Nickname help!
We want to name our baby Penelope but we can’t decide on a nickname? Help!
We know you’re looking for unique and cool baby names for your newbie. After all, cool first names can help determine your kids’ cool factor for years to come.
And since some of us (raises hand) had the most unexciting, most popular baby names, this is our chance to think of something more unusual, interesting, and dare we say it ‒ rare ‒ for our littles.
You can be like a celeb and go with hipster names, like Apollo, Kingston, and Zuma all belonging to Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale.
Or you can think up interesting names that weren’t even names till now ‒ Lyra Antarctica is the baby girl of Ed Sheeran and his wife, Cherry.
We’ve rounded up some awesome baby names that make for cool first names for boys or girls.
They can even find a perfect home as unique middle names, if you’re still undecided on that, too.
In this article: 📝
- What are cool names for a boy?
- What are the coolest girl names?
- What is the most rare name?
- What are some cool rare names?
- What are cool dark names?
- What is a very unique name?
- What are cool and unique unisex names?
What are cool names for a boy?
If you’re wondering what cool baby boy names will suit your little peanut, you can’t go wrong with a classic.
Some of the coolest kids’ names come from classic literature, which is why Byron, Atticus, and Beckett sound familiar yet unique at the same time.
If you want a more recognizable name with a twist, go for anything with an X, like Jaxon, Maddox, and Maxwell.
If you think your kid (or their parents) are seriously cool, go with a rockstar name like Bowie or Jagger.
Here’s our ultimate list of cool names for boys (along with their super-cool meanings) for you to choose from:
- Aleph: Meaning “chief” in Hebrew.
- Atticus: Meaning “from Attica” in Latin.
- August: Meaning “great” in Latin ‒ also a great name for a Leo baby!
- Beckett: Meaning “beehive” in Old English.
- Calvin: Meaning “little bald one” in French.
- Chance: Meaning “good fortune” in English.
- Cormac: Meaning “son of the charioteer” in Irish.
- Dashiell: Meaning “page boy” in French.
- Easton: Meaning “eastern town” in English.
- Edison: Meaning “son of Edward” in English.
- Elvis: Meaning “all-wise” in Scandinavian.
- Fitzgerald: Meaning “son of the spear-ruler” in German.
- Gus: Meaning “exalted” in Latin.
- Huck: Meaning “sweet one” in German.
- Ike: Meaning “laughter” in Hebrew.
- Jack: Meaning “God is gracious” in English.
- Jagger: Meaning “carter” in Old English.
- Jaxon: Meaning “son of Jack” in English.
- Leopold: Meaning “brave people” in Old German.
- Lionel: Meaning “little lion” in Latin.
- Lincoln: Meaning “settler by the lake” in Old English.
- Maddox: Meaning “good fortune” in Welsh.
- Magnus: Meaning “greatest” in Latin.
- Matteo: Meaning “gift of God” in Italian.
- Maverick: Meaning “independent” in English.
- Maxwell: Meaning “great stream” in Scottish.
- Milo: Meaning “beloved” in Slavic.
- Monty: Meaning “mountain” in French.
- Orson: Meaning “bear cub” in French.
- Oscar: Meaning “champion warrior” in Gaelic.
- Otis: Meaning “wealth” in English.
- Roman: Meaning “powerful” in Hebrew.
- Roscoe: Meaning “deer wood” in Norse.
- Rufus: Meaning “red-haired” in Latin.
- Ryder: Meaning “horseman” in Old English.
- Sanford: Meaning “sandy ford” in English.
- Sebastian: Meaning “venerable” in Latin.
- Tate: Meaning “cheerful” in Norse.
- Van: Meaning “marsh” in Old English.
- Waldo: Meaning “ruler” in German.
- Watson: Meaning “son of Walter” in English and Scottish.
- Zane: Meaning “gift from God” in Hebrew.
What are the coolest girl names?
Sometimes the coolest baby names are unisex and boho-sounding, like Rowan, Parker, or Gray.
But if you’re looking for cool baby girl names, you can’t go wrong with any of these.
Just like boys’ names, many of these harp back to classic literature, Calypso, Luna, and Ophelia representing some of the strongest female literary characters.
Take your pick from these cool, unique girls’ names:
- Alma: Meaning “nourishing” in Arabic.
- Anais: Meaning “merciful” in Hebrew.
- Bea: Meaning “blessed” in Latin.
- Beatrix: Meaning “blessed voyager” in Latin.
- Birdie: Meaning “bright” in Irish.
- Calypso: Meaning “she who hides” in Greek.
- Cora: Meaning “maiden” in Greek.
- Dixie: Meaning “tenth” in French.
- Eloise: Meaning “famous warrior” in German.
- Esme: Meaning “loved” in Old French.
- Gray: One of the more unique names on our list.
- Hazel: Meaning “brown-green” in English.
