The Rarest Baby Names In The U.S., According To The Most Recent Data

You can learn a lot about what's going on in the world based on what people are naming their babies. For example, after relative obscurity, the name “Khaleesi” was among the 1,000 most popular baby girl names in 2018 thanks to Game of Thrones. The rarest baby names in the U.S. also tell an interesting story, from names seeing a small resurgence a century after their initial heyday to names just starting to gain popularity for the first time.

There’s something special about finding uncommon names for babies. Maybe you are looking for a way to make your baby-to-be stand out, or the typical roundup of common names just isn’t resonating with your bundle of joy. (Or, maybe you’re just curious to find some especially rare, long, or wacky names that you didn’t know existed.) The history of baby name statistics in itself is fascinating — with different historical figures, movies, or cultural moments often inspiring parents to (consciously or subconsciously) pay homage to their likeness. And a lot of baby names statistics are readily available to browse online.

Most of our names are actually pretty unique. In 2021, for the third year in a row, Olivia was the most popular girl name, with 17,728 babies being given the title. (Guess it’s not so brutal out here after all.) Liam, the most popular boy name also for the third year in a row, was given to 20,272 babies. Each name, however, makes up less than 1% of the over 3.6 million babies born in 2020, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).

What’s more, with the rise of people purposefully seeking out unique baby names, there are some interesting baby name statistics about how rare certain conventional names are becoming. A 2021 analysis of the SSA’s 2020 data by HuffPost found that the girl’s name Nova is more popular than Hannah, Julia, or Marissa. For boys, Maverick and Ezekiel are more popular than Robert or George. In 2021, the five names that rose in popularity the fastest were Raya, Wrenley, Angelique, Vida, and Emberlynn for girls, while for boys, Amiri, Eliam, Colter, Ozzy, and Loyal grew in popularity most quickly.

“When we pick names for our children, we are often trying to select something unique but not too crazy, different enough to be interesting but where a child will not be picked on, something timeless, something traditional or grounded in family meaning, yet fun,” Deborah J. Cohan, associate professor of Sociology at the University of South Carolina Beaufort and the author of Welcome to Wherever We Are: A Memoir of Family, Caregiving, and Redemption, previously told Romper. “This also explains why we see spelling variations on names to try to mix things up and to be clever.”

In an effort to find rare and interesting names, parenting site BabyCenter regularly puts together a list of the most unique baby names in the U.S. based on a survey of their users. Their most recent survey, from 2019, collected nearly 600,000 names, and their list of unique names includes 100 names each given to fewer than 100 babies in their survey. To further look into the frequency of these uncommon baby names, we’ve used the most recent data available from the SSA, from 2021, to see just how many babies were given these rare names. (To be included in the SSA's data, at least five babies must be given the same name with the same spelling)

Hit it, babies with uncommon names!

