An A-Z of unique baby boy and girl names and their meanings

There's a lot of inspiration here!

Author: Laura ThorntonPublished 24th Feb 2023

Names are incredibly important, it's our identity after all. So, we've been thinking about baby names and how important it is to find a name you love as much as your newborn bundle (or bundles) of joy! Whether you're looking for a name that's unique, or one with a special meaning behind it, then this list is for you!

We've teamed up with Mother & Baby, who have compiled a list of the most creative baby names in the UK and across the globe.

An A-Z of unique baby boy and girl names and their meanings:

Unique baby boy names A

Abner
Meaning: This Hebrew names means "father is light", or "father of light".



Aero
Meaning: "of the sky" in Greek.



Arkin
Meaning: This Norwegian name means "eternal king's son".



Arlen
Meaning: This Irish name is of Gaelic origin, and means "pledge, promise, oath".

Unique baby girl names

Unusual Baby Girl Names - beginning with A
Adore
Meaning: "a gift; beloved; adored". Adore is a version of Adora (Greek, Old German, Latin).

Ailey
Meaning: Comes from the Irish origin, meaning "light".

Alaska
Meaning: After the American state, this name originates from the Aleut aleyska, meaning "the mainland" or literally "the object toward which the action of the sea is directed," or alternatively "great land".

Allura
Meaning: A name with a British origin, Allura means "Godly adviser".

Amandine
Meaning: Amandine is originally Latin and means "beloved".

Amaryllis
Meaning: This is a Greek name, meaning "sparkling". A flower name after the lily-like plants called Amaryllis; poetically used to mean "a simple shepherdess or country girl".

Anouk
Meaning: Anouk originates from France and it means "grace".

Unusual baby boy names B

Basil
Meaning: Another Greek name on the list, Basil is best known as a herb but also means "royal" or "kingly".



Brando
Meaning: Potentially as an homage to the famed actor Marlon Brando, this Italian name is dervied from the French Bertrand, meaning "brilliant raven", "fiery torch" or "beacon".

Unique baby girl names B

Bethan
Meaning: This beautiful girls name means "God has promised".



Bliss
Meaning: English origin: a nickname for a cheerful person, from Middle English blisse "joy" - it is similar to the name Blythe.



Blue
Meaning: We think some parents may be taking inspiration from Beyoncé and Jay Z on this one! In Middle English, it was spelt bleu or blewe.



Bunny
Meaning: ...And this one may have been inspired by Katie Price and Kieran Hayler! A bunny is a "little rabbit" - cute!

Unique baby boy names C

Cedar
Meaning: Best known as a coniferous tree, this could be an alternative to Cedric, which was invented by Sir Walter Scott for his novel Ivanhoe in 1819.



Cosmo
Meaning: This name is both used in English and Italian, with the alternative of Cosimo, meaning "order, decency, and beauty".



Coyote
Meaning: Fancy naming your baby after a canine creature found mostly in Central and North America?



Crispin
Meaning: This Latin baby name is from the Roman family name Crispinus, based on the Latin word Crispus which means "curled" or "curly-haired".

Unique baby girl names C

Candy
Meaning: A sweet treat, or short for Candace. In Latin, it means "dazzling white", or "bright glowing light".



Caroun
Meaning: This Armenian girls name means "springtime". If you're due to have a little girl in the spring this name definitely seem fitting.



Cici
Meaning: This is an alternative spelling to Cece, short for Cecelia. In Romanian, Cici means "blind".



Constanza
Meaning: This unique name originates from Italy and means "constant, unchanging".



Crimson
Meaning: A deep red colour, in Japanese is "Kurea".

Unique baby boy names D

Daxten
Meaning: An alternative to the name Dax, it may mean "of the town Dax", which is French.

Devyn
Irish, meaning 'poet'.

Unique baby girl names D

Dasha
Meaning: This Russian name simply means "nice, energetic and - of course - dashing quality".



Doll
Meaning: Other than being a cute pet name, it also means "gift of god".



Dunia
Meaning: Also can be spelled Dunya, meaning "life" or "world" in the Middle East.

Unique baby boy names E

Ebenezer
Meaning: Made famous by Charles Dickens' novel A Christmas Carol, it means "rock" or "stone of help".

Unique baby girl names E

Edwige
Meaning: This Teutonic baby name means "refuge from war".



Elspeth
Meaning: A Scottish version of Elizabeth, meaning "chosen by God" or "consecrated by God".



Eluned
Meaning: This Welsh name means "idol, image".

Unique baby boy names F

Fritz
Meaning: This is a shortened version of the German Frederick, derived from the Old High German Fridurih (ruler of peace), a compound name composed of the elements frid (peace) and rik (king, ruler).

Unique baby girl names F

Fawn
Meaning: An English baby name, meaning "young deer". The Greek mythological deity of fertility and nature was Fauna. She was famous for her chastity.

Unique baby boy names G

Granville
Meaning: English, meaning 'gravelly town'

Griffin
Meaning: A griffin is a mythical creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle.

Unique baby girl names G

Gigi
Meaning: "earth worker", or "God is gracious" in Greek, it may also be used a short version of Georgina. Is this thanks to Gigi Hadid?



Ginevra
Meaning: This name strangely reminds us of Ginny from Harry Potter. This girls name originates from Wales and means fair, white, soft.



Gray
Meaning: Traditionally a boy's name, the name Gray has come into prominence in the last year as a popular girl's name. It means "gray-haired; pleasant".



Gretel
Meaning: Best known as one of the two main characters in the old fairy tale Hansel And Gretel, it means "a pearl", or alternatively is another version of Margaret



Gypsy
Meaning: "a bohemian traveller".

Unique baby boy names H

Hansel
Meaning: Best known as the other half of Hansel and Gretel, this Hebrew name means "Gift from God".

Harlen
Meaning: This is an alternative spelling to Harlan, which is and English name meaning "From the hare's land".

Hawk
Meaning: One of the most feared birds of prey, the word "hawk" actually dervies from the Old English word "hafoc".

Heston
Meaning: Traditionally an English surname, the name Heston has come into prominence through the famous chef, Heston Blumenthal. It means "one who came from Heston (a London suburb.)", and is derived from the Old English "hes" meaning "brushwood" and "tun" which means "enclosure".

Hogan
Meaning: This is normally an Irish surname. In Irish Gaelic, Ó hÓgáin, it is diminutive of "Og" meaning "young".

Hyatt
Meaning: An English name, meaning "from the high gate".

Unique baby girl names H

Honesti
Meaning: An alternative spelling of Honesty, this name means "truthfulness".

Unique baby boy names I

Iggy
Meaning: Are parents naming their children after Iggy Pop?! This English name means "firey one".





Igor

Meaning: This Russian name means "warrior of peace".





Ike

Meaning: Although often short for Isaac, the name Ike is actually a name in it's own right. From Hebrew origins, this name means "he laughs/laughter".





Indigo

Meaning: Although traditionally a girl's name, this deep, rich purple colour would make a lovely name for either gender! Coming from the Greek "Indikos", meaning Indian dye.

Unique baby girl names I

Isabeau
Meaning: This baby girl name reminds us of the gorgeous name Isabelle. However, Isabeau is slightly different; it originates from France and means pledged to God.

Unique baby boy names J

Jacinto
Spanish or Portuguese, meaning 'hyacinth'.
Jeevan
Indian, meaning 'life'. Often used with a prefix like 'har', to form other names such as Harjeevan.

Unique baby girl names J

Jubilee
Meaning: "anniversary celebration" in English, this name can be used for both baby girls and baby boys.



Jupiter
Meaning: Thinking of naming your baby after the planet? Jupiter derives from Latin Iuppiter, which was ultimately derived from the Indo-European *Dyeu-pater, composed of the elements Dyeus (God in Latin) and pater - "father". Jupiter was the supreme god in Roman mythology.

Unique baby boy names K

Kruze
Meaning: An alternative spelling to Cruz, made famous by the Beckhams, meaning "cross" in Spanish and referring to the cross of the crucifixion.

Unique baby girl names K

Kalinda
Meaning: Kalinda means sun, name of mountains and its origin is Hindi.

Unique baby boy names L

Lion
Meaning: Coming from the Latin Leo, which is a name in its own right and often short for Leonardo.



Loyal
Meaning: The word loyal means "true or faithful in allegiance", which is what we should all hope our children turn out to be! Comes from the Latin legalis, making "legal" and "loyal" from the same branch.



Lysander
Meaning: Most famous as one of The Lovers in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, Lysander means "liberator" or "one who is freed". A compound name made up of "lysis" (freedom) and "andros" (man).

Unique baby girl names L

Lady
Meaning: Are you a Lady and the Tramp fan? This name is a girl's name of Old English origin, meaning "bread kneader" and may refer to someone in charge of a household, and therefore of high rank.



Lilac
Meaning: This is a pretty name, taken from the pastel purple colour of the lilac flower.



Lilou
Meaning: This female name is originally from France and simply means Lily.



Lottie
Meaning: Short for Charlotte, the French feminine version of Charles, which means "man". Charlotte can also mean "petite".



Lovelle
Meaning: This is a feminine version of Lovell, which derives from the Old Norman French Louvel, which means "wolf cub".



Lulu
Meaning: Short for any girl's name beginning with Lou, for example Lucy, Louise, Louisa etc. It could also be the feminine version of Louis, which means "famous warrior".

Unique baby boy names M

Marlo
Meaning: An alternative to Marlon, which is French, this name means "descendent of Mary".



