Recommend Your Favorite Rare/ Obscure Names

I don’t care what style, just please tell me some very uncommon (at least out of the top 1000) yet legitimate names. Ancient, old fashioned, ethnic, whatever. I’d love to find some I haven’t heard of.

[name_f]Marigold[/name_f]
[name_f]Winifred[/name_f]
[name_f]Thisbe[/name_f]
[name_u]Vesper[/name_u]
Solace
[name_f]Odessa[/name_f]
[name_f]Thea[/name_f]
Valkyrie
[name_f]Irina[/name_f]
[name_f]Odette[/name_f]
[name_f]Margo[/name_f]
Margolet
[name_f]Lucinda[/name_f]
[name_f]Arcadia[/name_f]
[name_f]Hester[/name_f]
[name_f]Rhiannon[/name_f]
[name_f]Seraphina[/name_f]
[name_f]Ismay[/name_f]
[name_f]Juno[/name_f]
[name_f]Saskia[/name_f]
[name_f]Lavender[/name_f]
[name_f]Tamsin[/name_f]
[name_f]Sparrow[/name_f]
[name_u]Artemis[/name_u]
[name_f]Guinevere[/name_f]
[name_f]Violet[/name_f]
Hespera
[name_f]Mabel[/name_f]
[name_u]Valentine[/name_u]
[name_f]Thessaly[/name_f]
Valoisa
[name_f]Gwendolen[/name_f]
[name_u]Sailor[/name_u]
[name_f]Sylvie[/name_f]
[name_f]Cordelia[/name_f]
[name_u]Dove[/name_u]
[name_u]Winter[/name_u]
[name_f]Ursula[/name_f]
[name_f]Marlo[/name_f]
[name_f]Rosamund[/name_f]
Lovelace
[name_u]Halcyon[/name_u]
[name_f]Alouette[/name_f]
[name_f]Andromeda[/name_f]
[name_f]Starling[/name_f]
[name_f]Nella[/name_f]/[name_f]Nell[/name_f]
[name_f]Circe[/name_f]
[name_f]Minerva[/name_f]
[name_f]Clio[/name_f]
[name_f]Quintana[/name_f]
[name_f]Amaryllis[/name_f]
[name_f]Zora[/name_f]
[name_f]Salome[/name_f]
[name_f]Augusta[/name_f] (of course)
[name_f]Celeste[/name_f]
[name_f]Quilla[/name_f]
[name_f]Dulcinea[/name_f]
[name_f]Sirena[/name_f]
[name_f]Mavis[/name_f]
[name_f]Elektra[/name_f]
[name_f]Freya[/name_f]
[name_f]Calliope[/name_f]
[name_f]Isis[/name_f]
[name_u]Seren[/name_u]
[name_u]Halcyon[/name_u]
[name_f]Isabeau[/name_f]
[name_f]Esme[/name_f]
[name_f]Polly[/name_f]
[name_m]Florin[/name_m]

[name_f]Do[/name_f] you like any of these?

Maiwenn
Namira
[name_f]Eira[/name_f] / Aneira
[name_f]Adira[/name_f]
Eirwen
Cenawen
Cerridwen
[name_f]Marina[/name_f]
[name_u]Mirren[/name_u]
Amika
[name_f]Amity[/name_f]
[name_f]Verity[/name_f]
[name_u]Averil[/name_u]
[name_f]Cherie[/name_f]
[name_f]Merida[/name_f]
[name_f]Cassia[/name_f]
[name_f]Hypatia[/name_f]

[name_m]Denali[/name_m]
Tirion

[name_u]Reeve[/name_u]
[name_m]Thane[/name_m]
[name_f]Indigo[/name_f] / [name_m]Inigo[/name_m]
[name_u]Leith[/name_u]
[name_f]Sabre[/name_f]
Thrace
[name_u]Slate[/name_u]
[name_m]Coltrane[/name_m]
Escher
[name_m]Gage[/name_m] (I guess its not that uncommon but it I’ve never met one)
[name_m]Darrow[/name_m]
[name_m]Hadrian[/name_m]

