Although many parents prefer to follow the most popular baby names, consulting the many lists that exist out there, many other couples prefer to give their children uncommon baby names that are not so conventional.

There may be many reasons for this. Perhaps you come from a different, non-Western nationality and you want to keep up with your family?s traditions. Perhaps you don?t want your little girl to be the tenth Mia or Chloe in her in class, or maybe you simply have a taste for odd baby names.

Whatever the reason for your choice, you can find plenty of unusual baby names to choose from.

A Caveat for Choosing Odd Baby Names

When selecting a name for your baby, take into account the fact that your child has to live with that name. This is the name that they will take through life, to school, to work, and into the outside world. Therefore, you should think very carefully how this name will sound to other people and whether or not it will make your child into the butt of others jokes.

For example, if you choose to give your little girl the Israeli name Moran, then do not live in England, Australia, or anywhere else that the epithet “moron” is given to a person who is considered unintelligent. Little Moran would probably suffer for the rest of her schooldays, whereas in Israel the name is very commonplace and would not be used as an insult toward anybody.

Ethnic Trends Among Baby Names

The top 10 baby names in the western world are rather conservative, with Jack and William topping the baby boy names list in Australia and Mia and Chloe leading the girls. Biblical names like Joshua and Daniel, or Sarah and Rebbecca are still popular as well. Nonetheless, whereas in the past people of non-western ethnic origin preferred to adopt more western names when living in England, America, or Australia, these days unusual baby names are far more accepted.

Therefore, if you are of Indian origin but living in London, for example, you are quite likely to be looking at Punjabi baby names, such as Abinaash or Jaspreet, or Telugu baby names, such as Bhaavan or Daevani. Whereas in the past, Indian children would have had an English name for school but an ethnic name for home, this is no longer considered necessary. Ethnic names are therefore no longer a social taboo but are now a source of traditional pride.

A Desire to be Different

If your reasoning is simply that your baby is individual and you would therefore prefer unique baby names, you can find plenty on Internet lists.

For a list of unconventional popular baby names, click here.

You may prefer to base your choice on characters in books, heroes of ancient tales, or resuscitate old names that have gone out of fashion.

For example, you may be inspired by the tales of King Arthur and decide to name your son Merlin after the famous magician, or maybe you would like to use the name Agnes for your daughter, because it was once a famous name but has now gone very much out of fashion. If you have a love of Japanese culture, even though your family has never laid eyes on the Land of the Rising Sun, you may want to call your son Genji, after the Japanese folk hero.

The truth is that you have an unlimited choice, without having to worry about modern baby names or popular fashion. You may choose a name like Grace, simply because you like its meaning.

Just be careful when choosing uncommon baby names that it has a meaning that you like, that it sounds right with your surname, and that, as we said before, it is neither a swear word nor a joke in the country where you live.

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