Some people choose a family name. Others are inspired by something they love or a place they’ve visited. And then other parents take a different route – the road less traveled – and choose a unique moniker unlike anything anyone has ever heard of. I’ve seen and heard many names over the years that have made me do a double take. So, since I’ve already written about beautiful names, vintage names, and classic names that are popular year after year, today I thought I’d share the truly out-of-the-box names that can only be described as weird, creative, or even bizarre. For some of these names, weird is the ONLY way to describe them.
I can’t say I would be so bold as to choose these names for a little one of my own. But, they certainly are unique and memorable. So, if you’re looking for baby names that are so unusual, you almost won’t believe they’re real, let’s get started.
134+ Weird Baby Names You Won’t Believe:
Some of these names are celebrity baby names, others are names I’ve seen shared on social media, and some of them are people I’ve met or my friends know. I’ll share the source if I have it, otherwise, I’ll list the name without any explanation at all. Enjoy.
20 Celebrity & Famous Person Baby Names:
| Name | Source |
|---|---|
| X Æ A-12 | Elon Musk & Grimes’ child; a mix of symbols, aircraft (A-12), and AI references. He has siblings: Exa and Tau Techno Mechanicus. |
| Pilot Inspektor | Actor Jason Lee’s son; inspired by the song “He’s Simple, He’s Dumb, He’s the Pilot” by Grandaddy |
| Audio Science | Actress Shannyn Sossamon’s child. She wanted something “original”. |
| Moxie CrimeFighter | Magician Penn Jillette’s daughter. She used “CrimeFighter” as a joke middle name |
| Moon Unit | Frank Zappa’s daughter. Zappa gave all his kids eccentric names. |
| Dweezil | Another of Zappa’s kids. The name is based on a nickname for a pinky toe. |
| North West | Kim Kardashian & Kanye West’s daughter; a directional pun on her last name. She also has siblings: Psalm, Chicago, and Saint. |
| Blue Ivy | Beyoncé & Jay-Z’s daughter; “Blue” for Jay-Z’s albums, “Ivy” possibly for IV (4) |
| Kal-El | Nicolas Cage’s son and Superman’s Kryptonian name |
| Jermajesty | Jermaine Jackson’s son. The name is a blend of “Jermaine” and “Majesty”. |
| Banjo | Actress Rachel Griffiths’ child, named after the Australian poet Banjo Paterson |
| Seven | George Costanza’s suggested name in Seinfeld, later used by singer Erykah Badu |
| Bamboo | Actress Barbara Hershey’s son. She chose it for its strength and flexibility. |
| Gravity | Lucky Blue Smith & Stormi Bree’s daughter, referencing the natural force. |
| Peaches | British socialite Peaches Geldof and daughter of musician Bob Geldof. |
| Satchel | Spike Lee and Woody Allen both named their children this, inspired by Satchel Paige. |
| Tu Morrow | Actor Rob Morrow’s daughter; pun on “Tomorrow” |
| Rocket | Pharrell Williams’ son; inspired by Elton John’s Rocket Man. |
| Bear Blaze | Kate Winslet’s son; “Bear” was a nickname of a friend, “Blaze” from their meeting place (a house fire) |
| Apple | Gwyneth Paltrow & Chris Martin’s daughter. They’ve said they chose this for its sweetness and simplicity. |
20 Historically Real & Bizarre Baby Names:
There are countries that will deny a certain baby name on any grounds they deem inappropriate. I once read a story about a couple trying to name their daughter Nutella. The governing baby name board voted no and renamed her Ella. We don’t have anything like that in the US, but there are some states that ban certain names on a very limited basis.