It’s heard of but I haven’t heard it on a baby yet.
[name_m]Gatsby[/name_m]

But some eccentricities are:
Kopyrh
Kena
[name_u]Dane[/name_u]
[name_m]Fenton[/name_m]
[name_m]Beckett[/name_m]
[name_m]Tiberius[/name_m]
[name_m]Tobin[/name_m]
Samadi
[name_u]Echo[/name_u]
[name_m]Lucius[/name_m]
[name_m]Brewer[/name_m]
[name_m]Callum[/name_m]
[name_f]Gem[/name_f]

My daughters name is [name_f]Mimi[/name_f]. I love it and have not met another one yet.

I love the name [name_f]Romina[/name_f] and have loved it ever since I was nine years old but I also really like [name_f]Dixi[/name_f] and [name_f]Gretchen[/name_f] for girls, but none of my boy name ideas are too rare :slight_smile:

@augustalee- I do! That’s an awesome list, thank you!

These are already on my long list:
[name_f]Marigold[/name_f]- love with nn [name_f]Goldie[/name_f]
[name_f]Thisbe[/name_f]- my husband’s a classicist so he loves it but thinks it will be butchered by people who can’t prn it
[name_f]Circe[/name_f]- love even though our last name sounds like Sawnders so too much S sound
[name_f]Augusta[/name_f]- so pretty but I’m trying to come up with a nn besides [name_u]Gussie[/name_u] or [name_m]Augie[/name_m]. [name_f]Aggie[/name_f] too weird?

[name_f]Odessa[/name_f]- going to ask my husband about this one
[name_f]Margo[/name_f]- pretty but is it nicknamey on its own?
[name_f]Seraphina[/name_f]- love this but I’m afraid it’s too closely associated with [name_m]Ben[/name_m] Affleck’s daughter
[name_f]Juno[/name_f]- would probably be on my list if it weren’t for the movie :frowning:
[name_f]Saskia[/name_f]- like but it doesn’t go with our last name because of all the S sounds
[name_f]Lavender[/name_f]- love but would need to come up with a really good nickname
[name_f]Violet[/name_f]- love, but worry about popularity because of V Affleck
[name_f]Mabel[/name_f]- I considered this but think I prefer [name_f]Maple[/name_f]
[name_u]Valentine[/name_u]- love it prn valen-teen but people where I live wouldn’t get it
[name_f]Andromeda[/name_f]- so pretty, I just don’t think it goes with [name_u]Bay[/name_u]'s name
[name_f]Polly[/name_f]- my daughter so wants this to be her little sister’s name thanks to [name_f]Angelina[/name_f] Ballerina

@iamamiam I really love [name_f]Marina[/name_f] (husband doesn’t) and [name_f]Verity[/name_f]. I don’t know why but it’s so difficult for me to like almost any boy names that flow with our S last name.

@emmeandelise I showed my daughter the Great [name_m]Gatsby[/name_m] ([name_m]Robert[/name_m] [name_m]Redford[/name_m] version) recently and she wouldn’t stop telling me we need to name our baby [name_m]Gatsby[/name_m]! I can’t tell if i’s too much for me. [name_f]Love[/name_f] [name_m]Tiberius[/name_m] (Tiber is on our list), [name_u]Echo[/name_u] (h would NEVER go for it), and [name_m]Callum[/name_m]. I just wish I could come up with a nn for [name_m]Callum[/name_m] that isn’t [name_u]Cal[/name_u].

@sko is [name_f]Mimi[/name_f] her full first name? I think that’s darling on a little girl!

@clareelisabeth87 [name_f]Romina[/name_f] is nice, I don’t know that I’ve considered it before. It’s like [name_f]Ramona[/name_f] but more exotic or something.

