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150+ Weird Names: The Weirdest Baby Names in the World

These unusual and weird baby names are quirky, strange, and even illegal! Learn the weirdest names in history for boys and girls.
150+ Weird Names
Updated: January 17, 2023
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There are some baby names that make our heads turn when we hear them, sometimes in a good way and others in a head-scratching way. If you’re seeking an unusual name that will make your baby stand out, then this baby name list is for you!

You won’t find any traditional names on this extensive list of over 150 baby names for boys and girls. We searched high and low, from Greek mythology to old Celtic names to modern invented names to create a list of weird, unusual, and unique baby names

What makes a baby's name weird is, of course, subjective. What may seem perfectly normal in one language or culture may sound incredibly bizarre to someone from elsewhere. 

For example, here in the U.S., my son’s name Ewan usually requires an explanation of pronunciation; I like to use actor Ewan MacGregor as an example. But in the UK, particularly Scotland, no one bats an eye at the name Ewan.

It's also the case that some names are regular words that are simply odd options for a name, like Bush or Chaos while others are invited words or names or borrowed from literature and film.

Related: What Weird Baby Names Are Banned or Illegal in Your Country?

Nonetheless, there are some names though that, regardless of culture or language, stand out. Jason Lee’s son Pilot Inspektor comes to mind, as does Nick Cannon’s daughter, Powerful Queen.

From unique to unusual to extraordinary, check out our list of 150+ Weird Baby Names.

Top 20 Weirdest Baby Names in the World 

There were quite a few weird baby names to choose from, but this is our list of the twenty weirdest names in the world!

Contemporary art collage of little boy, child dancing under disco ball with rainbow light isolated over pink background. Concept of childhood, adulthood, game, imagination, youth, family, fun and ad

  1. Abcde - Yes, this is a name. According to mom, it is pronounced Ab-si-dee
  2. Bush -  A male name used sporadically in the late 19th century.
  3. Cappie -  A character in a 19th-century novel, The Hidden Hand, some parents chose this name for their baby girls. 
  4. Covid - A couple in India name one of their twins Covid. The sibling’s name? Corona.
  5. Cyanide - In 2016, a Welsh woman tried to name her baby Cyanide; however, the choice was blocked by a judge.
  6. Diva Muffin - Daughter of rocker Frank Zappa. 
  7. Dorcas - An old Hebrew girl’s name, but unfortunately, sounds a bit odd to our modern ears.
  8. Exa Dark Sideræl - This name takes the cake for weird baby names. Elon Musk and his partner Grimes, however, are n strangers to weird names and named their eldest child X. 
  9. Foch - Post WWI, some boys were named in honor of French commander Ferdinand Foch.
  10. Fronnie - An English girl’s name derived from Saffron. 
  11. Hellzell - A Reddit contribution stating mom, like Hazel and dad, was a fan of Hell’s Angels.
  12. KVIIIlyn - Supposedly an alternate spelling to the more common Caitlin.
  13. Maim - A Latin name meaning star of the sea, but in English takes on a different meaning.
  14. Marijuana Pepsi Is the name of a baby born in Wisconsin in the 1970s.
  15. Nimrod - A Hebrew boy’s name that means we shall rise up. A lofty meaning; however, today, it has connotations of an unintelligent person. 
  16. Portabella - Of all the nature names, there might be better picks for most parents, although they are delicious!
  17. $helly - In some countries, using symbols is banned, but not in the U.S., giving us a unique version of a common name.
  18. Sip - In 1885, Sip peaked with five baby boys receiving this moniker. That’s the only time the name made the top 1,000 name list of the S.S. Administration.
  19. Spicy - According to birth records, in 1883, 5 baby girls in the U.S. were named Spicy, and the name has been around since. Perhaps an alternative like Sage, Basil, or Cinnamon if you’re looking for something spice related.
  20. Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii - This poor girl in New Zealand was embarrassed by her name. During a custody battle, she was made a ward of the state and legally allowed to change her name at the age of 9.

Weird Baby Girl Names

Curious about the wacky and weird girl names parents have given their baby girls throughout history? Here are some of the most unusual and uncommon girl names people actually used! 

Baby girl is making funny face while playing indoors.

