By Heather K. Scott, Tribune Content Solutions
Looking to transcend Noah, Emma, Jennifer and Jake with a more unique moniker for your baby? If unusual is the focus of your name search, be sure to explore our tips and creative ideas. We’ll help you find a name that captures your baby’s
individuality.
If you’re in search of that perfect, one-of-a-kind name for your baby, we can help point you in the right direction. Take a look at our tips and ideas to help inspire your baby name brainstorms and find the best options for baby.
Finding that Just-Right Name
There's never a perfect name,” warns Jennifer Moss, the founder and CEO of baby-names.com and author of “The One-in-a-Million Baby Name Book.” Instead Moss ad-vises to make your list includes “name(s) you both love.”
To find baby names that are both unique and that you and your partner are sure to fall in love with, consider the following resources:
- Your family tree.
Moss suggests looking no further than your own family history. Explore names from your personal past — test combinations with both first and middle names from you and your partner’s side.
- Film & literature.
Books and movies are fantastic resources for baby names. Re-view your and your partner’s favorite books and films and consider characters that exemplify personality traits you enjoy.
- People you admire.
What folks in your personal or professional circles inspire or move you? Borrow names from people you’ve admired throughout your life.
- Name lists.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) is a great resource for baby names past and present. The agency has gathered names from as long ago as 1880, offering a wonderful way to explore names that you hear very little of today — as well as see
newer versions of common names with unique spellings.
Our favorite unique baby names
Genesis (girl)
Origin: Greek; biblical
Meaning: Beginning; birth. Also, the first book of the Old Testament.
Paisley (girl)
Origin: Scottish
Meaning: Church; also, a distinctive intricate pattern consisting of curvaceous, feather figures and pine-cone designs originating in India.
Nevaeh (girl)
Origin: American; English
Meaning: This name is actually the word “heaven” spelled backward and is a rather contemporary name, having gained popularity in recent years.
Gianna (girl)
Origin: Italian; Hebrew; Greek
Meaning: God Is Gracious; this name is a variant of the more common girl’s name Jane. The rise in this name’s popularity might be tied to St. Gianna Molla, who was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2004
Willow (girl)
Origin: English
Meaning: A tree or shrub of the Salix family. The popularity of this name can be at-tributed to the beautiful flexibility and graceful leaves of the Willow tree. This is also the name of actor Will Smith’s daughter.
Luna (girl)
Origin: Italian
Meaning: The ancient Greek deity Artemis, later was associated with the name Luna. As a name that captures the divine personification of the moon, Luna is both beautiful and unique.
Jaxon (boy)
Origin: American; English
Meaning: This unusual name is an alternate spelling of the name Jackson, a Scottish name meaning “God has been gracious.”
Jace (boy)
Origin: American; English; Greek; Hebrew
Meaning: A nickname for Jason, this name is synonymous with “a healing” in Greek and "the Lord is salvation” in Hebrew.
Xavier (boy)
Origin: Basque; Latin; Spanish
Meaning: Xavier is derived from the Basque word “etxaberri”, meaning "the new house.” It is also the surname of the Jesuit priest Saint Francis Xavier (1506-1552), pa-tron saint to the East and missionaries.
Ryder (boy)
Origin: English
Meaning: The name Ryder comes from an Old English occupational surname, “ridere,” and means "mounted warrior, “messenger” or “knight.”
Silas (boy)
Origin: Latin; Greek
Meaning: Silas means “forest” or “woods.. In the Bible, Silas was a companion of Paul and Timothy, and also served as a missionary.
Axl (boy)
Origin: Scandinavian, German, Hebrew
Meaning: Rising in popularity in the late 1980s, possibly because of Guns N’ Roses lead singer Axl Rose, this name is incredibly popular in Europe. The name means “father of peace”.
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