50 Unique Baby Names You've Never Heard Of

Looking down the list, there’s a very good chance that you’ve never heard of most of these names. They are definitely unique, but not absurd. Plus, there's a mix of names for boys and girls, but also plenty of gender-neutral names as well.

Sa'iyda Shabazz

Updated: January 8, 2023

When it’s time to pick out a baby name, it’s beginning to feel like you’ve heard them all. There’s a reason certain names, like Sophie or Emma are considered popular — because there are so many people with those names. Obviously there is nothing wrong with popular names, but some parents to be are looking for names that may be a little less common. Because, as much you may love the name, you don’t really want your kiddo to be one of five Jacksons in his class. We want to give our kids names that may help them stand out a little.

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Often, we turn to baby name websites, or our friend Google. Sometimes those searches can offer great results. But it seems that more often than not, trying to find a name no one’s heard before is practically impossible. Lists are obviously going to push more popular names towards the top of their lists, no matter what.

One of the biggest challenges is finding a name that you’ve really never heard before. Or rather, a name no one else has heard before. Sure, you may go out of your way to find a harder to find name, but then someone finds it to be entirely common. For example, the name Leighton comes up frequently if you do a search for names you’ve never heard of. But many women in their 30s and beyond will likely know the name because of actress Leighton Meester, one of the stars of Gossip Girl.

Making this list was an exercise in what is truly a name you may have never heard of. Upon extensive looking, some names were truly unheard of names, and others were just borderline zany and unique. There were a lot of names that were just alternate spellings of popular (or more well known) names. You’ve heard of those names, but not that particular spelling. Looking down the list, there’s a very good chance that you’ve never heard of most of the names. These names are definitely unique, but not absurd. And they’re a mix of names for boys and girls, but also plenty of gender-neutral names as well.