Unique baby names in your state last year
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Unique baby names in your state last year
Surprised toddler with hands on her cheeks.
For many new parents, choosing a name is one of the most daunting parts of preparing for a baby. After all, there’s so much to consider when thinking about what you would call your child for the rest of their life. What does the name mean? What connotations does it carry? Is it too popular? Too unique? Are there other celebrities, public figures, or characters with the same name? Will it mature well with your kiddo? The list goes on and on.
In fact, picking a name can be so overwhelming that a whole cottage industry of baby naming experts has popped up in recent years, with the goal of helping expecting parents choose the perfect one. From folks on TikTok who offer general advice to boutique firms that meet with new parents one-on-one to pick the best name, there’s now an entire industry capitalizing off of the struggle to get it right. But choosing a name doesn’t have to be that stressful or difficult, especially if you’re willing to put in a little legwork.
Stacker used the Social Security Administration’s baby names database to compile a list of unique baby names state by state. The least popular names in 2022 were looked at and one from each state with only five babies given the name, the lowest name count that registers on the list, were highlighted. There are tens or hundreds of names only given to five babies in each state, so names were chosen at random from that list. These names may not be just right for everyone, but one thing’s for sure—give a new little one any of these sweet names and they’ll certainly stand out in a classroom full of Eleanors and Ryans.
NYS // Shutterstock
Alabama: Abner
Baby sitting in high chair, holding bowl and spoon.
Ancient Hebrew in its origins, Abner means “my father is a light.”
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Alaska: Huxley
Smiling baby on multi-colored bedding.
An English surname, Huxley saw a brief rise in popularity after “Supergirl” star Melissa Benoist gave her son the name in 2020.
Tatiana Dyuvbanova // Shutterstock
Arizona: Stone
Smiling baby on gray bedding.
Over the past decade, the name Stone has continued to fall in popularity, accounting for just 0.012% of male births in 2022 according to the SSA.
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Arkansas: Draven
Baby with curly hair sitting up in bed.
Another English surname, Draven doesn’t have an easily identifiable meaning but seems to have risen to popularity after the release of “The Crow” in the mid-’90s.
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California: Genesis
Baby girl wearing bib sitting in high chair.
An ancient Greek word meaning “beginning” or “origin,” multiple celebs have given their kiddos the name, including Alicia Keys and Viola Davis.
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Colorado: Zephyr
Baby girl with cute smile sitting unsupported .
In Greek mythology, Zephyros was the god of the west wind. Zephyr, then, is an Anglicized version of the old deity’s proper name.
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
Connecticut: Sincere
Baby girl laying on pink blanket playing with mobile.
Meaning “genuine” or “heartfelt,” the name Sincere was most popular in 2022, according to the SSA. In 2022, the name ranked #544 in popularity, up from #603 the previous year.
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Delaware: Kashton
A smiling baby boy sitting on a white, seamless background with his finger in his mouth.
A spin on the more classic Cash or Kash, Kashton has been slowly rising in popularity. In 2022, it was ranked #380, up from #436 in 2021.
Anna Kraynova // Shutterstock
Florida: Billion
Smiling baby with blue eyes on purple bedding.
Parents hoping to bestow a life of financial success on their offspring might consider Billion as a first name. If nothing else, the moniker would stand out, as it has never cracked the top 1,000 most popular baby names.
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Georgia: Chancellor
Baby wearing colorful headband playing with toy.
More typically used to identify a state official, Chancellor was a much more common name in the 1700s than it is today.
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Hawaii: Rush
Baby crawling on white carpet.
Once used to describe a person who lived near a marsh full of rushes, the name Rush was an Old English surname long before it became one of Hawaii’s most unique baby names.
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Idaho: Jagger
Baby boy on orange blanket.
Jagger means “carter” or “peddler” in English. Thanks in part, perhaps, to rocker Mick Jagger, the name has always been semipopular, though the SSA reports it’s used less frequently now than it was a decade ago, falling in rank popularity from #667 in 2019 to #784 in 2022.
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Illinois: Tzvi
Baby wrapped in white blanket.
A name with Hebrew origins, Tzvi means “deer” or “gazelle.” It’s ultrapopular in Israel but would be a unique choice in the Midwestern United States.
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Indiana: Knowledge
Man holding sleeping baby in white blanket.
According to the SSA, Knowledge hasn’t broken into the top 1,000 most popular baby names in any state in the past century. So giving your bundle of joy this Middle English name would truly make them one of a kind.
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Iowa: Royal
Smiling baby girl lying on a bed sleeping on blue sheets.
First used as a given name in the 19th century, Royal peaked in popularity in 1906, with 38 registered births.
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Kansas: Zayd
Baby lying on stomach on colorful bedding.
In Arabic, Zayd means “growth” or “abundance.” The name first cracked the top 1,000 names in 2017 and has since gradually gone up the ranks to #731 in 2022.
Tatiana Dyuvbanova // Shutterstock
Kentucky: Bellamy
Cute baby wearing striped clothing laying on stomach.
Derived from Old French, Bellamy loosely translates to “beautiful friend.”
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Louisiana: Kyng
Happy baby in hat and diaper lying on carpet.
A variant of King, Kyng was a name only given to 254 baby boys in 2021, or just 0.014% of all male births.
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Maine: Orion
Small baby lying on blanket, smiling and showing two teeth.
Also the name of one of the most recognizable constellations in the night sky, Orion is a Greek name that loosely translates to “rising in the sky” or “dawning.”
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Maryland: Nova
Baby girl laying on pink bedding.
