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 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.
Celebrating a new arrival? Create your very own Amazon baby wishlist and get 15% off baby items when you spend £200 or more.
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.
