"This line in my favorite children’s book always makes me cry: “On the night you were born… there had never been anyone like you… ever in the world.” Because author Nancy Tillman understood that each baby feels special and unique. And many expecting parents are looking for a unique baby name befitting the remarkable new addition to their family.
Unique names can be a good thing. For example, ‘80s and ‘90s kids named Jessica, Jennifer, or Michael grew up having to distinguish themselves from many other schoolmates with the same name. Parents today might want to spare their kids this experience. Other parents are intentionally choosing an uncommon name, finding inspiration in a variety of places—from zodiac signs to family trees to name origins to pop culture. Some parents are even hiring baby name consultants or using AI baby name generators.
But without a little research, parents hoping for a rare name may find the name they think sounds unique is actually quite common. One teacher went viral on TikTok for calling out some of these names, including Willow for girls and Beau for boys. Of course, she reiterates, “If you love these names, go ahead and use them, but if you’re choosing these names to be completely different, you might want to have a rethink.” Here’s what to know:
Methodology for Determining Popularity
I looked at the latest baby name data from the U.S. Social Security Administration, and considered a name common if it landed in the top 100 most popular baby names. However, it’s important to note “popularity” has shifted a lot over the years when you look at the percentage and number of babies born with a particular name.
For example, 50 years ago, the most popular names were Michael and Jennifer with over 4 percent of baby boys and girls given these top names. The year’s top boys’ name, Liam, only accounts for 1.2 percent of baby boys born within the year. Girls names tend to be even more unique overall, with the year’s top girl name Olivia only accounting for 0.8 percent of girls’ born last year. And no single name is as common today as these top names were 50 or even 20 years ago.
Again, if you love the name, use it, but here are some baby names in the U.S. that sound unique, but are actually popular.
Common Girl Names That Sound Unique
This list of unique sounding girl names that are actually popular includes names following many of the latest baby naming trends. Celestial names—like the uber-popular Luna and now-trending Aurora—continue to make their way up the list of the most popular girl names. And nature-inspired names, like Ivy and Willow, are also common today, even though they sound unique. Here are over a dozen that fall on this year’s top 100 baby girl names:
- Aurora
- Isla
- Nova
- Ivy
- Willow
- Naomi
- Valentina
- Delilah
- Paisley
- Genesis
- Leilani
- Maeve
- Athena
Common Boy Names That Sound Unique
Boy naming trends don’t shift as much over time, but some of these names that sound unique in the U.S. are already common in nearby countries. For example, some of the top names in Mexico are now trending in America, including Mateo, Sebastian, and Santiago, indicative of the changing U.S. population (as of 2023, Hispanics make up over 19 percent of the U.S. population). Additionally, cool-sounding boy names, like Maverick and Axel, are also becoming more common—both names made it to the top 100 most popular baby boy names in the late 2010s. And finally, nature-inspired names are also a popular pick for baby boys, like Asher, Silas, and Kai.
- Sebastian
- Asher
- Luca/Luka
- Maverick
- Santiago
- Ezekiel
- Enzo
- Kai
- Angel
- Gael
- Thiago
- Axel
- Beau
- Silas
Choosing a ‘Popular’ Name
Baby names today are already a lot more unique than they were in the past. So parents who love a name shouldn’t be deterred by a list like this one, especially because there are many positives of choosing a more common name. But if parents are truly hoping for a rare baby name, they may want to check it against the SSA records to avoid the top baby girl and top baby boy names.
Kathy Sisson, Senior Editor
Kathy Sisson has been a key contributor in the editorial parenting space for eight years, not only as a full-time editor at The Everymom but previously as a freelance writer for top parenting sites, including Scary Mommy, Motherly, Parent Co., and more. As an editor at The Everymom, she has produced hundreds of articles on a range of parenting topics, reviewed dozens of family-focused products, interviewed leading experts in the children and parenting world, and created viral parenting social media content. A mom of two, she is committed to sharing the honest, helpful, and often humorous stories of motherhood.