Go Ahead and Toss Out Your Old List—Here Are 300+ Unique Baby Names From the Last Decade!

"What's in a name?" Shakespeare infamously asked. True, a rose with any other name would still smell as sweet. But we wouldn't dare say that to an expecting parent eyeing the notes section of their phone filled with baby name ideas. What's in a name, Will? We'd say a whole heck of a lot!

After all, naming babies is harder than one might think. The one at the top of your list could get an automatic veto from your partner. Deciding to share a choice with your mom or best friend might lead to strong opinions you weren't anticipating. You could have the perfect combination, just to realize the initials would be less than ideal for the kid (no offense to those out there rocking "COW," "MOP," and "PEE"). And sometimes, it just feels like everything out there is overdone at this point.

Well, toss out that deflated attitude and get ready to fill up on plenty of inspiration with these 300+ unique baby names for girls and boys from the last decade!

Related: 350 Most Popular Baby Name Ideas

What Are Some Unique Baby Names?

Even when you think you have your names all figured out, a close friend might share their baby announcement with the exact name you picked out (great minds, right?). That's why it can be so refreshing to come across a rare and uncommon moniker that you don't necessarily see everywhere but that immediately strikes you.

These 300 unique, uncommon, and creative choices that have been used somewhat sparingly in the last 10 years are sure to help you with your mental list (or more like your detailed spreadsheet—who are we kidding?) of what you may want to call your child.

So get started on those birth announcements—here are 300 underused and uncommon baby name options that will definitely leave an impression!

Unique Baby Boy Names

1. Ledger — A twist on the Germanic name Leodegar, which is made up of two elements with the meanings of "people" and "spear."

2. Colson — "People of victory," and actually originally comes from the name Nicholas!

3. Genesis — What better term for a brand new life than "the beginning?" PS, this name has been growing on both the boy and girl charts!

4. Achilles — In Greek mythology, he was a hero of the Trojan War.

5. Axel — Have future generations in mind? Axel means "father of peace."

6. Declan — This traditional Irish name has been popping up more frequently stateside in the last decade, meaning "man of prayer; full of goodness."

7. Silas — "Of the forest" pretty much solidifies he'll be an outdoor guy!

8. Kai — Hawaiian origin, meaning "sea." Great choice for parents who feel at home at the beach!

9. Brantley — With the meaning "sword, fiery torch," you may feel like he's especially aptly named during his future tantrums!

10. Maverick — This "independent; nonconformist" will surely think for himself!

11. King — Comes from an Old English word for "tribal leader."

12. Lathan — More traditionally seen as a last name referring to farming, this has similar vibes to Nathan, which means "he gave."

13. Lyle — An English name representing "the island."

14. Bishop — Originating from the English with the meaning "guardian."

15. Kylen — A unisex moniker for those who play by the rules. Means "narrow, straight."

16. Avi — This is a Hebrew name (short for Aviel or Avrum), which translates, "my God, father."

17. Gatlin — A son is a friend for life! Of English origin, meaning "companion."

18. Leif — A male name of Scandinavian origin, meaning "heir."

Related: 50 Gender-Neutral Baby Names

19. Emmett — "Universal" or "truth," a name adopted from the feminine Germanic Emma.

20. Tristian — An Arthurian Legend moniker indicating "outcry," based on the Celtic Tristan.

21. Judson — A diminutive of Jordan: "Descender; flow down."

22. Davian — A modern take on David, meaning "beloved."

23. Foster — "One who keeps the forest," another woodsy name of English origin.

24. Zayd — Of Arabic origin, it means "to prosper" or "abundance."

25. Easton — "East-facing place," of English origin.

26. Shepherd — Understandably depicted as a "herdsman" or "guardian of sheep," this first name entered the top 1,000 baby boy names in America in 2016.

27. Nova — The Latin take on this name is "new." Used for both boys and girls.

28. Benton — Traditionally "settlement in a grassy place," describing an area of land, this easily lends itself to the nickname Ben.

29. Wells — English origin, signifying "spring."

30. Van — The Dutch depiction is "of, from," and while it's currently unique, it actually had its peak in the 1880s!

31. Blaise — It's a French take on the Latin name "Blasesus" and means "lisp." Other variations include Blaze, Blayze, and Blaize.

32. Coen — A Germanic variant on the Dutch name Conrad, and was actually originally spelled Coenraad or Koenraad. Its meaning is "bold advisor."