  1. Aintzane - Spanish, glorious
  2. Almond - Old French name. Almond nut.
  3. Ambrosia - Greek. Immortality. The food and drink of the gods.
  4. Apsara - A Hindu and Buddhist spirit of the clouds and water. It means to move in the rain clouds. 
  5. Aroha - Moari, love
  6. Beanie - A nickname for Elizabeth or the Latin name Sabine which means cat-like.
  7. Bellatrix - Harry Potter fans are familiar with this villainous name. It is Latin for a female warrior.
  8. Belmira - Portuguese, a beautiful sight
  9. Bushra - Arabic, good news, or omen
  10. Daenerys - Mother of Dragons, a character from Game of Thrones
  11. Dex - Latin. Flexible.
  12. Dharma - Hindi. The ultimate law of all things.
  13. Diamanta - Greek, diamond
  14. Ellaiyamma - A Hindu deity of boundaries. 
  15. Enoch - Hebrew. Dedicated one. 
  16. Femi  Egyptian. Love.
  17. Fereshteh - Persian. Angel. 
  18. Finola - Irish, white shoulder
  19. Hippolyta - Name of the Amazon Queen, a character in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream
  20. Hirune - Basque, trinity
  21. Ibtisam - Arabic, smile
  22. Keeva - Irish, beautiful, gentle
  23. Lerke - Scandanavian, lark
  24. Maleficient - Disney turned this word that means evil and harmful into a name in the classic film Sleeping Beauty. 
  25. Mariola - Polish, bitter, untamed
  26. Medusa - Most parents probably won’t opt for this Greek gorgon’s name, but hey, it will definitely stop people in their tracks!
  27. Nevena - Slavic, marigold
  28. Nimphy - Hindi. Maiden. Of the goddess. 
  29. Noabelle - Hebrew/French - combines the names, Noah and Belle.
  30. Nixie - German, water nymph, or mermaid
  31. Ondina - Latin, little wave
  32. Qadira - Arabic, powerful, able
  33. Sansa - Eldest daughter of the Stark family on Game of Thrones. 
  34. Tamsey - English, from the river Thames
  35.  Xylona - Greek, forest girl, a girl from the woods

Weird Baby Boy Names

These uncommon and weird names for boys certainly made an impression. Here are some of our picks for the weirdest boy names of all time.

Surprised kid sitting at table stock photo

  1. Ajax - Greek. Eagle. Ajax was one of the heroes who fought in the mythical Battle of Troy. 
  2. Aleric - German. Noble ruler. 
  3. Alucard - Son of Dracula, from the video game series Castlevania
  4. Boaz - Hebrew, swiftness
  5. Bode - Dutch/German. Home.
  6. Castor - Greek. It comes from the Greek word for beaver kastor
  7. D' Artagnan - Character from the famous story of the Three Musketeers. It refers to someone from Artagnan.
  8. Daxton -  An invented name.
  9. Enzo - Italian or German. Meaning unknown.
  10. Gannon - Irish for fair-haired. 
  11. Hermes - Greek. Hermes is the messenger god. He is also the protector of travelers and merchants
  12. Idris - Arabic/Welsh, lord studious
  13. Irwin - Old English. Sea friend.
  14. Jericho  - A Greek Biblical name that means bright moon.
  15. Jylan - English. Flute. 
  16. Khiing - Presumably a version of the name King, which is an English and Scottish name. The original meaning was a tribal leader.
  17. Onix - Greek, an alternate spelling to Onyx which means black stone. This spelling refers to a rock in the Pokemon game.
  18. Ozias - Greek. Salvation
  19. Peregrine - Latin, traveler, or pilgrim. A type of falcon.
  20. Pollux - Greek. Crown. One of the Gemini twins.
  21. Qaani - Arabic, one who is content with themselves
  22. Raiden - Japanese, thunder, and lightning
  23. Rex - Latin. King.
  24. Xandro - Greek, man's defender. A variation of Alexander.
  25. York - English name for a city in northern England
  26. Zaire - African name for the congo river, it means the river that swallows all rivers.
  27. Zeppelin - German origin, a type of airship invented in 1900. Also popular among rock fans because of Led Zeppelin.

Weird Celebrity Baby Names

A Jimmy Kimmel Show appearance with Anne Hathaway several years back says it all. In the clip, she talks about how people expect celebrities to pick weird names. So when pregnant and asked what she would name her baby, she made up weird names for fun.

Gwyneth Paltrow headshot image

While Anne and her husband went with the classic name Jonathan, other celebrities have lived up to the expectation of choosing weird baby names. Here are some of our favorite celebrity baby name choices!

  1. Apple - This name became trendy when actress Gwyneth Paltrow named her daughter this in 2004
  2. Audio Science - The name actress Shannon Sossamon gave her son.
  3. Blue Ivy - Jay-Z and Beyonce’s eldest child. 
  4. Bronx - American place name, a borough of New York, name of Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz's son
  5. Cricket - Actress Busy Phillips and then-husband Marc Silverstein chose this unique moniker for their second little girl. Their eldest daughter is Birdie; they must like nature names! The couple separated in 2022 after 15 years of marriage.
  6. Cosimo - Italian. Order and beauty. Musician Beck went with this unusual baby name.
  7. Denim - Made famous by Toni Braxton's son, it could make a great middle name because denim goes with everything!
  8. Dream - Not a weird word, but definitely a unique baby name for the daughter of Rob Kardashian and Blac Chyna.
  9. Huckleberry - It makes sense that nature expert Bear Grylls would name his son something cute and outdoorsy. 
  10. Java - Actor Josh Holloway used this cool, energetic name. 
  11. Kingston - Old English. King’s town. A fitting name for the child of two music legends, Gavin Rossdale and Gwen Stefani. 
  12. Lourdes - Basque origin means craggy slope, the name Madonna gave to her daughter.
  13. Maple - This cute choice isn’t all that weird and may even become a popular name! When it does, we can thank actor Jason Bateman for starting the trend.
  14. Moroccan - Nick Cannon has quite a few kids, 11 at last count; this is the name of one of the children he shares with Mariah Carey. 
  15. North - Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are famous for using this unique name.
  16. Pilot Inspektor - Actor Jason Lee named his son this one-of-a-kind name occupational name.. 
  17. Powerful Queen - One of Nick Cannon’s daughters. 
  18. Puma - a type of cat, Erykah Badu's daughter.
  19. Racer - A name that implies speed. One of Robert Rodriguez's sons. He also has Rocket, Rebel, and Rogue.
  20. Rise Messiah - Nick Cannon alone has contributed to several of the weird baby names on our list!
  21. Story - Jenna and Bodhi Elfman chose this adorable name. 
  22. Wolfgang - A German name meaning traveling wolf is what legendary rock star Van Halen named his son. 
  23. Zillion Heir - One of the twins Nick Cannon shares with Abby De La Rosa. Click here to see all the unique baby names Nick and his baby’s mothers have chosen!
  24. Zolten - Magician Penn Jillette chose this unique Turkish and Hungarian name meaning life. 
  25. Zuma - Aztec. The Lord frowns in anger. This hip name is the middle child of rockers Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale. 

