125 weird baby names for parents who think outside the box

There's a sense of responsibility that should go into choosing a child's name. People aren't the same as pets, and your baby boy probably can't necessarily pull off the name Pickles the same way a dachshund can. But it's also understandable that some parents want their child to have a unique enough name that they're not one of 12 Olivers or Emmas in their class. But unique can pretty quickly blend into strange, and there are many weird baby names that are actually more popular than you'd think.

It's long been a thing for celebrities to choose outlandish names for their children, but Social Security Administration (SSA) data reveals that uncommon baby names are the norm for many everyday parents as well. So if you have one of these so-called "weird" names or you're leaning towards giving one to your baby boy or girl, you're certainly not alone.

These names are unusual but pretty cute—and though they may not be everybody's cup of tea, that's what makes baby names such an interesting concept. Some families want traditional monikers that honor their lineage and loved ones, and others want their children to stand out as unique individuals.

So here are 125 weird girl and boy names for those parents who like to think outside the box. And according to research from Ancestry, Nameberry, and A Dictionary of First Names, they all carry pretty unique meanings as well.

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125 Weird Baby Names

1. Baby — This is a pretty literal baby name, and it's more common than you'd think. Even though this moniker is technically an illegal name, there were 15 girls and six boys named "Baby" in 2024, per Social Security Administration data.
2. Wonder — If your baby fills you with a sense of awe, that makes this name pretty applicable.
3. Rainbow — Weather-themed baby names are not uncommon, and this one conjures a pretty image of the colorful sky after a storm.
4. Liquid — This was actually going to be my name before my mom settled on "Martha" instead. I do love the ocean, though, so maybe she should have stuck with it.
5. Halo — Popular for boys and girls, this name comes from the Greek word "halos," meaning "ring of light."
6. Denim — If you love a good pair of blue jeans, you could give your child this name. They'd be in good company with the nearly 300 babies who were given this moniker in 2024.
7. July — April, May and June are pretty popular baby names, but other months like July feel a little out of the box in comparison.
8. Legacy — If you want to continue your legacy by having a child, you could commit all the way and just name them Legacy.
9. Nox — With Latin roots, this name means "darkness" or "night."
10. Lyric — A musical family might want to choose this name for their child. It comes from Greek and means "songlike."
11. Salem — This witchy city was used as a baby name over 1,000 times in 2024. In Arabic, it means "safe."
12. Breck — This Scottish-origin moniker means "speckled."
13. Miracle — If your baby feels like a divine gift, this is a fitting name.
14. Blue — This colorful moniker will certainly make your child stand out.
15. Amillion — This moniker conjures the concept of a lot of money or something being special (one in "a million"). Five girls and 21 boys got this name in 2024.
16. Sincere — This name comes from the Latin word "sincerus," which means "pure and clean."
17. Chevy — This name comes from the French for "knight."
18. Titan — With Greek origins, this name means "defender."
19. Khaleesi — Game of Thrones may be over, but this name endures. It landed on the Social Security Administration's top 1,000 baby names list in 2024. In the GoT universe, it symbolized a powerful leader and means "queen" in Dothraki (a fictional language in the series).
20. Diamond — If your baby shines bright, this gemstone name could be fitting.
21. Teddy — This cute name means "divine gift."
22. Rex — In Latin, this name means "king."
23. Trust — In 2024, 25 baby boys and 19 baby girls were given this honorable moniker.
24. Navy — This moniker can refer to the color or the Armed Forces branch. It comes from the French term for "fleet of ships," aka "flotte de navires."
25. Genesis — The first book of the Bible, Genesis comes from the Greek word for "origin."

