Choosing a name for your baby is the first step of your new full-time career in the parenting industry — well, the first step after the whole deal that brought you to this point, at least. If you’re going to be spending the next 18 years growing together with this little person, you want to make sure you’re picking something cool that’s going to fit for the long haul.
Some people take it to a whole new level, though. Celebrities out there often get the spotlight when they announce their baby’s name, and these are usually so weird that people’s reactions are exactly as you can imagine. Memes are born, tabloids deliver epic headlines, and the internet enjoys a field day.
But celebrities aren’t the only ones that can get creative with their child’s name. You might have some crazy friends who are just as bad as celebrities when it comes to picking baby names, or you could even be one of those people yourself — we all know someone who has a weird name for their kid! It can be hard to understand why parents would want to give their kids such strange names, but these parents seem to have no problem explaining themselves.
We’ve rounded up some of the most unusual baby names that have been making headlines or that we found while exploring the web. Some are inspired by pop culture; some sound like they belong in a fairy tale; others are so rare that parents had to explain the meaning behind them. Only one thing is sure: these are the most unique baby names you will ever hear!
#1
X Æ A-XII - Probably the most famous one on the list, X Æ A-XII is the son of Elon Musk and Grimes. The name, pronounced “Ex Ash A Twelve,” contains references to “the unknown variable,” the elven spelling of “AI,” and the precursor to their favorite aircraft.
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#2
Nimrod - A name of Biblical origin, Nimrod is described in Genesis as “a mighty warrior on the earth.” Unfortunately, it’s now synonymous with being an idiot.
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#3
Phelony - Calling your child a name like this should probably be considered a crime itself.
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#4
Moon Unit - The late rocker Frank Zappa was a master at choosing eccentric names for his children. Moon Unit Zappa is the name of his first daughter.
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#5
Xxayvier - Alternative spelling for Xavier, it was included among the worst names for boys in 2019.
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#6
Shanda (Lear) - Shanda is actually a common name, but when your father is called Bill Lear and has a passion for dad jokes, you end up being called Shanda Lear (yeah, like chandelier).
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#7
Robocop - Sci-fi hardcore fans, assemble! The Mexican state of Sonora felt compelled to publish a list of banned names after some parents registered their kids as Burger King, Circumcision, Panties, Hitler, and last but not least, Robocop. The law avoids words that could lead to bullying in school.
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#8
Marijuana - Full name Marijuana Pepsi Vandyck, she was born in Chicago in 1972. She earned a Ph.D. from Cardinal Stritch University in 2019 with a dissertation on uncommon African-American names.
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#9
Slayer - Among the newborns registered in the US in 2017, there were six boys named Slayer. Fans of the famous metal band or just the wish to give your kid a badass name?
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#10
Exa Dark Sideræl - When your parents are Elon Musk and Grimes, you can only expect the unexpected. After making headlines for the name of their first child, X Æ A-Xii (known as “X”), they announced the name of their newborn daughter: Exa Dark Sideræl (known as “Y”). Exa is a reference to the term “exaFLOP,” used in supercomputing.
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#11
Spicy - Call it weird or unusual, but it has a kick. It was registered in the late 1800s.
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#12
Portabella - Baby names from flowers are all well and good, but what about mushrooms? The name got somewhat famous on Reddit when a poster stated her pregnant sister chose this name for her baby.
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#13
Vanity - The name Vanity seems like an odd choice for a child, but to each their own.
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#14
Sage Moonblood - The name of Sylvester Stallone’s eldest son.
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#15
Maybelline - In 2017, 20 baby girls were registered with this name in the US.
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#16
Omega - In the year 1893, 10 babies were given the name Omega. As the last letter in the Greek alphabet, the families used it for their last planned child.
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#17
Nutella - A French court has stopped a couple from naming their baby girl Nutella, stating that the name would make her the target of bullying. The judge ordered that the child be called Ella instead.
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#18
Brfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbb11116 - Submitted in protest against Sweden’s naming law that requires parents to send the name for approval within three months of birth. It was rejected.
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#19
Cyanide - In 2016, a judge denied the request of a Welsh woman to call her baby girl Cyanide.
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#20
Lucifer - Would you call your son Lucifer? A couple of parents in Scotland said “yes” in 2018, and there were no restrictions on it. Other unusual names registered the same year included Nun, Awesome, Royalty, and Pepper.
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