• Skip to content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Shop ModernMom
  • Become An Insider

ModernMom

The premiere destination for moms

  • Parenting
    • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Kids
    • Tweens and Teens
    • ModernMom Monday Videos
  • Cooking
  • Living Healthy
    • Breast Cancer
    • Health & Fitness
    • Body after Baby
    • Beauty
    • Relationships
    • Love
  • Lifestyle
    • Crafts
    • At Home
    • Education
    • Travel
    • Pets
    • Decorate
    • Money
    • Brooke Burke
  • Celebrate
    • Holidays
      • Easter
      • Valentine’s Day
      • New Year’s
      • Christmas
      • Hanukah
      • Halloween
      • Thanksgiving
    • Birthdays
    • Parties
  • Must Have
  • Contests
  • Entertainment

One of a Kind Baby Names

October 22, 2010 by ds_12608 Leave a Comment

In 2008, movie and television actress Lisa Bonet made headlines for naming her baby son — Nakoa-Wolf Manakauapo Namakaeha Momoa. Other celebrities have jumped on the bandwagon, including Gwen Stefani with Zuma Nesta Rock, Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise with Suri, and Gwyneth Paltrow with Apple. Whether you search through folklore and ancient mythology for your inspiration, or just create your own combination, giving your baby a special, one-of-a-kind name will shape his entire life.

Types

Family names remain an inspiration for many uncommon baby names. Some people mix together different parts of family names to result in a winning combination. Classic literature and folklore inspires epic names such as Titan and Moses. Nature has prompted names such as Rainbow, Waterfall, Oceana, Flower and Leaf. Rock star Frank Zappa earned notoriety for nonsensical names, such as Dweezil, Moon Unit and Diva Muffin.

Time Frame

When on the search for an unusual baby name, be wary of any popular books, movies, songs or celebrities of the moment who have a form of the name. In general, popular baby names go in waves, with many people drawing from contemporary culture for inspiration.

Geography

Go beyond the United States in your quest for a singular baby name. Look to your families’ past, the places their ancestors came from, the languages their ancestors spoke, to spark some ideas. The Alternative Baby Names website sorts baby names by continents, countries, languages and cultures, with options such as African, African-American, Arabic, Brazilian, Filipino, Gaelic, German, Greek, Hawaiian, Hindu, Indian, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Sikh, Spanish and Telugu baby names.

Considerations

You can make a classic or traditional baby name more original by playing with name combinations or by altering the spelling. Try Jaine instead of Jane, for example, or Xander as a shortened form of Alexander. Combing a single-syllable first name, such as Lee, with a longer, more inventive, middle name like Parsifal or Ofelia.

Function

In an article on the LiveScience website, Jeanna Bryner reports that more parents are bestowing one-of-a-kind names on their offspring, reflecting an urge to focus on the child’s individuality rather than a need to fit in.

Comments

comments

Filed Under: Parenting

About ds_12608

Nina Makofsky has been a professional writer for more than 20 years. She specializes in art, pop culture, education, travel and theater. She currently serves as a Mexican correspondent for "Aishti Magazine," covering everything from folk art to urban trends. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Mills College.

Reader Interactions

Primary Sidebar

Tell a friend

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Search

ModernMom Boutique

ModernMom TV

Featured

The Little Boy On First Base

To all the coaches, parents, and fans of little … [Read More...] about The Little Boy On First Base

Must Have

winter

Pre-Holiday Must-Haves

"It's beginning to look  a lot like Christmas..." The … [Read More...] about Pre-Holiday Must-Haves

Did you know?

When Should You Give a Pacifier to a Baby

When Should You Give a Pacifier to a Baby?

Substitutes for Butter When Baking Cookies

Married Man Hides His Feelings For You

How To Know If A Married Man Hides His Feelings For You

Remove the Lens From Plastic Frames

How to Remove the Lens From Plastic Frames

stop a new piercing from itching

How to Stop a New Piercing From Itching

basal temperature as sign of pregnancy

Basal Temperature As Sign of Pregnancy

fade hair color quickly

How to Fade Hair Color Quickly

Footer

  • About Us
  • Contact ModernMom
  • Advertise With Us
  • Press
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Contributors

Copyright © 2021 Modern Mom. All Rights Reserved.

Reproduction of any portion of this website only at the express permission of Mom, Inc.

The information provided on ModernMom is for educational use only. It should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.