Another name with celestial connotations, Nova comes from the Latin word for “new.” It was first used as a given name for girls in the 19th century.
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Massachusetts: Ocean
A baby girl in white bedding smiling.
A fairly gender-neutral baby name, Ocean has been given to a number of celebrity kids in recent years, including Forest Whitaker’s son and Alexa PenaVega’s kiddo.
Vasilyev Alexandr // Shutterstock
Michigan: Jetson
Portrait of a crawling baby on a carpet.
So unique that the SSA doesn’t even have any popularity data about it, Jetson recalls the animated cartoon series and is a surname-turned-first name.
Rehan Qureshi // Shutterstock
Minnesota: Divine
Baby girl laying in a bed after waking up.
Derived from Latin, Divine translates to “heavenly” or “of the gods,” a super sweet, if not very common, name to give to your new bundle of joy.
Anna Kraynova // Shutterstock
Mississippi: Mahogany
Smiling baby with blue eyes lying on bed looking at camera.
With Spanish origins, Mahogany means “rich” and “strong.”
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Missouri: Chesney
Smiling baby laying on his back on woman’s lap.
A modernized version of the Old French word “chesnai,” Chesney means “oak grove” or “oak tree.”
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Montana: Cedar
Smiling baby lying on back on white blanket.
With strong and earthy connotations, Cedar has never been among the most popular baby names in the country.
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Nebraska: Wilhelmina
Sleeping baby girl on bed with one arm raised.
A feminine version of the ever-popular William, Wilhelmina means “protection” or “helmet.”
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Nevada: Emberly
Baby with pink polka dot shirt laying on bed.
A sort of Frankenstein version of the more popular girl name Ember and Kimberly, Emberly peaked in popularity in 2018 when it was given to 593 babies.
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New Hampshire: Milani
Baby girl wearing pink clothing.
Milani, a name referring to the Italian city of Milan, has only risen in popularity over the past few years. As of 2022, it was #234 on the list of most popular names for baby girls in the United States.
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New Jersey: Wolf
Cute baby in blue clothing laying on stomach.
One of the only names on the list with Germanic origins, Wolf is a strong name for little guys that is often associated with freedom and tenacity.
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New Mexico: Cruzito
Mother holding baby drinking bottle.
A diminutive of Cruz, Cruzito means “cross” in Spanish.
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New York: Lovely
Baby girl crawling on wooden floor.
A sweet name for a little girl, Lovely might inspire some spontaneous singing of “Isn’t She Lovely?” by Stevie Wonder.
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North Carolina: Cirilla
Baby girl waving hand and standing up in crib.
Cirilla is the name of one of the key characters in Andrzej Sapkowski’s “The Witcher” series. It’s also an Italian and Hungarian feminized version of the name Cyril.
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North Dakota: Bexlee
Baby girl in high chair smiling.
A 21st-century spelling of an English surname, Bexlee refers to Bexleyheath, a neighborhood in Greater London.
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Ohio: Sultan
Close up of a baby with blue eyes and white knitted cap on.
The title given to sovereigns in various Middle Eastern and South Asian countries, Sultan means “ruler” or “king.” While Westerners typically see the name as more masculine, in countries like Turkey, it’s a more gender-neutral option.
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Oklahoma: Ripken
Mother and baby on a white bed.
More commonly given as a middle or last name, a la baseball player Cal Ripken Jr., this boy name would be a unique alternative to other, more common R names like Ryan and Roger.
Anna Kraynova // Shutterstock
Oregon: Love
Baby girl laying on tummy on white bedding.
This term of endearment would make a sweet name for a baby girl. A 2022 addition to the 1,000 most popular baby names in the country, it was bestowed upon less than 400 newborns that year.
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Pennsylvania: Lakelyn
Baby girl wearing white dress and headband.
With -lyn and -lynn becoming increasingly popular—think Brooklyn, Madelyn, Katelyn—Lakelyn is a trendy but unique option that also entered the 1,000 most popular list compiled by SSA in 2022.
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Rhode Island: Atlas
A baby smiling in a white onesie and hat with pom poms on the sides.
Thought to mean “enduring” in Greek, Atlas was the name of the Titan cursed by Zeus to carry the world on his shoulders for all eternity.
Flashon Studio // Shutterstock
South Carolina: Marigold
Smiling baby wearing pink headband laying on pink blanket.
An English name, Marigold would make a cute fit for little girls with sunny dispositions. The name hit the U.S. charts for the first time in 2022 and was given to just over 300 babies.
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South Dakota: Lettie
Toddler wearing pink headband and pearls.
A recognizable diminutive of Letitia, Lettie means “joy” or “gladness.”
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Tennessee: Lyrik
Unrecognizable young mother holding a baby in her arms.
An English transliteration of the Greek word “lyrikos,” Lyrik is a fun spelling of the musical girl’s name.
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Texas: Johnluke
Cute baby boy sitting and playing with toys.
A mash-up of the very common names John, meaning “Yahweh is gracious,” and Luke, a Christian saint whose name translates to “of Luciana,” this boy’s name feels distinctly Southern.
Patryk Kosmider // Shutterstock
Utah: Savvy
Twin baby boy and girl playing with a ball at home.
Savvy is a diminutive of the name Savannah, which came into use as a given name in early 19th-century America.
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Vermont: Archer
Smiling baby with brown eyes.
This gender-neutral name, derived from an old French surname, has been rising in popularity over the past 15 years—possibly because of the hit TV series “Archer.”
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Virginia: Jupiter
A baby in a brown outfit sleeping.
The chief god in Roman mythology, