Exotic baby names

While traditional names top the charts when it comes to baby names in America, many parents are turning away from the obvious and choosing exotic, exciting and quirky baby names that will really stand out in the playground and schoolyard.

Often, they’re still being led by the stars. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie set a mini trend when they named their daughter Shiloh – it has since made the top 1000 baby names for girls. Now the proud couple are also parents to new twins Vivienne Marcheline and Knox Leon aand we’re betting that Vivienne, Knox and Leon will shoot up the rankings in the next couple of years. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes haven’t been so influential with their choice of Suri: it hasn’t made the top 1000 yet. But Britney Spears followed a trend and boosted it when she named her son Jayden, number 18 in popularity in the US. Other exotic baby names inspired by the celebs include Danica, for successful race car driver Danica Patrick.

Many exotic baby names, especially girls’ names, stem from religious beliefs or philosophical concepts. While the name Trinity got a boost from the Matrix trilogy, it was actually popular way ahead of the release of the movies. Serenity has also been helped up the rankings by movie-title stardom. Other exotic spiritual names you might want to consider include Destiny, Integrity, Journey, Dignity Harmony and Essence; while old favorite Nevaeh (heaven spelled backwards) is still popular.

A brand-new trend when it comes to exciting baby names is the tendency to pick a name from pop culture. Movie star Nicolas Cage named his son Kal-El, after the original name of the Man of Steel in the Superman comic books and movies. And beyond movies, computer games and animation are sartign to make inroads: Makai has been steadily growing in popularity and is taken from Japanese animation and video games. Or how about Raiden, which is taken from the Mortal Kombat video games; or Ronin, a popular Japanese Samurai character in comic books and movies? Other names that have been borrowed from video games include Vyce and Ajuki.

Names from legend are also exotic and unique. Turn to the Greek myths and you might be inspired to name your baby Adara, Asta, Troy, Ajax, Apollo, Hector; in Norse mythology you might like Beck, Colby, Frey (or Freya), Halle, Inga, Kelda, Loki, Rune or Tandie.

Exotic baby names can also originate from colors. Cerulean (a shade of blue) is one that’s been used for baby boys, as has Gray; and what about Azure or Burgundy for a girl?

Still stuck? See our baby namer for a database of thousands of names, and read naming your baby, urban cool baby names and tropical baby names for more inspiration; plus baby name do’s and don’ts for more tips on how to choose the perfect baby name.