Thebe (nymph in Greek myth, rymes with [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f])
Aella (amazon ale-LA (I think))
[name_f]Pania[/name_f] (Pa-nee-a) Maori nymph
[name_f]Albertine[/name_f]
[name_u]Yarrow[/name_u]
Minu
Xyla

[name_u]March[/name_u]
Tien
[name_u]Roan[/name_u]
Trafford
[name_m]Alpheus[/name_m]

Thanks, @tuitree! I especially love Thebe but don’t know if people in OK would pronounce it correctly.
[name_f]Albertine[/name_f] is pretty, I don’t think I’ve seen it before. [name_m]Alpheus[/name_m] is interesting, too. I keep seeing [name_u]Yarrow[/name_u] and feel like I should like it, but something about it seems too much for me. It’s prn yahr-ro, right?

I only glanced at the others, so I apologize if I repeat any. I definitely for the most out-there, guilty pleasure names that I love. Hopefully this is what you meant!

[name_f]Zora[/name_f]
[name_f]Wilhelmina[/name_f] - A couple of years ago I would have scoffed at this “clunky” name, but now I love how substantial it is with its soft, lilting syllables and endless nickname potential. It has a meaning that is strong for a female name, which appeals to me. [name_f]Willa[/name_f] is an adorable nn choice.
[name_f]Linnea[/name_f]
[name_f]Eulalia[/name_f]- I’d never have the guts to use it, but all those symphonic syllables! It’s so musical to me.
Ancasta - Celtic goddess
[name_f]Lavender[/name_f]
[name_f]Magnolia[/name_f]
[name_u]Seneca[/name_u] - At first, this was a boys-only name for me, and then someone brought up the [name_u]Seneca[/name_u] Falls Convention, and I realized what a great feminist name it would be. Now it’s a unisex name in my mind. (And I usually hate unisex names.)
[name_f]Ariadne[/name_f]
[name_f]Clementine[/name_f] - Doesn’t seem rare, but it’s actually been out of the top 1000 for decades! I love it, it’s on my short list
Illyria

There are more, but I gotta go. I’ll maybe add more tomorrow :slight_smile: [name_f]Hope[/name_f] this helps!

[name_u]Dagny[/name_u] is our top name right now. [name_m]Evander[/name_m] is our son’s name, only 80 were born in the US in 2012. My husband’s favorite name is Elliava. I know an [name_u]Eagle[/name_u] [name_u]Scout[/name_u] [name_m]Severin[/name_m] (SEV-rin) whose name I love. My bestie’s little girl is Vayla.
That is all I can think of right now.