Mars
Meaning: The Roman God of war? The Red Planet? Or the delicious chocolate bar? Either way, this name comes from mar, which means to spoil or ruin something. It could also be from the Latin mas, which means male.



Marvel
Meaning: Are you thinking of naming your son after the comic book giants? Comes from the Latin "mirari", meaning to "wonder at".

Unique baby girl names M

Melrose
Meaning: This is a Scottish name which means the bald moor (treeless hill). Could also be an almagamation of Melanie or Melissa and Rose.



Miami
Meaning: After the place in America, but was originally named after the Mayaimi, a Native American tribe.



Mignon
Meaning: Mignon has an adorable meaning for your little one: dainty, petite. The name originates from France.



Mildred
Meaning: An Anglo-Saxon name of Old English origin, which means "gentle strength".



Misty
Meaning: With the rise of Pokémon Go last year, it's no wonder that the name Misty has made its way up the name lists this year. Deriving from mist, meaning "light fog".



Moon
Meaning: We're sure you can guess this one... But the word moon in Old English was Mona, another pretty girl's name.

Unique baby boy names N

Nestor
Meaning: A Greek name derived from a combination of "νέομαι" (neomai), meaning "go back", and "νόστος" (nostos), meaning "one who returns from travels".

Unique baby girl names N

Nimrat
Meaning: This is a really pretty Sikh name, meaning "humble".

Unique baby boy names O

Oak
Meaning: A sturdy tree which bears the acorn.



Oz
Meaning: Commonly used as a shortening of Australia in the modern Western world, but Oz actually means "strength" in Hebrew.

Unique baby girl names O

Odelia
Meaning: A Hebrew name, meaning "praise God". Can also be shortened to Delia.



Olwen
Meaning: Not only is this Welsh names unique but the meaning is too. It means "white footprint".

Unique baby boy names P

Pax
Meaning: Derived from the Latin "pax" meaning "peace, the binding thing". Pax was also a Roman goddess of peace, and is the name of one of Angelina Jolie's sons.

Perseus
Meaning: Another character from Greek mythology, Perseus was Hercules' half-brother. This name is either derived from the Greek verb, "πέρθειν" (perthein), meaning "to waste, ravage, sack, destroy" - or, it means "to destroy".

Psalm
Meaning: A religious hymn, this comes from the Greek "psallein", meaning "to pluck".

Unique baby girl names P

Paizlee
Meaning: An alternative spelling of Paisley, which makes us wonder whether Paisley from Tattoo Fixers has had a wider effect on the world this year? The meaning of Paisley is not only a town in the Scottish Lowlands, it is also a type of fabric and a pattern.



Pandora
Meaning: A Greek name, Pandora means "all-gift". Also well-known for the Greek fable "Pandora's Box".



Patience
Meaning: A popluar English name in past centuries, meaning "patient".



Pepper
Meaning: Aside from being the popular foods, it is both English and North German - from Middle English peper, piper, hence a metonymic occupational name for a spicer; alternatively, it may be a nickname for a small man (as if the size of a peppercorn) or one with a fiery temper.



Pilar
Meaning: The meaning of this Spanish name is similar to the meaning - "pillar".



Pinky
Meaning: Of Indian origin, meaning "pinkish".

Unique baby boy names Q

Quaid
Meaning: Irish, meaning 'fourth'.

Quinlan
Meaning: Gaelic, meaning 'fit, shapely and strong'.

Unique baby girl names Q

Quiana
Meaning: American, meaning 'silky'.

Quintessa
Meaning: Latin, meaning 'creative'.

Unique baby boy names R

Raj
Meaning: Raj is a Sanskrit Indian name, meaning "King".
Ramses
Meaning: Ever watch the Prince Of Egypt? Ramses was Moses' step-brother! In Egyptian, Ramses means "begotten by Ra the sun god".
Renly
Meaning: It would seem we have a lot of Game Of Thrones fans out there... It's also an alternative to Renleigh or Renley.
Riggins
Meaning: Traditionally an English surname, Riggins is an Anglicised form of the Irish surname Ó Riagáin which means "son of Riagán" derived from the Irish name Riagán, which means "little king".
Rocket
Meaning: Possibly taking inspiration from Jamie and Jools Oliver, it comes from the French "roquette" which means "spinning".
Roscoe
Meaning: This is a Norwegian name, meaning "from the deer forest".

Unique baby girl names R

Rooney
Meaning: Originally a Gaelic name, Rooney means "red haired".



Roza
Meaning: Similar to the name, this Latin name means Rose.

Unique baby boy names S

Saint
Meaning: Almost definitely taking inspiration from Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's adorable little boy, this name comes from the Latin "sancire", which means "consecrate".



Sparsh
Meaning: This unusual name means "touch".

