20 Rare Baby Names With Even More Unique Meanings Behind Them

When a couple decides to have children, the first difficult challenge these soon-to-be parents face is choosing a name. They want to pick something that will fit their child as they grow, and sometimes they feel a unique name is what will suit them the best.

Though there are plenty of special names out there, each one has a very specific meaning. Moms and dads can only hope their child grows up to embody their name, but these 20 parents went the extra mile to make sure of it…

1. Tennessee: Reese Witherspoon named her son Tennessee, which brought the name some popularity. The name means “winding river,” but most people just think of the Volunteer state when they hear it.

2. Frederick: Okay, so this name may not be as unique as some of the others on this list, but the meaning behind it is a great one. It means “peaceful ruler,” and in a world with so much violence, we need more Fredericks!

 

3. Harper: This name refers to someone who plays the harp, which means parents who name their children Harper may, in fact, have hopes that they become a classical musician.

 

4. Charlotte: Prince William and Kate Middleton named their daughter Charlotte, which means “freeman.” Of course, it’s also the name of everyone’s favorite literary arachnid.

 

5. Ophelia: Many people overlook the wonderful meaning behind this name due to it being associated with the tragic heroine of Shakespeare’s play Hamlet. However, the name means “help,” which is what makes the world go around.

 

6. Qui Ante: You would definitely not forget a person with this name. Not only is it super different, but it means “brave warrior,” so the person who has it probably has a very strong and memorable personality, as well.

 

7. Ottilie: This is a name you don’t hear every day. It means “wealth,” so if you meet someone named Ottilie, it more than likely means they have a big bank account, or at least their parents hoped they would earn one.

 

8. Aislinn: This name originated in Ireland and it means “dream.” All parents dream their children will grow up to be happy and healthy, so what better moniker is there?

 

9. Rafferty: Meaning “abundance,” this name is typically a surname. However, parents can flip the script and make it a first name if they want to. Let’s just hope a child with the name doesn’t grow up to be a hoarder.

 

10. Eilidh: This name looks pretty bizarre on paper. It means “sun,” and it’s pronounced just like “eyelid.” This kind of makes sense since you have to squint your eyelids when it’s sunny.

 

11. Anthony: Many parents may have strayed away from this name after Tony Soprano from The Sopranos was putting hits out on people. But, the name means “priceless one,” and we all want to think of ourselves as priceless.

 

12. Astrid: Parents who name their children Astrid have very high hopes of their physical beauty standing out from the crowd since the name means “divinely beautiful.”

 

13. Elsa: This name became super popular after the Disney film Frozen came out. It means “pledged to God,” so naming your kid this one has all sorts of religious connotations.

 

14. Jacob: When the Twilight movies were crushing box offices around the world, people were divided into two groups: Team Edward and Team Jacob. Those who went with Team Jacob were rooting for a man whose name refers to someone who “overthrows rulers.”

 

15. Ruby: People who are into fancy jewelry definitely know what rubies are, and they probably have some in rings or necklaces. Naming your child Ruby most likely means you think they’re a gem.

 

16. Jayne: There are plenty of women named “Jane,” but you don’t often find the spelling to have the letter “Y” in it, like “Jayne.” When spelled this way, it means “God’s gracious gift.”

 

17. Haven: Parents who don’t want to be so obvious as to name their child “Heaven” can simply remove the “E” and make it “Haven.” It sounds pretty, and it refers to the eternal place of beauty.

 

18. Tabitha: This name means “gazelle” in Aramaic. A mother and father who give their child this name probably want them to flow gracefully through life, much like the animal.

 

19. Isis: Although this name means “Egyptian goddess of the moon,” the terrorist group ISIS has, unfortunately, put a near-complete halt to anyone using it.

 

20. Tate: This is a rather unique name you don’t hear too often. It means “cheerful,” and aren’t those the kinds of people we strive to surround ourselves with?

Picking out a name for a child can be overwhelming, but in the end, most people make the perfect choice.

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