[name_f]Soleil[/name_f]
[name_f]Lilith[/name_f]
[name_f]Signe[/name_f]
[name_f]Ariadne[/name_f]
[name_f]Isolde[/name_f]
[name_f]Corisande[/name_f]
[name_f]Aurelia[/name_f]
[name_f]Lucretia[/name_f]
[name_f]Sabine[/name_f]
[name_f]Caia[/name_f]/[name_f]Gaia[/name_f]
[name_f]Cybele[/name_f]
[name_f]Tulia[/name_f]
[name_f]Portia[/name_f]
[name_f]Coraline[/name_f]
[name_f]Cilla[/name_f]
[name_f]Io[/name_f]
[name_f]Pandora[/name_f]
[name_f]Pallas[/name_f]
[name_f]Persis[/name_f]
[name_u]Hero[/name_u]
[name_f]Ravenna[/name_f]
[name_f]Octavia[/name_f]
[name_f]Heloise[/name_f]
[name_f]Mirabel[/name_f]
[name_f]Feodora[/name_f]
[name_f]Sarai[/name_f]
[name_f]Selah[/name_f]
[name_f]Cressida[/name_f]
[name_u]Damaris[/name_u]
[name_f]Verity[/name_f]
[name_f]Amity[/name_f]
[name_f]Moriah[/name_f]
[name_f]Zelah[/name_f]
[name_f]Jubilee[/name_f]
[name_f]Tamar[/name_f]
[name_f]Calla[/name_f]
[name_u]Bellamy[/name_u]
[name_u]Paz[/name_u]
[name_f]Bethel[/name_f]
[name_f]Abra[/name_f]/[name_f]Sabra[/name_f]
[name_f]Keziah[/name_f]
[name_u]Ember[/name_u]
[name_f]Leonie[/name_f]
[name_f]Lux[/name_f]
[name_f]Cassia[/name_f]
[name_f]Annika[/name_f]
[name_f]Rafaela[/name_f]
[name_f]Fiamma[/name_f]
[name_f]Oriel[/name_f]
[name_f]Catalene[/name_f]
[name_f]Amoret[/name_f]
[name_f]Polexia[/name_f]
[name_f]Noor[/name_f]
[name_f]Sariya[/name_f]
[name_f]Ophelia[/name_f]
[name_f]Liselotte[/name_f]
[name_f]Shasta[/name_f]
[name_f]Zelia[/name_f]
Rowenna
[name_f]Giacinta[/name_f]
[name_f]Asha[/name_f]
[name_f]Faustine[/name_f]
[name_f]Cimarron[/name_f]
[name_f]Sirocco[/name_f]
[name_f]Sancia[/name_f]
[name_f]Mabyn[/name_f]
[name_u]Domino[/name_u]
[name_f]Catrice[/name_f]
[name_u]Averil[/name_u]
[name_u]Linden[/name_u]
[name_f]Nixie[/name_f]
[name_f]Alta[/name_f]/[name_f]Alba[/name_f]
[name_f]Fidelia[/name_f]
[name_f]Nerissa[/name_f]
[name_f]Ayelet[/name_f]
[name_f]Odile[/name_f]
[name_u]Lorca[/name_u]
[name_u]Arden[/name_u]
[name_f]Aviva[/name_f]/[name_f]Viva[/name_f]
[name_f]Xanthe[/name_f]
[name_f]Avalon[/name_f]
[name_f]Romola[/name_f]
[name_f]Delphine[/name_f]
[name_f]Mazarine[/name_f]
[name_f]Lucilla[/name_f]
[name_f]Carys[/name_f]
[name_f]Colette[/name_f]
[name_f]Aveline[/name_f]
[name_f]Zephyrine[/name_f]
[name_f]Gala[/name_f]
[name_f]Maja[/name_f]
[name_f]Valencia[/name_f]
[name_f]Zuleika[/name_f]
[name_f]Cosima[/name_f]
[name_f]Raizel[/name_f]
[name_u]Hollis[/name_u]
[name_u]Calypso[/name_u]
[name_f]Capella[/name_f]
[name_f]Wendy[/name_f]
[name_f]Paloma[/name_f]
[name_f]Tamarind[/name_f]
[name_f]Lark[/name_f]
[name_f]Forsythia[/name_f]
[name_f]Valda[/name_f]
[name_f]Anemone[/name_f]
[name_f]Lupita[/name_f]
[name_f]Saga[/name_f]
[name_f]Tempest[/name_f]
[name_f]Lapis[/name_f]
[name_f]Cadeau[/name_f]
[name_f]Nebula[/name_f]
[name_f]Nova[/name_f]
[name_f]Anise[/name_f]
[name_f]Clover[/name_f]
[name_u]Cyan[/name_u]
[name_f]Zinnia[/name_f]
[name_f]Saffron[/name_f]
[name_f]Senna[/name_f]
[name_f]Lorna[/name_f]
[name_f]Vera[/name_f]
[name_f]Maud[/name_f]
[name_f]Alma[/name_f]
[name_f]Marla[/name_f]
[name_f]Blanche[/name_f]
[name_f]Blythe[/name_f]
[name_f]Tabitha[/name_f]
[name_f]Aphra[/name_f]
[name_f]Ramona[/name_f]
[name_u]Sage[/name_u]
[name_f]Jonquil[/name_f]
[name_f]Bedelia[/name_f]
[name_f]Opal[/name_f]
[name_f]Ondine[/name_f]
[name_f]Marjorie[/name_f]
[name_f]Garnet[/name_f]
[name_f]Inez[/name_f]
[name_f]Evadne[/name_f]
[name_f]Annora[/name_f]
[name_f]Linnea[/name_f]

