We’re all getting used to hearing unique baby names these days. There’s North West, Blue Ivy Carter, Apple Martin…just to name a few. We all want our precious offspring to stand out from the crowd, right? Another advantage of weird names is that they tend not to be gender specific — something more parents are taking into consideration. Nameberry’s Pamela Satran reports that in 2015, “Many parents want to transcend the old-fashioned feminine or masculine roles and image with names that have not traditionally been used for either boys or girls but can be used for both sexes.”
We’ve found 15 of the most unique baby names that are totally real. Only time will tell how many of these lucky kids will wind up changing them as they get older!
1. Chia
It’s a girl’s name and Chia does not refer to the popular super seed. It could be based on the Chinese word for summer or derived from the name Lucius, meaning surrounded by light.
2. Moody
Every year there are a few boys named Moody. We hope they don’t live up to it!
3. Doutzen
Dutch supermodel Doutzen Kroes has inspired American moms looking for unique baby names for their daughters.
Read Related: Hot Nomenclature: 20 New Latino Baby Names to Think About Now
4. Vanellope
From the movie Wreck-it-Ralph, Vanellope is gaining a following for girls.
5. Cougar
This doesn’t refer to a predatory older woman, think John Cougar Mellencamp.
6. Reign
This royal moniker works for either gender. Kourtney Kardashian named her youngest son Reign and Ving Rhames’ daughter is Reign Beau Rhames (say it out loud and you’ll get it).
7. Excel
It’s not just ubiquitous spreadsheet software, Excel is also on the list of unique baby names for girls. We’ll assume the parents were thinking along the lines of succeeding rather than office work.
8. Draper
Draper is one of those literal names — it means ‘cloth merchant’. Madmen’s Don Draper has made it a much more suave option.
9. Alyvia
If you love the name Olivia but hate the spelling, go for Alyvia.
10. Evian
It sounds so graceful and thirst-quenching but Evian is actually a boy’s name that’s a variation of Evan.
11. Obamaniqua
This one does roll off the tongue.
12. Arya
Arya, meaning noble, has surged in popularity thanks to Game of Thrones.
13. Blessed
We all hope this our children have a blessed life, maybe this name guarantees it!
14. Disney
Disney made it on to this year’s Social Security Administration’s list of girls’ names.
15. Indie
Indie is a popular name in Wales right now. We like how it brings to mind future hipsters and creative thinkers.
