Where to find inspiration for unique baby names

Popularity isn’t what it used to be. That’s something that’s said a lot in baby name discussions, usually to reassure parents that even if they choose one of the top names in the country, their child (probably) won’t be one of seven Emmas or Noahs in their class. The statistics show that, year after year, the most popular names are being given to a smaller and smaller percentage of children.

The flip-side of this is that unusual names aren’t what they used to be, either.

With the pool of names no longer dominated by a few top names as it was in past generations, more children are given names that they don’t share with many people. In some communities, having a name that stands out is the norm.

That’s what these parents found. Some people have trouble with their son’s name, Hazen, but over time they’ve realized that his non-traditional name fits right in with those of his classmates. They include Jet, Rig, Bliss and Reign.

Here are some more new-normal names from the news this week.

Diverse communities, diverse names

In our connected world, especially in places with international populations, the pool of names comes from all sorts of languages and cultures. In her latest video, the Name Dame speaks to people with names from their own cultural background and others’. There are some cracking names, like Rahm, Kavi and Solé (and insights from Nameberry’s Pam!).

Another way of using names from another culture: these Syrian parents in Canada are among several who have named their son after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

And if you’re looking to French culture for name inspiration, how about these fabulous siblings featured on Jolis Prénoms? Their full names are Philippine Liliane Maïa Liberté, Ambre Léontine Violette, and Marceau Georges Pierre.

Recent risers

If you named your son Kingston 15 years ago, it would have been vanishingly rare. Today? At No. 132 in the United States it’s hardly rare, but unless you live in a Kingston-pocket, you won’t find one in every class. Actors Lesley-Ann Brandt and Chris Payne-Gilbert have just called their son Kingston Payne. Chris has been using the hashtag #thekingpayne to introduce his son, so it looks like they’re following the fashion for royal names.

It’s the same story for Jett. It didn’t take off (as it were) until the mid-1990s, but it’s been in the 300s since 2009, making it a solid but non-traditional choice for boys. New Zealand model Nikki Phillips recently welcomed a son called Jett.

Wisdom is still an unusual pick, but it feels like a natural successor to Justice as a modern, unisex virtue name. It’s also a plain-English translation of Sophia. Now that showbiz star Kel Mitchell named his daughter Wisdom, will we see more girls (or boys) called Wisdom in the name pool? Kel had his finger on the style pulse when he called his son Lyric, but his older daughter’s name, Allure, remains obscure.

Crossing genders

Ryan, Dylan, Micah… What will be the next boys’ name to go mainstream for girls? Niall, maybe? One Direction singer Harry Styles said this week that he’d consider naming a daughter after his bandmate, and while that may never happen, it’s not such a crazy idea. Parents have been using rhyming Kyle for girls for decades: it was last in the Top 1000 in 1990. Soundalike Nile is also used for both boys and girls, like the female writer Nile Cappello.

Local heroes

Sometimes a name that seems daring in one neighborhood is common—or at least familiar—in another. It’s not just on a state level: towns and cities can have their own favorites. These Houston-inspired names have local meaning, but some of them might have wider appeal. What about Milam, Tinsley, Sealy or Cheo?

Not unusual enough

In the latest installment of how women named Alexa feel about sharing their name with voice-controlled technology, one Alexa wonders why Amazon didn’t call it something less popular, like Echo. This mythological word name certainly isn’t as common as Alexa, but it’s not the rarest name either. It was given to 100 girls and 15 boys last year.

Inspiration everywhere

When unusual names are the norm, how do you find one that no one else is using? You might find inspiration in the most unlikely places, like the names of mattress companies. Eve and Casper are the most mainstream brand names, and more out-there options include Leesa, Saatva, Helix, Zinus and Tomorrow.

Original story by Clare Bristow for Nameberry.