Lovers of unique word names, put down your dictionaries!
We’ve found a better way to come up with truly original word names for babies: crowdsource it! We recently asked our brilliant Berry community to suggest cool new word name possibilities that no one’s thought of yet — and they didn’t let us down.
These were our criteria:
1. English words (and foreign words used in English) only
2. In line with current trends
3. Never in the US Top 1000
Over 1000 inventive new word names were submitted, from Aloe and Anaphora to Zealous and Zap. A selection of our favorites is below, sorted into ten popular categories, or you can view the full shiny new list of unique word names for babies here.
None of the names chosen has ever been given to more than 15 babies per year in the US, and most have never appeared on the SSA list at all.
A big thank you to everyone who took part!
Abrus
Bonsai
Caraway
Conifer
Dittany
Evergreen
Fennell
Freesia
Hickory
Ixia
Lupine
Marjoram
Sago
Tamarisk
Tarragon
Akita
Boa
Bronco
Cormorant
Dotterel
Egret
Firefly
Jacana
Minnow
Nightingale
Pinto
Pipistrelle
Rooster
Skylark
Viper
Adelite
Alnico
Brocade
Cambric
Celsian
Denarius
Gossamer
Lazuli
Obsidian
Papyrus
Pewter
Tourmaline
Velveteen
Quartz
Zircon
Acre
Caldera
Drumlin
Everglade
Fosse
Glacier
Islet
Meander
Oasis
Orchard
Plateau
Rivulet
Spur
Tundra
Woodland
Ardent
Comet
Cosmic
Dusk
Glow
Horizon
Luminance
Mirage
Nebula
Solstice
Spark
Twilight
Umbra
Vespertine
Wildfire
Artisan
Aviatrix
Bard
Dreamer
Explorer
Guardian
Mage
Mariner
Paladin
Pioneer
Samurai
Selkie
SentinelVoyagerWanderer
Alacrity
Carefree
Eager
Fierce
Flair
Gregarious
Jovial
Kindred
Parity
Power
Reason
Tenacity
Valiant
Vigor
Zeal
Arabesque
Cabriole
Chorus
Clarinet
Duet
Evensong
Fresco
Jive
Lullaby
Madrigal
Novel
Rondeau
Sonata
Stanza
Triolet
Aeolian — “of the wind”
Alpenglow — “the rosy light of the setting or rising sun seen on high mountains”
Apricity — “the warmth of the sun in winter”
Daystar — “a planet visible in the east just before sunrise”
Elysian — “of heaven or paradise”
Luminary — “a person who inspires or influences others; a natural light-giving body”
Meridian — “a circle of constant longitude; a pathway in the body along which vital energy is said to flow”
Moonglade — “the bright reflection of moonlight on water”
Nepenthe — “a poetic drug said to banish sorrow from a person’s mind”
Panacea — “a cure for all ills”
Penumbra — “a space of partial illumination between perfect shadow and full light”
Petrichor — “the earthy scent of fresh rain on dry ground”
Serendipity — “unexpected good fortune”
Sonder — “the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own”
Velleity — “a wish or inclination not strong enough to lead to action”
Calyx — Cal
Cleome — Cleo
Bayou — Bay, Bou
Ephemera — Effie, Emmy
Evanescence — Evie, Evan, Annie, Essie, Ness, Van
Dulcet — Dulcie, Etta
Hallelujah — Hallie, Lou
Julep — Jules, Jupe
Kismet — Kizzy, Izzy
Laureate — Laurie
Orison — Ori, Ozzy, Sonny
Sibilance — Sibby, Billie
Theory — Theo
Vivid — Vivi, Vida
Rosegold — Rosie, Goldie
Emma Waterhouse joined the team in 2017, writing about everything from the top baby name trends 2023 to how not to choose the next big baby name. As Nameberry's head moderator, she also helps to keep our active forums community ticking.
Emma's articles on names and naming trends have been featured in publications including the Huffington Post, People, Today's Parent, Fatherly, and Good Housekeeping.
A linguist by background, Emma speaks several languages and lives in England's smallest county with her husband and four young children. You can reach her at [email protected].
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