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Weird Girl Names

1. Soleil — Meaning "sun" in French, your baby could share their name with actress Soleil Moon Frye.
2. Jupiter— In Latin, this name means "godfather," which makes it an odd choice for girls. Still, 92 baby girls got the name in 2024.
3. Dior — Over 400 babies were named after this fashion and beauty brand in 2024. It means "golden" in French.
4. Tree — Taylor Swift's publicist is nicknamed Tree, but her real name is Trina Paine.
5. Maple — You could get specific with the type of tree you want to name your child after. Picking the one that makes sweet syrup is kind of cute.
6. Honey — In 2024, 282 baby girls were given this sweet name.
7. Poet — This moniker comes from Old French for "one who writes verse." Perfect for an imaginative kid.
8. Sonnet — A variation of the poetry theme, this moniker means "little song" in Italian.
9. Renesmee — This Twilight-themed baby name is still used for real babies all the time (over 2,000 times since 2009, according to Names.org). It means "reborn" and "beloved."
10. Lettie — This moniker comes from Latin and means "joy."
11. Sativa — A type of cannabis plant, this name is banned in some countries, such as New Zealand. Not in the U.S., though. In 2024, 13 baby girls were named Sativa.
12. Graylee — Why pick a popular name like Haylee when you can go off the beaten path with Graylee? The parents of seven baby girls in 2024 did just that. It means "gray meadow" and has English roots.
13. Epiphany — In Greek, this moniker means "manifestation" or "striking appearance."
14. Delta — Representing the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet, this name was given to 82 baby girls in 2024.
15. Liberty — Symbolizing freedom, this is a sweet choice for a little girl.
16. Scout — This is an adventurous name for your daughter, popularized by Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird.
17. Icelynn — This was the 922nd most popular name for girls in 2024. It means "frozen lake."
18. Dolly — Dolly Parton is a legend, but on the surface, there's no denying that this isn't the most common name since it also symbolizes a child's toy.
19. Cattleya — Nearly 300 girls were named "Cattleya" in 2024. It's a type of orchid.
20. Love — This name is a permanent manifestation of your love for your child.
21. Treasure — This Latin name means "highly valued."
22. Karsyn — When it comes to weird names, you can't forget weird spellings. This unique spelling of the boys' name "Carson" was the 755th most popular name for girls in 2024.
23. Nala — Made popular by The Lion King, this name means "queen" in Swahili.
24. Royalty — Give your little princess the royal moniker she deserves.
25. Ember — This fiery moniker was in the top 200 for girls in 2024.
26. Jovie — Short for "jovial," this moniker is perfect for a happy baby girl.
27. Sevyn — In 2024, nearly 500 baby girls were given the name "seven" but with a "y."
28. Winnie — Short for "Winifred," this name means "gentle friend."
29. Clementine — A variation of the Latin name "Clement," this moniker means "merciful." But it also conjures images of the citrus fruit.
30. Rain — If you love a good, rainy day, you'll love this baby name.
31. Winter — Summer and Autumn are popular seasonal girls' names, but Winter makes it mark, too. It was in the top 400 in 2024.
32. Itzel — This name comes from the Mayan word for "rainbow."
33. Haven — Over 1,500 girls got this name in 2024.

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Weird Boy Names

1. Sparrow — Arrow is a popular boys' name, but why not add a couple of letters and name your son after the little bird?
2. Diesel — In 2024, 38 boys were given this gasoline-themed name.
3. Mars — In addition to being a planet, Mars was the Roman god of war.
4. Dash — The speedy character in The Incredibles, this moniker also works as a unique boys' name.
5. Pluto— This moniker is banned in Denmark, but not in the U.S. Five boys were given this name in 2024.
6. Jett — This name conjures images of planes or the jet black color.
7. Stetson — The cowboy hat brand doubles as a baby name, ranking 155th in 2024.
8. Wealth — Five baby boys in 2024 were lucky enough to receive this unique moniker.
9. Nirvana — This name references a "transcendent state" or the band, but it's a unique name either way.
10. Legend — This English-rooted name refers to a myth or story.
11. Hosea — This name means "salvation" in Hebrew.
12. Truce — This agreeable name made it in the top 1,000 for baby boys in 2024.
13. Atlas — This Greek name means "bearer of the heavens."
14. Kannon — This is the Buddhist god of mercy, or a unique way to spell "cannon."
15. Zen — Representing peace, this boy's name was used 236 times in 2024.
16. Krue — This alternate spelling of Crew was used for nearly 250 boys in 2024.
17. Casper — This name comes from the Old Persian word "kanshwar," which means "treasurer."
18. Everest — This moniker literally means "Dweller on the Eure River," but most parents probably use it to reference the mountain.
19. Gage — This French-origin name means "oath."
20. Bear — Symbolizing strength, this animal-themed name was used for 300 boys in 2024.
21. Blaze — This fiery moniker was in the top 800 for boys in 2024.
22. Rowdy — This top 1,000 boys' name conjures the image of a spirited child.
23. Ryatt — An alternate spelling of "riot," this name was given to over 300 boys in 2024.
24. Chozen — "Chosen" is a pretty unique baby name on its own, but this alternate spelling is even more out of the box. It ranked 745th in 2024.
25. Duke — Stemming from the Old French word "duc," this name means "leader."
26. Rocky — Most people probably picture the famous movie boxer when they hear this name.
27. Dill — Made famous by the Rugrats character, this is a pretty unique name.
28. Princeton — This Ivy League school doubles as a baby name, ranking 614th in 2024.
29. Ledger — More often this is a last name, but in 2024, it ranked in the top 500 for baby boys as a first name.
30. Colt — Literally meaning "young horse," this moniker was in the top 300 for boys.
31. Ace — With Latin origins, this name means "one."