| Name | Source |
|---|---|
| Zaphod Beeblebrox | Originally a character from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, which inspired a handful of parents to give their child this moniker. |
| Leviathan Smalley | A 19th-century American name; Leviathan is a biblical sea monster. |
| Murder | Found in 1800s birth records in the U.S. |
| Post Office | Real name found in 1880 U.S. Census records |
| King Arthur Elvis | Southern U.S. name blend of myth and music found in mid-20th-century records |
| Preserved Fish | A well-documented 18th-century merchant from New England; “Preserved” was a virtue name. |
| Fear-God Boot | This was a Puritan name from 1600s. Likely part of the English trend toward religious “virtue names”. |
| Fate Reason Tucker | Believe it or not, this was found in U.S. genealogical records. |
| Admiral Dewey Eatmore | WWI-era name from Oklahoma; part of a patriotic naming trend. |
| Ima Hogg | Daughter of Texas governor Jim Hogg; “Ima” was not intended as a joke |
| Hazard H. Hazard | The name of a 19th-century U.S. Congressman from Rhode Island |
| Nimrod Nation | Biblical name; “Nimrod” originally meant hunter, now has an ironic twist |
| Kissinger Kissinger | Someone born in the 1970s in the U.S. had this name. |
| Golden Rule | Found in multiple 19th-century Quaker family trees. |
| Temperance | Common among Puritans; one of many virtue names along with “Silence” or “Charity”. |
| Exuperantius | From medieval saints’ records; this was an actual Christian martyr’s name |
| Truly Hatchett | Found in Alabama census records from the early 1900s. |
| Lucifer | Rarely given for obvious reasons, but still appears in records occasionally. |
| Zero Pie | Appears in genealogical documents from Arkansas, born ~1920s. |
| Jehosaphat Fish | Another oddly biblical name; found in Massachusetts town records from the 1700s. |
28 Even More Weird Baby Names:
| Name | Source |
|---|---|
| Cricket Pearl | Actress Busy Philipps’ daughter; insect + gemstone combo |
| Bluebell | Floral but rare; Geri Halliwell (Spice Girl) used it |
| Rocket Racer | Found in U.S. birth records; sci-fi level intensity |
| Nimbus | Weather term (a cloud); also sounds magical |
| Sunshine | Once a hippie favorite; still in use |
| Jellybean | Occasionally used in the U.S.; sweet but impractical |
| Blip | Found in recent unusual baby name lists; a tech-glitch name? |
| Pistol | Gun-inspired; appeared in U.S. baby name data |
| Chaos Cloud | Combination of disorder and whimsy |
| Rogue | X-Men-inspired; real kids have this name |
| Gandalf | From The Lord of the Rings; fantasy-naming trend |
| Breeze | Nature-y but very rare |
| Zzyzx | Pronounced “ZYE-zix”; from a place in California; used as a name! |
| Morrow | Used as a name meaning “future” or “tomorrow” |
| Arrow | Gaining traction; sharp and symbolic |
| Pepper | Spicy, quirky; used by actress Iron Man’s “Pepper Potts” adds pop culture cred |
| Sincere | A virtue name that sounds a little intense |
| Bravery | Gaining slow traction in the U.S.; like “Valor” or “Justice” |
| Oceanus | Greek god of the sea; elaborate and rare |
| Flame | Fiery, bold, and highly unusual |
| YourMajesty | Seen in U.S. name databases; parents going all out |
| Thinn | Appeared in online birth record collections; causes obvious concern |
| Excel | Parents inspired by achievement (or spreadsheets?) |
| Sunray | Uplifting but very uncommon |
| Lemony | Found in a few records—possibly inspired by Lemony Snicket |
| Rhythm | Music-inspired; very rare but real |
| Infinity | Cosmic, abstract, and kind of overwhelming |
| Vader | Yes, like Darth Vader; a few people have chosen it |
6. TikTok/Instagram Influencers Weird Baby Names:
Here are same names chosen by or shared by influencers. In some cases, they share names they didn’t choose, as well as the ones they did name their babies, and I’ve listed some of those here as well.