[name_m]Kenyon[/name_m]
[name_u]Gentry[/name_u]
[name_m]Soren[/name_m]
[name_m]Stellan[/name_m]
[name_m]Sylvester[/name_m]
[name_m]Baxter[/name_m]
[name_u]Wallace[/name_u]
[name_u]Dexter[/name_u]
[name_u]Eban[/name_u]
[name_m]Clifford[/name_m]
[name_m]Matthias[/name_m]
[name_m]Laszlo[/name_m]
[name_m]Magnus[/name_m]
[name_u]Guthrie[/name_u]
[name_m]Rhett[/name_m]
[name_u]Curtis[/name_u]
[name_m]Clifford[/name_m]
[name_m]Giles[/name_m]
[name_m]Ambrose[/name_m]
[name_u]Lionel[/name_u]
[name_m]Leopold[/name_m]
[name_m]Talon[/name_m]
[name_m]Altair[/name_m]
[name_m]Aloysius[/name_m]
[name_m]Orson[/name_m]
[name_m]Thayer[/name_m]
[name_m]Cyrus[/name_m]
[name_m]Rune[/name_m]
[name_u]Finch[/name_u]
[name_u]Zen[/name_u]
[name_m]Odin[/name_m]
[name_f]Briar[/name_f]
[name_m]Argus[/name_m]
[name_u]Cobalt[/name_u]
[name_m]Caius[/name_m]/[name_m]Gaius[/name_m]
[name_m]Watson[/name_m]
[name_m]Alaric[/name_m]
[name_m]Cadmus[/name_m]
[name_m]Ajax[/name_m]
[name_m]Atlas[/name_m]
[name_m]Dov[/name_m]
[name_m]Baird[/name_m]
[name_m]Harmon[/name_m]
[name_m]Cosmo[/name_m]
[name_m]Tancred[/name_m]
[name_m]Thibault[/name_m]
[name_m]Sayer[/name_m]
[name_m]Whittaker[/name_m]
[name_u]Larkin[/name_u]
[name_m]Dresden[/name_m]
[name_m]Adriel[/name_m]
[name_u]Zephyr[/name_u]
[name_m]Aram[/name_m]
[name_m]Cashel[/name_m]
[name_m]Thane[/name_m]
[name_m]Darrow[/name_m]
[name_u]Corin[/name_u]
[name_m]Quimby[/name_m]
[name_u]Valo[/name_u]
[name_u]Roscoe[/name_u]
[name_m]Nicasio[/name_m]
[name_m]Quade[/name_m]
[name_u]Sinclair[/name_u]
[name_u]Calder[/name_u]
[name_m]Nicabar[/name_m]
[name_m]Arrow[/name_m]
[name_m]Deveraux[/name_m]
[name_u]Adagio[/name_u]
[name_u]Reeve[/name_u]
[name_u]Penrose[/name_u]
[name_u]Winslow[/name_u]
[name_u]River[/name_u]
[name_m]Ivo[/name_m]
[name_u]Adair[/name_u]
[name_m]Jove[/name_m]
[name_m]Huck[/name_m]
[name_m]Balthazar[/name_m] ([name_m]Baz[/name_m])
[name_f]Revel[/name_f]
[name_u]Pax[/name_u]
[name_m]Esmond[/name_m]
[name_m]Emrys[/name_m]
[name_m]Zane[/name_m]
[name_m]Huxley[/name_m]
[name_u]Jael[/name_u]
[name_u]Cedar[/name_u]
[name_m]Zair[/name_m]
[name_u]Justice[/name_u]
[name_m]Rastus[/name_m]
[name_m]Quentin[/name_m]
[name_m]Rainer[/name_m]/[name_m]Rainier[/name_m]
[name_m]Jabez[/name_m]
[name_m]Otto[/name_m]
[name_m]Caspian[/name_m]
[name_u]Concord[/name_u]
[name_m]Valor[/name_m]
[name_m]Evander[/name_m]/Skander
[name_m]Ozias[/name_m]
[name_m]Linus[/name_m]
[name_m]Drake[/name_m]
[name_u]Marlowe[/name_u]
[name_m]Tobin[/name_m]
[name_m]Casimir[/name_m]

