The rarest names
1,046 names that almost nobody else is using — sorted from least common upward.
Ultra rare
Fewer than 1 in 10,000 people carry this name. You will almost never meet another.
Anandbhai
uh-NUND-bye
Brother of bliss, joyful kinsman
Ashwatthama
ush-wut-THAH-maa
One with the voice of a horse, the immortal son of Drona in the Mahabharata
Durvasa
dur-VAA-suh
Difficult to live with, the short-tempered Puranic sage
Galileo
ga-li-LAY-oh
From Galilee
Jamadagni
juh-mud-UG-nee
One whose fire is devouring, a Saptarishi and father of Parashurama
Jinvi
JIN-vee
One who enlivens and invigorates
Kanthaka
KUN-tah-kah
Name of the white horse that carried Siddhartha from the palace
Marudevi
mah-roo-DAY-vee
Mother of Rishabhanatha, the first liberated soul of this cycle
Milarepa
mee-lah-RAY-pah
Mila the cotton-clad one, Tibet's poet-yogi
Nimila
nih-MEE-laa
Serene of gaze, quietly composed
Pinakin
pih-NAH-kin
Wielder of the divine bow, an epithet of Shiva
Sthulabhadra
stoo-lah-BUH-drah
The greatly auspicious one, a revered Jain acharya
Taxika
TAK-see-kaa
Sharp and swift, quick as a blade
Zankhana
ZUNK-hah-nah
Deep longing, a yearning of the heart
Zebedee
ZEB-uh-dee
Gift of God, my endowment
Zephyrine
ZEF-uh-reen
West wind
Aranyani
ah-run-YAH-nee
Vedic goddess of the forest and its creatures
Axika
AK-see-kaa
Imperishable, one who does not fade
Bageshri
bah-gesh-REE
A night raga of longing, literally the goddess of the garden
Bansi
BAN-see
The bamboo flute Krishna plays
Bhavatarini
bhah-vah-TAH-ree-nee
She who ferries souls across the ocean of existence, the Kali of Dakshineswar
Bijal
bee-JAL
Lightning, a sudden flash across the sky
Brihaspati
bri-hus-PUH-tee
Lord of prayer, preceptor of the gods and deity of the planet Jupiter
Chandraprabh
chun-druh-PRUBH
Moon-radiance, from Chandraprabha, the eighth Tirthankara
Charmika
chur-MEE-kaa
Graceful of form, pleasing to see
Chatak
chuh-TUCK
The pied cuckoo that waits for the first rain
Chodron
CHUR-drun
Torch of the Dharma, lamp of the teaching
Foram
FO-ram
Fragrance of blossoming flowers
Ghosha
GHOH-shah
Rigvedic woman rishi, a sound or proclamation
Gungun
GOON-goon
A soft humming, the sound of bees
Hetanshi
hay-TAAN-shee
A portion of purpose, part of an intention
Hetvika
hayt-VEE-kaa
Little one with an aim
Ludmila
lood-MEE-lah
Dear to the people
Lysander
ly-SAN-der
Liberator, freer of men
Malav
MAH-luv
Of the Malwa region, a classical raga
Nabh
NUBH
The heavens, the vault above
Nivritti
nih-VRIT-tee
Turning inward, the path of renunciation in Vedantic thought
Perpetua
per-PET-yoo-ah
Continuous, everlasting
Pranshi
PRAAN-shee
A portion of the life breath
Romasha
roh-MAH-shah
Rigvedic woman seer, daughter of Brihaspati
Sariputta
sah-ree-POOT-tah
Son of Sari, the Buddha's foremost disciple in wisdom
Shukra
SHOOK-ruh
Bright or clear, guru of the asuras and deity of the planet Venus
Sugriva
soo-GREE-vuh
One with a beautiful neck, the vanara king who allied with Rama
Sunniva
SOON-ee-vah
Sun gift
Tarquin
TAR-kwin
Of Tarquinia, an Etruscan town
Todi
TOH-dee
A late-morning raga said to charm deer, used as a given name
Vishwamitra
vish-waa-MIT-ruh
Friend of the world, the king who became a brahmarishi
Yanisha
yuh-NEE-shaa
One always moving forward on her journey
365 more ultra rare names
Very rare
A genuinely uncommon pick — most people have never met anyone with this name.
