Search 30000 Baby Name Meanings

And get more name ideas later on.

How to Make a Baby Name Unique

Written by Elizabeth Weiss McGolerick

Are you wondering how you can find a truly unique baby name for your girl or boy? Baby naming can be a blast – you’ve got the entire world and every language in it at your disposal. If you want to really stand out in the annals of baby naming, here are some ideas that you may not have considered on your quest to find the ideal title for your child. Do you dare to be different?

Change The Spelling

One of the most common ways of changing up a name is to alter its spelling. Change “c” to “k” or “ie” to “ee” and the like. You can have a Haley or you can have a Hailee, Hailey or Heylee. Instead of Eric, consider Eryk or Erique. If you try hard enough, every name can have multiple spellings.

For more tips read: Unique Spelling: The New Twist on Baby Names

Combine Names

Get creative and start blending elements of two or more names to create something brand new. You love the name Rebecca but your partner prefers the name Ashley? How about Reley or Beccley? One of you is stuck on Caleb but the other adores the name Jason? Try Cason on for size.

For more tips read: Unique Baby Name Alternatives to Popular Names

Use Punctuation

Get a little French and give your child a double first name, especially if there are two names you can’t decide between – Alec-Leo or Sky-Rose can give you the best of both worlds. Or go with the apostrophe instead. Janet too “normal” for you? You might like J’anet.

Make A Last Name First

Always thought Jones would be cooler as a first name? Start digging in the phone book to see who’s got a last name worth flipping to the front – perhaps Kennedy, Harper or even Smith will float your boat.

Go Backwards

Neveah is one of the hottest names today – and it’s “heaven” spelled backwards. Got a thing for cats? Kitten in reverse is the funky name Nettik. Is your favorite color yellow? Consider the name Wolley. Start doing some dictionary digging and see what words you can rewind for a novel name.

Open a Map

Are you a world traveler, or do you wish such a life for your child? Pick your favorite destination, or one you’ve just always wanted to go to, and make a place name your baby’s name. Amsterdam, Geneva, London, Aspen and Phoenix are all stand-outs.

Look to the Stars

The universe is a big ol’ place, and all the constellations (Orion or Cassiopeia) and planets (Jupiter or Mars) and astrology (Aries or Gemini or even Zodiac) associated with it can be the Milky Way of inspiration you’ve been hunting.

Any name or word is a potential candidate for baby naming, so have at it – get creative and silly and funny and interesting. Pick up coffee table books or magazines or textbooks to find outside-of-the-box inspiration. From there, consult with your partner about the names that are maybes and the names that are absolutely a no-go. Whatever you decide, your little one has to live with this title for the rest of their life, so hopefully a little bit of common sense will rule the day when it’s all said and done.