[name_f]One[/name_f] of my fav names that I can’t personally use is [name_m]Wilder[/name_m].
Khotso (pn Hote-soh, means peace in Sotho)
[name_m]Theophilus[/name_m]
[name_m]Eliakim[/name_m]
Yaxley
[name_m]Tolliver[/name_m]
Olivander
[name_m]Urso[/name_m]
[name_m]Androcles[/name_m]
Tychicus
Telemachus
[name_m]Odysseus[/name_m]
[name_m]Perseus[/name_m]

[name_f]Yadira[/name_f]
[name_f]Callista[/name_f]/[name_f]Callisto[/name_f] (I like it with the o ending)
[name_f]Calla[/name_f]

That’s all I can think of for now… Seems I’m on a ancient Greek kick tonight…

[name_f]Fiammetta[/name_f]
[name_f]Aurelie[/name_f]
[name_f]Clemence[/name_f]
[name_f]Lucienne[/name_f]
[name_f]Heloise[/name_f]
[name_f]Rosalia[/name_f]
I don’t have a lot of rare boy names because I like really common boys names but here we go
[name_m]Aurelien[/name_m], [name_m]Alaric[/name_m], and [name_m]Theseus[/name_m]

Listing the ones too weird for most people that I really like

Boys
[name_m]Peregrine[/name_m]
[name_m]Malachy[/name_m]
[name_m]Eleazar[/name_m]
Katriel
[name_m]Demetrius[/name_m]
[name_m]Nicodemus[/name_m]
[name_m]Ptolemy[/name_m]
[name_m]Gavriel[/name_m]
[name_m]Harvey[/name_m]
[name_m]Mordecai[/name_m]
[name_m]Gilead[/name_m]
[name_m]Huon[/name_m]
[name_m]Zebulon[/name_m]
[name_m]Hadriel[/name_m]
[name_m]Eoin[/name_m]
Benzion

Girls
[name_f]Raziela[/name_f]
[name_f]Viveca[/name_f]
[name_f]Kelilah[/name_f]
[name_f]Tamar[/name_f]
Kinneret
[name_f]Ayelet[/name_f]
Hespera
[name_u]Vesper[/name_u]
[name_f]Saoirse[/name_f]
[name_f]Niamh[/name_f]
[name_f]Kezia[/name_f]
Immanuela
[name_f]Esmeralda[/name_f]
[name_f]Mariposa[/name_f]
Rhoswen
Biljana
[name_f]Iliana[/name_f]

For little girls I love the names [name_f]Maple[/name_f] Menorah and [name_f]Easter[/name_f] [name_f]Galilee[/name_f].
Other ideas are:
[name_f]Ireland[/name_f]
[name_u]Dove[/name_u]
[name_f]Sparrow[/name_f]
[name_u]Winter[/name_u]
[name_f]Mima[/name_f]
[name_f]Clementine[/name_f]
[name_f]Isadora[/name_f]

Boys:
Absolom
[name_u]Kit[/name_u]
[name_m]Ezra[/name_m]
[name_u]Marlowe[/name_u]
[name_m]Bronx[/name_m]

[name_f]Aira[/name_f] - A Finnish girls name meaning ‘messenger’. It’s pronounced ‘eye-ra’ and you can hear it on Forvo.

[name_u]Jory[/name_u] - Boys name. The Cornish form of [name_m]George[/name_m].

Thank you all so much! Sometimes it feels like I’ve seen every name on here but so many of these suggestions are great. [name_f]Clementine[/name_f] is one of my favorites but I feels so much more popular than it is. Does exposure like that take away from some of the novelty for you when looking for an uncommon name? [name_m]Balthazar[/name_m] is also a favorite but I wonder if it sounds too heavy on a kid.

We’re going with [name_m]Linus[/name_m]. It’s not in the top 1000 (and hasn’t been in almost a century). [name_m]Rich[/name_m] history: son of [name_m]Apollo[/name_m], 2nd pope after [name_m]Peter[/name_m], inventors of [name_u]Yale[/name_u]-brand locks, 2-time Nobel prize winning chemist, and acclaimed computer programmer.

My top for a girl right now is Fiala. It’s a Czech name meaning violet and I think it’s lovely.