Rare Girl Names

1. Alexia: A Greek-rooted name meaning "helper" or "defender," a softer variant of Alexis.
2. Amal: This name has seen an understandable spike in the years since human rights lawyer Amal Clooney married George Clooney.
3. Amelie: When the beloved French film Amelie premiered in 2001, only 35 babies born that year were given the same name. In 2021, 329 babies were named Amelie.
4. Aurelia: A Latin name meaning "golden," historically borne by Roman noblewomen.
5. Bonnie: Scottish in origin, meaning "pretty" or "attractive."
6. Calliope: 492 babies born in 2021 share a name with the greek muse associated with music, poetry, and Disney's Hercules.
7. Cameron: A Scottish surname-turned-first-name meaning "crooked nose."
8. Carolina: A Latin-rooted feminine form of Charles, meaning "free man."
9. Chanel: Inspired by the French fashion house founded by Coco Chanel.
10. Clementine: 552 babies born in 2021 were named for the orange fruit, while only 13 were given the name Apple.
11. Cleo: A short form of Cleopatra, from the Greek meaning "glory of the father."
12. Colette: A French name meaning "victory of the people," also the pen name of celebrated novelist Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette.
13. Coraline: Unfortunately, "Wybie" isn't on the SSA's list at all.
14. Dua: 99 girl babies were given the name Dua in 2021, while 50 male babies were named Lipa. (No word yet on how many were named Duo or Lingo.)
15. Edith: An Old English name meaning "prosperous in war."
16. Esmeralda: Spanish for "emerald," popularized by the Roma heroine in Victor Hugo's *The Hunchback of Notre-Dame*.
17. Estella: Latin for "star," notably the love interest in Charles Dickens's *Great Expectations*.
18. Faye: The name Faye peaked in popularity in 1934. In 2021, 489 girls were given the name.
19. Giana: An Italian variant of Gianna, meaning "God is gracious."
20. Greta: A German diminutive of Margaret, meaning "pearl."
21. Ida: A Germanic name meaning "industrious" or "hardworking."
22. Iman: 82 girls and 81 boys born in 2021 share a name with supermodel Iman, who likely gave a boost to the name in the mid-90s.
23. Jewel: English in origin, referencing a precious gemstone.
24. Joelle: The feminine form of Joel, Hebrew for "Yahweh is God."
25. Legacy: An English virtue name evoking something passed down through generations.
26. Liberty: An English virtue name meaning "freedom."
27. Livia: While Olivia was the most popular baby name for girls in 2021, just 336 babies were given the abbreviated name Livia.
28. Mabel: From the Latin "amabilis," meaning "lovable."
29. Mallory: A French-rooted surname name meaning "unfortunate" or "ill-omened," now used affectionately.
30. Maren: A Scandinavian variant of Marina, meaning "of the sea."
31. Miley: The name Miley spiked in popularity in 2008, two years after Hannah Montana premiered on Disney Channel.
32. Miriam: A Hebrew name of biblical origin meaning "wished-for child" or "rebellious."
33. Marlowe: An English surname name meaning "driftwood," also evoking playwright Christopher Marlowe.
34. Monroe: A Scottish surname meaning "mouth of the Roe river," popularized by Marilyn Monroe.
35. Navy: This name is more commonly given to baby girls, as just 74 male babies born in 2021 were named Navy.
36. Nellie: A diminutive of Eleanor or Helen, meaning "shining light."
37. Nori: A Japanese name often associated with the seaweed used in sushi, also short for names like Eleanor.
38. Palmer: An English occupational surname referring to pilgrims who carried palm branches.
39. Pearl: The name Pearl peaked in popularity in 1890 as the number 24 most popular girl's name. In 2021, just 377 babies were given this name.
40. Persephone: The Greek goddess of spring, whose myth ties her to both the underworld and the return of life each year.
41. Regina: Latin for "queen."
42. Rhiannon: 221 babies were given this name, which means "great queen." And because you were curious, 132 babies born in 2021 share a name with Rihanna.
43. Roselyn: A blend of Rose and Lynn, evoking the flower and meaning "beautiful" or "pretty."
44. Samira: An Arabic name meaning "companion in evening talk."
45. Sia: After the 2014 hit single Chandelier, the name Sia saw a significant spike. In 2021, 165 babies were given the name.
46. Tabitha: An Aramaic name meaning "gazelle," found in the New Testament.
47. Vienna: When Billy Joel released his hit “Vienna” in 1980, only five female babies were given the name that year. Perhaps we have the New York songbird to thank for the 324 babies named Vienna in 2021.
48. Waverly: When Wizards of Waverly Place debuted in 2007, just 40 girls were named Waverly. In 2021, 378 babies were given the name.
49. Winnie: A diminutive of Winifred, meaning "blessed peacemaking," also associated with Winnie-the-Pooh.
50. Zoya: A Muslim word meaning loving, 262 girls were named Zoya in 2020.