Names So Weird They're Illegal! 

Thankfully, many countries have rules and regulations about what parents can name their babies to prevent names that may be offensive, hurtful, or cause undue stress for a child. Here are some names from around the world that judges or countries have decreed illegal.

An adorable baby dressed in a prison uniform.

  1. 007 - No James Bond references for Malaysian parents. 
  2. 1060 - A court in the U.S. put a stop to parents from using this numerical name.
  3. @ - Parents in the U.S. are not allowed to use this symbol as a name. 
  4. Adolf Hitler - This name is banned in the U.S. and most likely Germany and many other places too. 
  5. Anus - Understandably so in Englis speaking places, but Denmark has ruled this one a no-no.
  6. Brfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbb11116 (pronounced ‘Albin’) - No lie. This was an actual name that judges had to block in Sweden. 
  7. Circumcision - There is no shortage of weird things parents try to name their babies, this one was banned in Mexico. 
  8. Devil- The name Devil is banned in Japan. 
  9. Fraise - In France it is illegal to name your child Strawberry.
  10. Griezmann Mbappe  - This interesting moniker was banned in France. 
  11. Harriet - For some reason, Harriet is illegal in Iceland. 
  12. Ikea - In Sweden, it’s illegal to pay homage to famous furniture makers by naming your child after them.
  13. Jesus Christ - The U.S. is pretty lax when it comes to baby names, but this is one of the few on the list of banned names. 
  14. Judas - This biblical name is banned in Switzerland. 
  15. Linda - Not weird by any extreme in the U.S. but in Saudi Arabia it is illegal. 
  16. Lucifer - New Zealand had to ban parents from naming their baby after the Christian devil. 
  17. Mafia No Fear - Is an actual name that was blocked in New Zealand. 
  18. Metallica - Swedish parents aren’t allowed to name their baby after the rock band, no matter how big of a fan they are. 
  19. Monkey - Denmark has banned parents from using this name.
  20. Nutella - Parents in France were banned from using the delicious hazelnut spread as a name, the court opted for Ella instead. 
  21. Quran - Chinese parents are forbidden from using this holy book as a name. 
  22. Robocop - This name is banned in Mexico.
  23. Thor - Portuguese parents were stopped from naming their son after the Norse god. 

Even More Weird Baby Names Throughout History 

  1. Branwen - A name from Welsh mythology. 
  2. Breccan - Irish, speckled or freckled
  3. Chaos - Stems from the Greek word abyss, but modern connotation means havoc and instability.
  4. Credence - Latin, belief or acceptance that something is true. Used in the Harry Potter prequel Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
  5. Elysium - Greek. In some Greek mythology tales, this lovely name is the word for the afterlife or paradise.
  6. Jinx - Latin. Spell. 
  7. Kashmir - Indian name, desiccated land.
  8. Kiernan - Gaelic. Small and dark-skinned.
  9. Koda - Japanese for rice patty. Also friend or ally in some Dakota Sioux Languages.
  10. Koy - Mixed data on where this name originated from or what the meaning is. Some say it means shy or modest, and others imply it stems from astrology.
  11. Lapis - Egyptian. A blue gemstone.
  12. Luz - Spanish for light.
  13. Pepper - Latin/English. A unique name that means spice.
  14. Quince - Latin. A delicious aromatic fruit and a Shakespearean character.
  15. Sailor - German origin, means boatman. A cute unisex name.
  16. Solway - Swedish, strength of the sun
  17. Sparrow - An English origin name for a small bird.
  18. Xanthe - Greek. Golden or yellow
  19. Zephyr - Greek. Wind. Zephyr was the god of the west wind. 
  20. Zuriel - Angel of beauty and fertility. 

 

Looking for more cool baby names and inspiration? Check out these popular baby name lists:  

Did one of these weird baby names make an impression? Pin this baby name list to save it for later:

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L. Elizabeth Forry

About L. Elizabeth Forry

L. Elizabeth Forry is an Early Childhood Educator with 15 years of classroom… Read more

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