1.Nara Smith: Influencer Nara Smith is known for her distinctive baby names, which have garnered attention online. Her children are named:
- Rumble-Honey Smith
- Slim-Easy Smith
- Whimsy Lou (her third child)
- Odie, Pepper, Don, Cherry, Bubble, Pear, Frosty, Sunny, Silver, Zen (names she loves but won’t be using)
2. Francesca Farago: Reality TV star Francesca Farago shared her favorite baby names on TikTok, which included:
- Afternoon (or After for short)
- Alchemy (or Emmy or Al for short)
- Aries
- Astoria (or Story for short)
- Baby
- Callahan
- Calliope
- Caspian
- Clementine
- Darling
- Eternity
- Ethereal
- Euphoria
- Evergreen (or Ever for short)
- Golden or Goldie
- Heart (or spelled Hart)
- Idyllwild
- Indie (or spelled Indy)
- Lazarus
- Lovely
- Lyrics
- Malakai
- Malakyte
- Monday
- November (or Novi for short)
- Ocean
- Octavia
- October
- Odyssey (or Odie for short)
- Prosper
- Rocket (or Rocky for short)
- Romance
- Stone
- Sunday
- Sylvester (or Sly for short)
- Valentine
- Valentino
- Wilhelmina
Her husband, Jesse, shared his favorite names:
- Adventure (or Addie for short)
- Aristotle
- Coven
- Elixir
- Evening
- Labyrinth
- Leland
- Novel
- Orca
- Piano
- Rhapsody
- Scholar
- Shadow
- Traveler
3. Tiffany Watson: Reality TV personality Tiffany Watson revealed a list of potential baby names that sparked mixed reactions.
- Banksy
- Brody
- Bertie
- Albie
- Arthur
- Tobias
- Troy
- Winston The Sun
4. Rydel Funk: Influencer Rydel Funk named her daughter Sugar Lover Funk, a choice that sparked debate online.
5. Emma Hutton: Emma Hutton named her daughter Elae, pronounced “LA,” a unique choice that has led to widespread mispronunciations.
6. Ashley Tisdale: Ashley Tisdale recently jumped on the baby-name trend after announcing in March that she is pregnant with her second child. These are the names the “High School Musical” star loves but won’t be using.
- Bodie
- Meadow
- Leaf
- James
- Clementine
- Indy
- Levi
- Rayna
- Zinc – So glad she won’t be using this one.
5 Social Media Inspired Names:
Some names have gained popularity due to their association with social media platforms and trends:
-
Instagram Filters: Names like Amaro, Reyes, and Valencia have seen increased usage, inspired by popular Instagram filters.
-
Hashtag: In 2012, a baby girl was named Hashtag, highlighting the influence of social media on naming conventions.
-
Facebook: In 2011, a named his daughter Facebook due to the platform’s role in organizing protests.
55 Wild Names Heard in Real Life:
I tend to notice people’s names when I’m out and about. I have a couple friends who also like to share unique names when they encounter them. Here are some of our recent favorites:
- Alabama
- Almond
- Amzi
- Bunny
- Bus Shelter – This made it past the New Zealand Dept. of Internal Affairs
- Chaos
- Chandalier – I feel like we’ve all met a Chandalier at this point in our lives
- Chiante
- Corona (after the virus)
- Covid (also the virus)
- Dijon
- Fendi
- Flaviu
- Gheila
- Gylchryst
- Hallelujah
- Holiday
- Imagine
- Jessop
- Jillienne
- Jream
- Jourdin
- Karma
- Kashmere
- Koast
- Lyric
- MAGA
- Maximus – As in gluteus maximus
- Menuet
- Messiah – Sometimes spelled differently to get past state laws banning this one.
- Neptune
- Omega
- Onyx
- Pickles
- Rayshael
- Reason
- Romulus – Another Elon Musk baby
- Sanitiser (also virus related)
- Somersault Wonder – Sia’s baby
- Seventeen
- Sin
- Sixtine
- Spicy
- Suttner
- Symphony
- Torrius
- Unique
- Vanden
- Xerox
- Zafer
- Zedric
- Zeus
- Ziggy
- Zyier
- Zziahh
Phew, that was a lot! Well over 134 unusual baby names! Now, if you’re looking for slightly less weird names for your baby, you might like some of the other baby name posts. There’s a ton, so feel free to click around and look at them all, but here’s a few popular ones to get you started:
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- 119 cozy autumn and winter inspired baby names for your Halloween baby
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- 189 Special Spanish Names for your Beautiful Bebita!
So many great names!
Let me know which of these weird baby names is your favorite below!
Have a fabulous day,
E