Rare Boy Names

1. Alec: A short form of Alexander, Greek for "defender of the people."
2. Ares: Though more commonly a male name — 565 boys were named Ares in 2020 — 27 girls were also given the name in the same year.
3. Armando: The Spanish and Italian form of Herman, meaning "army man."
4. Armani: Inspired by the Italian fashion house founded by Giorgio Armani.
5. Benji: While over 12,000 newborn babies in 2021 were named Benjamin, just 82 were named Benji. (Adriene Mishler’s dog surely had nothing to do with it.)
6. Boston: A place name referencing the Massachusetts capital, itself named for Boston, England.
7. Bruno: Long before Encanto graced the small screen, the name Bruno peaked in popularity in 1915.
8. Callum: A Scottish Gaelic name meaning "dove."
9. Case: A short, modern name possibly derived from the surname Casey, meaning "vigilant" or "watchful."
10. Cassius: A Roman family name meaning "vain" or "empty," historically tied to Julius Caesar's assassin.
11. Cesar: According to Baby Center, children named Cesar tend to have siblings named Julian, Angel, and Daniel.
12. Dalton: An English surname meaning "valley town."
13. Deacon: An English occupational name referring to a church officer.
14. Dennis: Clearly the early ‘90s hijinks of Dennis the Menace didn’t scare off parents from the name too much, as almost 2,000 babies were named Dennis that year. However, in 2021, only 380 babies were named Dennis.
15. Denver: A place name referencing the Colorado capital, itself named after territorial governor James W. Denver.
16. Drake: 494 babies born in 2021 were given the first name Drake.
17. Dustin: A Norse-rooted name meaning "Thor's stone."
18. Edgar: An Old English name meaning "wealthy spearman."
19. Edwin: This is the more common spelling of the name, as in 2021, 913 babies were named Edwin while 13 were named Edwyn.
20. Finnegan: An Irish surname meaning "fair" or "white," popularized by James Joyce's *Finnegans Wake*.
21. Flynn: An Irish surname meaning "son of the red-haired one."
22. Forrest: Gump trumps Whitaker with 763 babies being given the name Forrest in 2021, while 359 have their name spelled with just one 'r'.
23. Franklin: An English name originally meaning "free landholder."
24. Gunnar: A Scandinavian name meaning "warrior" or "battler."
25. Hank: A traditional nickname for Henry, meaning "estate ruler."
26. Hezekiah: If you're going for biblical names, babies named Hezekiah commonly have siblings named Josiah, Elijah, Nehemiah, Ezekiel, Ezra, or Jeremiah.
27. Justice: An English virtue name referencing fairness and the legal system.
28. Lachlan: A Scottish Gaelic name meaning "from the land of lakes."
29. Lance: While there was a teeny bump during the *NSYNC era, the name Lance was most popular in 1970.
30. Lawrence: A Latin-rooted name meaning "from Laurentum," a town associated with laurel trees.
31. Lionel: A French diminutive of Leo, meaning "little lion."
32. Louie: A casual variant of Louis, meaning "famous warrior."
33. Makai: A Hawaiian word meaning "toward the sea."
34. Marcel: Though technically a derivative of Marc, which means "warlike," it's hard not to picture a shell with shoes on when you hear the name Marcel.
35. Moses: A Hebrew biblical name traditionally interpreted as "drawn out of water."
36. Nate: A short form of Nathan or Nathaniel, meaning "gift of God."
37. Neil: An Irish name meaning "champion" or "cloud."
38. Onyx: The name Onyx has doubled in popularity among Baby Center users, though only 759 boys were given the name in 2021.
39. Quincy: A French place name meaning "estate of the fifth son."
40. Ray: A short form of Raymond, meaning "wise protector."
41. Remy: The number of Ratatouille stans increased in 2021, with 901 baby boys sharing a name with the protagonist.
42. Rocco: An Italian name meaning "rest" or possibly "battle cry," associated with the patron saint of the sick.
43. Santana: A Spanish surname name referencing Saint Anne, also linked to guitarist Carlos Santana.
44. Sincere: 460 boys were named Sincere in 2021.
45. Solomon: A Hebrew biblical name meaning "peace," borne by the wise king of Israel.
46. Sullivan: An Irish surname meaning "dark-eyed."
47. Tate: Among boys, the name Tate is more common than Tatum.
48. Tripp: An English nickname-style name originally meaning "traveler," often used for a third-generation namesake.
49. Valentino: An Italian name meaning "strong" or "healthy," tied to Saint Valentine.
50. Warren: 939 babies were named Warren in 2021, sharing a name with 10 girls born the same year.

These Baby Names Are Becoming Less Common

In addition to revealing the rarest baby names, the SSA also shares the baby names that decreased in popularity the most from year to year. From 2022 to 2023, here are the top 10 girls' and boys’ names with the biggest drop.

Girls’ Names That Are Becoming Less Popular

1. Addilynn: A modern blended name combining Addy and Lynn.
2. India: A place name referencing the South Asian country.
3. Madisyn : A stylized spelling of Madison, meaning "son of Maud."
4. Chanel : Inspired by the French fashion house founded by Coco Chanel.
5. Averi: A modern variant spelling of Avery, meaning "ruler of the elves."
6. Itzayana: A modern Spanish-language name, a stylized variant of Itzel.
7. Jayda: A phonetic variant of Jada, itself derived from jade, the precious stone.
8. Marleigh: A modern stylized spelling of Marley, meaning "pleasant meadow."
9. Jada: Derived from the word "jade," referencing the green gemstone.
10. Jayleen: A modern blended name combining Jay and the popular "-leen"/"-lyn" suffix.

Boys’ Names That Are Becoming Less Popular

1. Dior : Inspired by the French fashion house founded by Christian Dior.
2. Maxton : An English surname name meaning "Mack's town."
3. Davian: A modern invented name, likely a blend of David and the popular "-ian" ending.
4. Heath: An English name referring to an area of open, uncultivated land.
5. Braden: An Irish surname name meaning "broad hillside" or "salmon."
6. Niklaus: A German form of Nicholas, meaning "victory of the people."
7. Bryant: An English surname derived from the personal name Brian, meaning "noble" or "strong."
8. Dion: A Greek name referencing Dionysus, the god of wine and revelry.
9. Kase: A modern phonetic spelling of Case/Kase, likely derived from Casey.
10. Lux: Latin for "light."