Unique baby girl names S

Saskia
Meaning: This is probably the least unique name on this list (we're sure you've heard of it before) and the German meaning is Saxon.



Shoshana
Meaning: This cute name is originally from Hebrew and means "lily".



Signy
Meaning: This Scandinavian name simply means "new victory". That's a pretty cool meaning for a name.



Starr
Meaning: An alternative spelling of Star, you could also think about Stella, which is star in Latin.



Storm
Meaning: Are there any X-Men fans out there? The definition of storm is: a violent disturbance of the atmosphere with strong winds and usually rain, thunder, lightning, or snow.



Strawberry
Meaning: It would be adorable to name your baby daughter after the cute fruit.



Sunday
Meaning: Traditionally the first day of the week, this day was named after the sun. Also, the Greek word for Sunday is "Kyriake", meaning the "Lord's Day", and this is also a girl's name.



Suzu
Meaning: This name originates from Japan and means "little bell".

Unique baby boy names T

Tavish
Meaning: A Scottish version of Thomas, it's an Anglicised form of Thàmhais.



Tiger
Meaning: There are quite a few animal names in this list!



Tru
Meaning: A German name meaning "strength of the spear; spear maiden".

Unique baby girl names T

Taina
Tayma Native American, meaning 'peal of thunder'. Also the name of an oasis in Saudi Arabia.
Talise
Talyse Native American, meaning 'lovely water'.

Unique baby boy names U

Ugo
Meaning: Italian form of Hugo, meaning 'soul, mind and intellect'.

Uriel
Meaning: Hebrew, meaning 'angel of light'.

Upton
Meaning: English, meaning 'high town'.


Unique baby girl names U

Udaya
Meaning: Indian, meaning 'dawn'.

Uriella
Meaning: Uriella Hebrew, meaning 'angel of light'.

Ula
Meaning: alt. Ulla Celtic, meaning 'gem of the sea'

Unique baby boy names V

Valerio
Meaning: Italian, meaning 'to be strong'.

Vidal
Meaning: 'Life giving'.

Unique baby girl names V

Valentine
Meaning: Although commonly a boy's name, this has crept up the charts for girls this year. Derived from Valens, meaning "strong, vigourous, healthy".



Varvava
Meaning: This Greek name means "stranger".



Verity
Meaning: Derived from the Latin Veritas, which means "a truth, a reality".



Verona
Meaning: This is an city in Italy, and is a very pretty name. Also, where Romeo and Juliet is traditionally set.



Victory
Meaning: It may be derived from the Latin Victoria, which means "to conquer".

Unique baby boy names W

Warwick
English, meaning 'farm near the weir'. The name of a historic town in England with a castle and a university.


Winter
Old English, meaning 'to be born in the winter'.

Wynn
Wyn Welsh, meaning 'very blessed' or 'the fair blessed one'. Also used in old English to mean 'friend'.


Unique baby girl names W

Waverly
Meaning: Old English, meaning 'meadow of aspens'.
Whisper
Meaning: English, meaning 'whisper'
Wisteria
Meaning: English, meaning 'flower'.



Unique baby boy names X

Xadrian
Meaning: American, a combination of X and Adrian, meaning 'from Hadria'.

Xylander
Meaning: Greek, meaning 'man of the forest'.

Unique baby girl names X

Xanthe

Meaning: Greek, meaning 'blonde'.



Xoey

Meaning: Variant of Zoe, meaning 'life'.



Xylia

Meaning: Alt. Xylina, Xyloma Greek, meaning 'from the woods'.

Unique baby boy names Y

Yarden
Meaning: Hebrew, meaning 'to flow downward'.

Yogi

Meaning: Indian, meaning 'master of oneself'. Popularised by the American cartoon character, Yogi Bear.


Unique baby girl names Y

Yadira
Meaning: Arabic, meaning 'worthy'.

Yareli
Meaning: Latin, meaning 'golden'.

Unique baby boy names Z

Zee
Meaning: This could be a shortened version of the Hebrew name Ezekiel, which means "God will strengthen".



Ziggy
Meaning: This German name is a shortened version of Sigmund, which means "protection through victory".



Zyron
Meaning: There isn't very much explanation on the name Zyron, but it could be an alternative of Zion, which is a Biblical name meaning "monument; raised up; sepulcher".

Unique baby girl names Z

Zamia
Meaning: Greek, meaning 'pine cone'.

Zyra
Meaning: "brightness of the morning".


If you want more baby names then check out Mother & Baby's 'Baby Name Generator'.

Now read:

116 ILLEGAL baby names you need to be aware of

The top 40 baby names predicted to become popular over the next 10 years

The top baby names predicted for 2022

How to listen to Hits Radio:

For the biggest hits, the biggest throwbacks and incredible competitions tune into Hits Radio on our Hits Radio app, your DAB radio, Smart Speakers or online.