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Weird Celebrity Baby Names

1. Apple — One of the OG weird celebrity baby names, this moniker was given to Gwyneth Paltrow's daughter in 2004.
2. X Æ A-12 — Elon Musk and Grimes' son had such a weird name that they had to change it to better adhere to California naming law. Numbers aren't allowed, so they changed the 12 to Xii.
3. Malibu Barbie — Trisha Paytas' daughter is named after the popular toy doll.
4. Aquaman — In 2025, Trisha named her youngest son after this comic character.
5. Sir — Beyoncé and Jay-Z's son has a pretty unique name because "he carries himself like that," Jay-Z said.
6. North — Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's oldest daughter has a unique name on its own, but it was extra out of the box considering her last name was also a direction.
7. Dream — Rob Kardashian and Blac Chyna gave this name to their daughter.
8. True — Khloe Kardashian named her daughter after her great-grandfather, True.
9. Reign — Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick gave their son this royalty-themed name.
10. Rocky — Kourtney Kardashian's newest baby with Travis Barker is named Rocky Thirteen.
11. Stormi — Kylie Jenner's first child was given this unique moniker that's now a top 1,000 girls' name.
12. Aire — Kylie originally named her son Wolf before later changing his name to Aire.
13. Story — This is the name of one of Derek Jeter's daughters.
14. Birdie — Both of Busy Philipps' kids have unique names. Her eldest daughter is Birdie.
15. Cricket — Busy's younger daughter shares her name with the hopping insect.
16. Strummer — Julia Stiles named her son after the lead singer of The Clash, Joe Strummer.

Names with Weird Meanings

1. Courtney — Stemming from the Old French phrase "court nez," this moniker means "short nose."
2. Barbara — This Latin name translates to "foreign woman."
3. Mara — In Hebrew, this name means "bitter."
4. Rue — This moniker means "regret."
5. Claudia — This name comes from the Latin word "claudus," which means "lame."
6. Mallory — This moniker comes from the Old French term "malheure," meaning "unhappy" or "unlucky."
7. Cassandra — In Greek mythology, Cassandra was a prophetess who was cursed so no one would ever believe her.
8. Penelope — Stemming from the Greek word "pēnelops," this name means "duck."
9. Cecilia — This Italian name means "blind."
10. Kennedy — With Irish roots, this moniker means "misshapen head."
11. Jacob — This Hebrew name translates to "heel grabber."
12. Tristan — In Latin, this name means "sad."
13. Brody — Stemming from the Gaelic word "brothhach," this moniker means "muddy place."
14. Philip — This name comes from the Greek word "philippos," which means "lover of horses."
15. Caleb — This Biblical name translates from Hebrew to "dog."
16. Brennan — This Irish name means "descendant of the sad one."
17. Drake — In Old English, this moniker means "snake" or "dragon."
18. Calvin — From the French word "chauve," this name means "little bald one."
19. Cameron — This Gaelic name means "crooked nose."
20. Doyle — This moniker comes from the Irish words "dubh" and "gall," meaning "dark stranger."

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