A person’s name gives them character, definition and an identity, and it’s a word you will use and your child will hear many, many times in their lives. So why choose a name which is common, that numerous kids will answer to when called out in the classroom or playground?!
Below is a list of baby names that are a little different, without being too, um…. bogan! 😉 (There are no alcohol inspired baby names here. Sorry “Chardonnay”!) And hopefully none will be subverted into a crass nickname like my own was all throughout my schooling life! I have gathered them from friend’s names, friend’s kids’ names, and just names from all parts of the world that I’ve heard and liked.
[Fun fact: When pregnant with my first baby, whose sex remained a surprise until birth, I had chosen a girl name “Willow” and a boy name “Jetsun”. So I combined the two names into the nickname ‘Wilsun’, which was my husband and I’s little joke, because in the Tom Hanks’ movie ‘Castaway’, Wilson was the name of the volleyball that he used to talk to (“Wilsooooooooon!”). And boy did my big belly look like a volleyball by the end of the pregnancy!
Eventually Jetsun Bodhi was born, followed later by Keanu Jarrah. I never did get my Willow girl, but maybe one of my clients might use it for their baby one day! (So far 2 of my doula babies have been given the same names as my boys – Keanu and Bodhi, and it made me happy when I learnt that they were to share a name!)]
So I hope you get some ideas from this list. I would love to know if you used any of these for your baby.
~Virginia
(^ not on this list, but also a name up for grabs… if you don’t mind that it will likely be subverted to a rude nickname when your daughter is older!) 😀
Girls Names
Acacia
~Greek: ‘Thorny tree’ and also means ‘Honourable’ in Spanish and Greek. In Australia the native tree with yellow flowers is known as a “Wattle”.
Akari
~Japanese word meaning “Light”
Alba
~Means “White” in Latin, or “Sunrise/Dawn” in Spanish and Italian
Aliyah
~Means “High” and “Exalted” in Arabic
Arnica
~Medicinal herb used for bruising
Bronte
~Means “the sound of the thunder” in Greek
Cassia
~A genus of tree which produces the cinnamon bark
Devi
~ Sanskrit word meaning “Goddess”.
Eden
~Hebrew word meaning “Pleasure” or “Delight”
Elouera
~Australian Aboriginal word meaning “From the pleasant place”
Esha
~Sanskrit name meaning “Goddess Parvati”, “Purity” or “Desire”.
Freya
~Old Norse name meaning “Lady”, and was the name of the goddess of love, beauty, war and death in Norse mythology.
Harlow
~Olde English name, meaning “Rocky hill”
Harper
~English origin, meaning “Harp player”
Hazel
~A nature name, derived from the hazelnut tree
Ivy
~A climbing evergreen plant which represents fidelity or faithfulness in Ancient Greece
Jaala
~ In Biblical Names the meaning is “Ascending”, “Little doe” or “Goat”
~Can also be derived from the Australian Aboriginal word Tjala meaning ‘Honey Ant”
Jada
~A girl’s name of Spanish origin meaning “Jade”
Juniper
~Latin name, meaning “Young”.
A tree that produces berries used to make gin.
Juno
~Possibly related to an Indo-European root meaning “Youth”, or possibly of Etruscan origin.
~In Roman mythology Juno was the wife of Jupiter and the queen of the heavens. She was the protectress of marriage and women, and was also the goddess of finance.
Kailani
~Hawaiian word meaning “sea and sky”
Kashi
~ Kashi, meaning “Shining” in Sanskrit, is the original name for Varanasi in India, the oldest living city in the world.
Leura
~ Australian Aboriginal word, meaning “Lava”
Luna
~Latin word, meaning “Moon”. Roman mythological goddess of the moon.