33. Ace — Perfect for completing a family, this Latin name means "one, unity."

34. Brixton — The title of a South London district (hmm, we think T.Swift would fancy this choice!)

Related: Celestial Baby Names

35. Wesson — A variant of "Weston" (meaning "from the western town"), this moniker showed up on the charts for the first time in 2010!

36. Jair — Hebrew for "he shines." We believe it!

37. Coleman — Lending itself to the nickname Cole, this name traditionally meant "servant to Nicholas" or referred to an occupation involving burning charcoal. Is Dad's name Nicholas? Perfect! (We kid, we kid ...)

38. Caspian — This choice (#802 in 2018) was most likely inspired by the Caspian Sea—the world's largest inland body of water.

39. Aydin — This is a clear contender, meaning "enlightened, bright, clear" in Turkish.

40. Miller — Meaning "grinder of grain," this baby name has been the most popular in South Carolina.

41. Landry — A natural leader. This rare name of Anglo-Saxon origin translates as "ruler."

42. Thatcher — Comes from "roof thatcher," as an English occupational title.

43. Dayton — While the English origin translates as "place with a ditch," it's also a more specific location-based name as a city in Ohio!

44. Kenji — Is this your second boy? Of Japanese origin, this means "intelligent second son, strong."

45. Vance — "Someone who lives near a marshland." This moniker is most likely gaining traction thanks to singer-songwriter Vance Joy (whose real name is actually James Gabriel Keogh!)

46. Bentlee — This was another first on the charts in 2010, but has spelling variations of Bentley, Bently, Bentlie, etc., and means "meadow with coarse grass."

47. Darwin — The name means "dear friend," and we're already over here aww-ing.

48. Tadeo — This is the Spanish version of Thaddeus, expressing "to praise." Possible nicknames include Teddy and Todd!

49. Brodie — "Little ridge," is typically a geographic Scottish surname, and is often spelled Brody.

50. Merrick — You might be able to ride his coattails—this rare name means "fame, power."

51. Bodie — A variant of the Scandinavian Boden, it means "shelter; one who brings news."

52. Shiloh — Reaching the top 1,000 names for boys in 2015, this is a Hebrew name for "tranquil."

53. Henrik — First entering the top 1,000 names in America in 2014, this Hungarian moniker ("ruler of the house") is actually one of the most popular choices in Norway!

54. Anders — A classic Scandinavian name that means "strong, manly." That's an ego boost right there!

55. Gannon — Originated in Ireland, and means "fair-skinned."

56. Graysen — Traditionally, it was a last name representing a son of a steward, but now it's growing in popularity as a first name.

57. Kole — "Victory of the people," of Slavic origin.

58. Flynn — Tangled may have had something to do with this unique name growing in popularity! It is an Irish name meaning "son of the red-haired one."

59. Baylor — "One who delivers goods," it's also well-known by way of Fixer Upper, which films in Waco, Texas—the same town as Baylor University.

60. Dashiell — This Scottish name originated from an old French last name "de Chiel," and allows for the nickname Dash!

61. Ridge — Old English origin, and this rare name means ... you guessed it ... "ridge."

62. Grey — In 2018, this color-themed name's popularity was #727 on the charts.

63. Brecken — An Irish alternative to the more frequent-used Beckham, its appearance-based meaning is "freckled."

64. Crew — Originally a Welsh surname and a Latin name meaning "chariot," this moniker has spelling variations such as Cru, Crue, and Krew.

65. Rowan — A rowan tree produces small red berries, and the name as an Irish last name means "little redhead."

66. Maxton — Reaching the top 1,000 boy names for the first time in 2011, this name of Latin origin means "greatest."

67. Cairo — Besides the capital of Egypt, this name is of Arabic origin, meaning "victorious."

68. Harlan — A German name depicting "rocky land."

69. Zyaire — An African name meaning "river," and a variant of Zaire (the name of a past Central African state).

70. Abbott — A Hebrew boy's name meaning "father."

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71. Talon — Of English origin, it is based on the name of a bird of prey's large claw.

72. Anakin — While some connect it to a certain Skywalker, it actually means "warrior," and is of American origin.

73. Chaim — When bringing life into the world, consider this Hebrew name that actually means "life."

74. Otto — A German name that was popular years ago but is much rarer today. The meaning is "wealthy."