- Ione: Meaning “violet” in Greek.
- Isla: Meaning “island” in Scottish.
- Jolie: Meaning “pretty” in French.
- Juniper: Meaning “evergreen” in Latin.
- Lace: After the delicate patterned material.
- Leonora: Meaning “compassionate” in Greek.
- Mabel: Meaning “lovable” in Latin.
- Maisie: Meaning “pearl” in Scottish.
- Mila: Meaning “miracle” in Spanish.
- Millie: Meaning “gentle strength” in German.
- Minerva: Meaning “mind” in Latin.
- Nellie: Meaning “sun ray” in Latin.
- Opal: Meaning “pearlescent gemstone” in English.
- Pearl: For your precious little one.
- Poppy: After the vibrant red flower.
- Ruby: Meaning “red gemstone” in English.
- Stella: Meaning “star” in Latin.
- Tallulah: Meaning “leaping water” in Choctaw, a Native American language.
- Violet: Meaning “pale purple flower” in English.
- Willow: After the graceful tree.
- Zola: Meaning “quietness” in Latin.
What is the most rare name?
If you’re looking to have a kid who is unique and always recognized by their name on the attendance list, you’ll want something that nobody else has (or may ever have).
This can be totally made-up (combining the heritage of your babies’ family) or can be a choice of common words that aren’t usually thought of as names.
Aleph, Audio Science, and Bear Blaze top our list of rare baby names.
They may sound odd now, but maybe, in time, we’ll see them as totally unimaginative.
(Hey, we once thought Gwyneth was a little strange in choosing the name Apple.)
What are some cool rare names?
Still after some other rare names?
These have nods to celebs and their creative imaginations, so your little one might have a future of fame and fortune!
- Apollo
- Apple
- Audio Science
- Axl
- Banjo
- Banks
- Bear Blaze
- Bear Blu
- Billion
- Bingham
- Bluebell
- Blue Ivy
- Chicago
- Cosimo
- Cricket
- Denim
- Diezel
- Dream
- Egypt
- Everest
- Fuchsia
- Genesis
- Heiress
- India
- Jermajesty
- Kingston
- Kulture
- Lazer
- Lockett
- Lyra Antarctica
- Mars
- Moroccan
- North
- Pax
- Puma
- Racer
- Rainbow
- Reign
- Rocket
- Rogue
- Rumi
- Saint
- Seven
- Shiloh
- Sir
- Sparrow
- Speck
- Stormi
- Sunday
- Suri
- Tennessee
- True
- Tu
- Tuesday
- Zahara
- Zuma
What are cool dark names?
If you’re after something a bit more edgy, how about this selection of dark and unique cool names?
Some sound dark, while others have dark (but undeniably cool) meanings:
- Briar: Meaning “brambles” in English.
- Byron: Meaning “by the cowsheds” in Old English.
- Calliope: Meaning “beautiful-voiced” in Greek.
- Dexter: Meaning “right-handed” in Latin.
- Jett: Meaning “black stone” in English.
- Luna: Meaning “moon” in Latin.
- Ophelia: Meaning “help” in Greek.
- Orion: Meaning “dawn” in Greek.
- Prudence: Meaning “caution” in Latin.
- Sullivan: Meaning “dark eyes” in Gaelic.
- Xena: Meaning “stranger” in Greek. Also the name of a certain badass Warrior Princess.
- Zelda: Meaning “dark battle” in German.
- Zephyr: Meaning “west wind” in Greek.
What is a very unique name?
We’d say X Æ A-Xii takes the cake.
And that’s after the state of California forced Elon Musk and Grimes to change it from X Æ A-X12.
(So much more pronounceable now, right?!)
What are cool and unique unisex names?
Not sure what sex your baby will be?
Never fear! We’ve got the coolest gender-neutral unique names for your little one:
- Alden: Meaning “old friend” in Old English.
- Bowie: Meaning “blond” in Scottish and Irish.
- Brooklyn: Meaning “beautiful brook” in English.
- Brooks: Meaning “stream” in English.
- Everly: Meaning “woodland clearing” in English.
- Harlow: Meaning “army hill” in English.
- Harper: Meaning “harp-player” in English.
- Fox: For a baby born with a cunning mind.
- Kai: Meaning “sea” in Hawaiian.
- Lux: Meaning “light” in Latin.
- Parker: Meaning “park-keeper” in English.
- Piper: Perfect for a baby from a musical family.
- Rain: For a baby born on a rainy day.
- Rebel: For a baby who never obeys the rules.
- Rowan: Meaning “red-haired” in Irish and English.
- Sage: Meaning “wise” in English.
- Sawyer: Meaning “woodcutter” in English.
- Wren: Meaning “little bird” in English.
Which of these unique and cool baby names has made your list?
Share them with the other moms-to-be on Peanut!