Mabel
~Latin name, meaning “Beautiful, loving, lovable”
Malika
~Arabic word for “Queen”
Maple
~Tree of the same name. Symbol of Canada
Mikaela
~ Feminine of Michael, meaning “Gift from God”
Mischa
~Russian derivative of Michael, meaning “Gift from God”
Nikhila
~Indian name, meaning “Complete”
Noriko
~Japanese name, meaning “Child of ceremony, law or order”
Ocean
~”Body of water”
Olive
~From the olive tree which is a symbol of peace and friendship
Rumi
~Japanese name meaning “Flow”, “Beauty”, or the precious stone “Lapis Lazuli”
~A 13th century Muslim mystic and poet
Sage
~Latin name, meaning “Wise”
Shanti
~African or Sanskrit name which means “Peace”, “Calm”, or “Bliss”
Shiloh
~Biblical place, meaning “Peace”
Solei
~French word, meaning “Sun”
Sondra
~A feminine Greek given name, meaning “Protector of man’
Soraya
~Iranian (Persian) name, referring to the Pleiades star cluster in the constellation of Taurus. It has connotations meaning “rich” and “princess”.
~From the Japanese word Sora, meaning “Sky” or “Heavens” combined with Ya meaning “Light” or “Sun”
Sumaya
~Arabic name, meaning “High above”
Willow
~A tree noted for its strength, flexibility and graceful appearance
Wren
~Old English origin, referring to a small brown songbird
Zinnia
~”Zinn’s Flower”, named after the 18th Century German botanist, Johann Zinn.
Boys Names
Arlo
~Olde English word, meaning “Fortified hill”
Asher
~Jewish name, meaning “Happy, blessed.”
Bodhi
~Sanskrit name, meaning “Awakened” or “Enlightenment”
Bowen
~ Welsh origin, meaning “son of Owen”
Dorje
~Tibetan boys name, meaning something indestructible that can cut through anything, often equated with “Diamond” or “Thunderbolt”
Eden
~Hebrew word, meaning “Pleasure” or “Delight”
Escher
~A German surname, meaning one who lived near an ash tree or grove.
~MC Escher was an amazing Dutch graphic artist who made mathematically-inspired woodcuts, lithographs, and mezzotints.
Jarrah
~Australian Aboriginal word for “Gum Tree”
Jetsun
~Title given to highly respected Tibetan Buddhist lamas, meaning “Venerable” or “Reverend”, and having the qualities of being “Learned, Noble and Good”
Keanu
~Hawaiian word, meaning “Cool (mountain) breeze”
Lior
~Jewish name which means “I have (a) light” in Hebrew
Marlin
~English surname, meaning “Dweller at the famous land.” “.
Matteo
~Italian form of Matthew, meaning “Gift from God” in Hebrew
Mylo
~Latin or German name, meaning “Soldier, merciful, or easy to please”
Ocean
~”Body of water”
Odin
~Name of the supreme Norse god of art, culture, wisdom and law
Omri
~Hebrew word, meaning “Life” or “Servant”
Oshin
~Indian name, meaning “Flower”
Onyx
~Gemstone with deep, jet-black colour
Orion
~From Greek and Roman mytholoogy, Orion was a son of Poseidon.
Quinn
~ Irish and Gaelic origin, meaning “counsel”. May also possibly mean “descendant of Con”, which has connotations for “intelligence”.
Raphael
~ Hebrew name, meaning “God has healed”
Sol
~Spanish word, meaning “Sun”
Surya
Hindi name, meaning “Sun god”
Taj
~Sanskrit word, meaning “crown”
Tao
~Chinese name, meaning “Peach” or “Long life”
Teo
~Greek name, meaning “Gift of God”
Tashi
~ Tibetan name, meaning “Good fortune” or “Auspiciousness”
Tenzin
~Tibetan name, meaning “Holder of Buddha Dharma”
Xavier
~Of Spanish, Arabic and Basque origin, and its meaning is “Bright” or “Splendid”
Yeshe
~Tibetan name, meaning “Wisdom”
Zenji
~Japanese or Tibetan word for Zen Master
(Be aware that this sounds like a derogatory term in Arabic!)
Ziggy
~German origin, and nickname for Sigmund
