: Superman’s nemesis Lex Luther might inspire a boy’s name.
  • Mace: In English this gender-neutral name means “gift of God,” but you might recognize it from Jedi master Mace Windu in the Star Wars films.
  • Elektra: Fantasy and comic book fans will recognize this girl’s name as the love interest of Daredevil.
  • Drax: Let this muscled character in Guardians of the Galaxy inspire a boy’s name.
  • Echo: From the Greek, this gender-neutral name means “reverberating sound.”
  • Tryon: This boy’s name from Game of Thrones has Celtic roots and means “a precious gift.”
  • Elora: This girl’s name from the fantasy movie Willow means “other.”
  • Xandra: This girl’s name with Dutch roots can also be spelled Zandra and means “defender of mankind.”
Claire Bradley

Looking for other creative, unusual names? Check out Huggies’ Baby Name Finder!

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