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Rare baby names for 2027

Looking for a name your child will not share with three classmates? Below are 77 names that fewer than 1,000 US babies received in 2025 — the newest year of official US Social Security Administration (SSA) data. Each one has a full page on this site with its meaning, origin and history.

Nobody can know the 2027 rankings in advance, so we do not guess. Instead every name here shows its real 2025 count and rank, so you can judge “rare” for yourself. For scale: the #1 girls' name in 2025, Olivia, was given to 13,544 girls, and the #1 boys' name, Liam, to 20,818 boys.

How we picked these names

• Under 1,000 births in 2025. Counts are for the exact spelling and gender in SSA's national file — Sophia and Sofia, for example, are counted separately.
• Names with a real history. We only list names from our own 510-name library, where each meaning and origin was checked against standard references such as Behind the Name. Invented spellings are not included.
• Three lenses: names that are rare but rising since 2020, vintage names that were far more common in the past, and names that are familiar in the UK and Australia but uncommon in the US.

Rare but rising: up at least 25% since 2020 (15)

These names are still uncommon in the US, but more parents chose them in 2025 than in 2020. If you want a name that feels fresh rather than forgotten, start here — but expect them to become less rare.

• Albie (boy) — “noble, bright (from Albert)” (Germanic) · 26 US babies in 2025 (#4050 for boys) · 2020: 7
• Seraphina (girl) — “fiery ones (from seraphim)” (Hebrew (via Latin)) · 489 US babies in 2025 (#599 for girls) · 2020: 176
• Elodie (girl) — “uncertain; perhaps 'foreign riches'” (French (from Spanish)) · 980 US babies in 2025 (#310 for girls) · 2020: 400
• Florence (girl) — “flourishing, prosperous” (Latin) · 796 US babies in 2025 (#391 for girls) · 2020: 357
• Teddy (boy) — “from Edward or Theodore” (English) · 301 US babies in 2025 (#819 for boys) · 2020: 135
• Aisha (girl) — “alive, living” (Arabic) · 910 US babies in 2025 (#337 for girls) · 2020: 562
• Louie (boy) — “famous warrior (from Louis)” (Germanic) · 481 US babies in 2025 (#596 for boys) · 2020: 314
• Alfie (boy) — “elf counsel (from Alfred)” (English) · 72 US babies in 2025 (#2056 for boys) · 2020: 48
• Kieran (boy) — “little dark one” (Irish) · 817 US babies in 2025 (#389 for boys) · 2020: 558
• Maryam (girl) — “Arabic form of Mary” (Arabic) · 869 US babies in 2025 (#351 for girls) · 2020: 600
• Raphael (boy) — “God heals” (Hebrew) · 807 US babies in 2025 (#394 for boys) · 2020: 559
• Toby (boy) — “God is good (from Tobias)” (Hebrew) · 234 US babies in 2025 (#977 for boys) · 2020: 172
• Freddie (boy) — “peaceful ruler (from Frederick)” (Germanic) · 116 US babies in 2025 (#1509 for boys) · 2020: 88
• Matilda (girl) — “strength in battle” (Germanic) · 838 US babies in 2025 (#364 for girls) · 2020: 640
• Tommy (boy) — “twin (from Thomas)” (Aramaic) · 420 US babies in 2025 (#657 for boys) · 2020: 326

Vintage names that have faded (23)

Each of these peaked in or before 1960 and is now given to less than half as many babies as in its peak year. Grandparent names like these often come back a generation or two later — the chart on each name page shows the full curve since 1880.

• Harry (boy) — “ruler of the home (from Henry)” (Germanic) · 329 US babies in 2025 (#775 for boys) · peak 9,896 in 1918
• Pearl (girl) — “pearl” (English (from Latin)) · 350 US babies in 2025 (#776 for girls) · peak 4,521 in 1918
• Frank (boy) — “a Frank; free” (Germanic) · 584 US babies in 2025 (#513 for boys) · peak 17,018 in 1918
• Mae (girl) — “variant of May (from Mary or Margaret)” (English) · 594 US babies in 2025 (#500 for girls) · peak 2,756 in 1918
• Leona (girl) — “lioness” (Latin) · 723 US babies in 2025 (#429 for girls) · peak 3,335 in 1918
• Francis (boy) — “Frenchman” (Latin) · 769 US babies in 2025 (#420 for boys) · peak 6,347 in 1918
• Florence (girl) — “flourishing, prosperous” (Latin) · 796 US babies in 2025 (#391 for girls) · peak 11,318 in 1918
• Otis (boy) — “wealth (from Odo)” (Germanic) · 422 US babies in 2025 (#652 for boys) · peak 1,031 in 1920
• Ralph (boy) — “counsel wolf” (Old Norse / English) · 211 US babies in 2025 (#1046 for boys) · peak 8,860 in 1921
• Harriet (girl) — “ruler of the home (feminine of Harry)” (Germanic (via English)) · 226 US babies in 2025 (#1071 for girls) · peak 2,389 in 1921
• Leonard (boy) — “brave lion” (Germanic) · 438 US babies in 2025 (#637 for boys) · peak 5,650 in 1921
• Albert (boy) — “noble and bright” (Germanic) · 461 US babies in 2025 (#614 for boys) · peak 10,158 in 1921
• Beatrice (girl) — “she who brings happiness; blessed” (Latin) · 583 US babies in 2025 (#508 for girls) · peak 5,968 in 1921
• Edwin (boy) — “rich friend” (English) · 798 US babies in 2025 (#398 for boys) · peak 3,827 in 1922
• Freddie (boy) — “peaceful ruler (from Frederick)” (Germanic) · 116 US babies in 2025 (#1509 for boys) · peak 1,724 in 1947
• Martha (girl) — “lady, mistress of the house” (Aramaic) · 393 US babies in 2025 (#712 for girls) · peak 10,651 in 1947
• Tommy (boy) — “twin (from Thomas)” (Aramaic) · 420 US babies in 2025 (#657 for boys) · peak 4,594 in 1947
• Teddy (boy) — “from Edward or Theodore” (English) · 301 US babies in 2025 (#819 for boys) · peak 613 in 1949
• Frederick (boy) — “peaceful ruler” (Germanic) · 728 US babies in 2025 (#435 for boys) · peak 4,984 in 1951
• Stephen (boy) — “crown, wreath” (Greek) · 829 US babies in 2025 (#383 for boys) · peak 23,055 in 1952
• Gwendolyn (girl) — “white ring; blessed bow” (Welsh) · 848 US babies in 2025 (#360 for girls) · peak 3,519 in 1953
• Stanley (boy) — “stony clearing” (English) · 278 US babies in 2025 (#863 for boys) · peak 6,448 in 1954
• Joy (girl) — “joy” (English (from Latin)) · 747 US babies in 2025 (#419 for girls) · peak 2,929 in 1957