Ammu
UM-moo
Little mother, a term of endearment
Anmol
un-MOHL
Priceless, beyond valuation
Bhavya
BHAAV-yaa
Grand, splendid, magnificent
Charu
CHAA-roo
Beautiful, pleasing to look upon
Clement
KLEM-unt
Merciful, gentle
Davina
dah-VEE-nah
Beloved
Dhananjay
dhuh-nun-JAY
Conqueror of wealth, an epithet of Arjuna in the Mahabharata
Dhara
DHAA-rah
A steady stream, continuous flow
Eshani
eh-SHAH-nee
Consort of Isha, or Shiva; an epithet of Parvati
Ganesan
guh-NAY-sun
Lord of the ganas, the elephant-headed remover of obstacles
Harnoor
hur-NOOR
Divine light of God
Harshad
HUR-shud
Giver of joy, one who delights others
Hetvi
HAYT-vee
One who has a purpose in mind
Hitesh
hih-TAYSH
Lord of goodwill, one who wishes well
Jasbir
jus-BEER
Hero of glory
Jaskaran
jus-KUH-run
One who does deeds worthy of praise
Jaspal
JUS-paal
Protector of glory
Jatinder
juh-TIN-der
Lord of ascetics, master of the senses
Khushbu
KHUSH-boo
Sweet perfume carried on the breeze
Kiyaan
kee-YAAN
Crown of kings, grace
Laksh
LUCK-sh
Aim, target; that which is aspired to
Lakshman
LUKSH-mahn
One with auspicious marks; Rama's devoted younger brother
Mahika
MAA-hee-kaa
The earth, also dew or mist
Mohini
moh-HEE-nee
Enchantress; the female avatar Vishnu takes to bewitch the demons
Nirav
nih-RAHV
Silent, quiet, without noise
Nirvaan
nir-VAHN
Liberation, freedom from worldly bonds
Nishtha
NISH-thaa
Steadfast devotion, unwavering faith
Padmaja
pud-MAH-jah
Born of the lotus, an epithet of Lakshmi
Parag
puh-RAAG
Pollen, the dust of a flower
Pihu
PEE-hoo
The call of the peacock
Prajna
PRUHG-nyah
Discerning wisdom, insight into the nature of things
Rajeshwari
rah-JESH-wah-ree
Sovereign goddess, an epithet of the Devi as queen of the universe
Rupinder
roo-PIN-der
Lord of beauty
Sarayu
sah-rah-YOO
The river of Ayodhya, mentioned in the Rigveda
Sejal
say-JAL
Pure flowing water
Shakuntala
shah-koon-TAH-lah
Sheltered by birds, heroine of Kalidasa's play and mother of Bharata
Sumitra
soo-MEE-trah
Good friend; the mother of Lakshmana and Shatrughna in the Ramayana
Swapnil
SWUP-nil
Dreamlike, belonging to dreams
Sylvester
sil-VES-ter
Of the woods, wooded
Trishala
tri-SHAH-lah
Mother of Mahavira, one of triple auspiciousness
Urmila
oor-MEE-laa
One who stirs the waves, enchantress
Valli
VUL-lee
Creeper vine, the hill-tribe consort of Murugan
Vasant
VUH-sunt
Spring, the flowering season
Vinit
vih-NEET
Humble, well trained in conduct
Vishwa
VISH-wuh
The whole universe, everything that exists
Yug
YOOG
An age or epoch of cosmic time
Zinnia
ZIN-ee-ah
Zinnia flower
Aayansh
AH-yahnsh
A part of one's parents; a portion of the sun
399 more very rare names
Rare
Recognisable but seldom used. Distinctive without needing to be spelled out twice.
Dhruv
DHROOV
Fixed, immovable; the pole star and the boy sage of the Puranas
Edmund
ED-mund
Fortunate protector
Estelle
es-TELL
Star
Madhuri
MAH-doo-ree
Sweetness, honeyed quality
Rowena
roh-EE-nah
Fame and joy, or white spear
Siddhartha
sid-DAR-tah
One who has accomplished his aim, the birth name of the Buddha
Sita
SEE-tah
Furrow; the queen of the Ramayana, found in a ploughed field and daughter of the earth
Yash
YAHSH
Fame, glory, renown
Aditi
AH-dih-tee
Boundless, free; the Vedic mother goddess of the Adityas
Amos
AY-mus
Carried by God
Ashwin
ASH-win
Horse tamer; the Ashvins, twin Vedic physician gods
Darcy
DAR-see
From Arcy
Gwendolyn
GWEN-duh-lin
Blessed ring, white brow
Kavya
KAAV-yaa
Poetry, a literary composition
Keshav
KAY-shuv
One with beautiful long hair, an epithet of Krishna and slayer of Keshi
Kiaan
kee-AHN
Ray of light, grace of God
Lorna
LOR-nah
Invented by R. D. Blackmore, probably from Lorn in Argyll
Mohan
MOH-hahn
Enchanting, bewitching; a name of Krishna
Paloma
pah-LOH-mah
Dove
Phineas
FIN-ee-us
Oracle, serpent's mouth
Prisha
PREE-shah
Beloved, God's gift
Ramya
RUM-yah
Beautiful, pleasing to behold
Vinay
vih-NAY
Humility, reverent conduct, a pillar of Jain monastic discipline
Yusuf
YOO-suf
God increases, He shall add
Anand
AH-nahnd
Bliss, spiritual joy
Bonnie
BON-ee
Pretty, fine
Cormac
KOR-mak
Charioteer
Jaya
JAH-yah
Victory; also a name of Durga in her triumphant aspect
Johanna
yo-HAH-nuh
God is gracious
Manpreet
mun-PREET
Love in the heart and mind
Maude
MAWD
Mighty in battle — a medieval form of Matilda
Raghav
RAA-ghuv
Descendant of Raghu, an epithet of Rama
Saanvi
SAHN-vee
Follower of knowledge; a name of Lakshmi
Saoirse
SEER-shah
Freedom
Shreyas
SHRAY-us
The higher good, that which is truly better
Veer
VEER
Brave, heroic; a warrior
Vihaan
vih-HAHN
Dawn, the first light of morning
Wilder
WYL-der
Untamed, of the wilderness
Dimitri
duh-MEE-tree
Follower of Demeter
Edith
EE-dith
Prosperous in war
Kapil
KUH-pil
Tawny or reddish-brown, and the sage who founded the Samkhya school
Marguerite
mar-guh-REET
Pearl; also the French for daisy
Navya
NUV-yah
New, young, worth praising
Niamh
NEEV
Radiance, brightness
Nikhil
nih-KHIL
Whole, entire, complete
Soren
SOR-en
Stern, severe
Vidya
VID-yah
Knowledge, learning; an epithet of Saraswati
Byron
BY-run
At the cattle sheds