Familiar in the UK & Australia, rare in the US (26)

Names such as Alfie, Imogen and Harriet are everyday names in Britain but unusual in America — a good option if you want a name that is easy to spell and pronounce yet rarely heard in a US classroom. (UK ranks are published separately by the Office for National Statistics.)

• Albie (boy) — “noble, bright (from Albert)” (Germanic) · 26 US babies in 2025 (#4050 for boys)
• Alfie (boy) — “elf counsel (from Alfred)” (English) · 72 US babies in 2025 (#2056 for boys)
• Reggie (boy) — “counsel-power (from Reginald)” (Germanic) · 85 US babies in 2025 (#1852 for boys)
• Freddie (boy) — “peaceful ruler (from Frederick)” (Germanic) · 116 US babies in 2025 (#1509 for boys)
• Alba (girl) — “dawn; white” (Latin / Scottish Gaelic) · 177 US babies in 2025 (#1261 for girls)
• Ollie (boy) — “olive (from Oliver)” (Latin / English) · 207 US babies in 2025 (#1056 for boys)
• Imogen (girl) — “probably 'maiden' (from Innogen)” (Celtic (via Shakespeare)) · 211 US babies in 2025 (#1117 for girls)
• Harriet (girl) — “ruler of the home (feminine of Harry)” (Germanic (via English)) · 226 US babies in 2025 (#1071 for girls)
• Toby (boy) — “God is good (from Tobias)” (Hebrew) · 234 US babies in 2025 (#977 for boys)
• Reuben (boy) — “behold, a son” (Hebrew) · 269 US babies in 2025 (#883 for boys)
• Teddy (boy) — “from Edward or Theodore” (English) · 301 US babies in 2025 (#819 for boys)
• Harry (boy) — “ruler of the home (from Henry)” (Germanic) · 329 US babies in 2025 (#775 for boys)
• Louisa (girl) — “famous warrior (feminine of Louis)” (Germanic (via Latin)) · 407 US babies in 2025 (#694 for girls)
• Tommy (boy) — “twin (from Thomas)” (Aramaic) · 420 US babies in 2025 (#657 for boys)
• Louie (boy) — “famous warrior (from Louis)” (Germanic) · 481 US babies in 2025 (#596 for boys)
• Kate (girl) — “short for Katherine” (Greek) · 576 US babies in 2025 (#520 for girls)
• Beatrice (girl) — “she who brings happiness; blessed” (Latin) · 583 US babies in 2025 (#508 for girls)
• Arjun (boy) — “bright, shining, white” (Sanskrit) · 615 US babies in 2025 (#490 for boys)
• Felicity (girl) — “happiness, good fortune” (Latin) · 653 US babies in 2025 (#473 for girls)
• Fiona (girl) — “fair, white” (Scottish Gaelic) · 654 US babies in 2025 (#470 for girls)
• Rhys (boy) — “ardour, enthusiasm” (Welsh) · 778 US babies in 2025 (#410 for boys)
• Florence (girl) — “flourishing, prosperous” (Latin) · 796 US babies in 2025 (#391 for girls)
• Kian (boy) — “ancient, enduring” (Irish) · 797 US babies in 2025 (#400 for boys)
• Kieran (boy) — “little dark one” (Irish) · 817 US babies in 2025 (#389 for boys)
• Hugo (boy) — “mind, spirit” (Germanic) · 837 US babies in 2025 (#377 for boys)
• Matilda (girl) — “strength in battle” (Germanic) · 838 US babies in 2025 (#364 for girls)

All rare girls' names on this site (42)

Sorted from rarest to most common in 2025.

All rare boys' names on this site (35)

Sorted from rarest to most common in 2025.

Tips before you settle on a rare name

• Check every spelling. SSA counts each spelling separately, so a name can look rare while a near-identical spelling is common. Open the name page and look at its variants.
• Look at the trend, not just the rank. A name given to 500 babies but doubling every few years will feel much less rare by the time your child starts school.
• Say it out loud with your surname and check the meaning — we note where scholars disagree about an old name's origin.
• Popular names are not a bad choice. If you love a top-10 name, see our girls' and boys' lists — each of the top 50 now has a popularity chart.

Data: US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880–2025 (names.zip; 2025 is the latest year published). Names given to fewer than 5 babies in a year are not in SSA's file. Meanings and origins: our name pages, checked against Behind the Name and the Oxford Dictionary of First Names. Updated 2026-11-02.

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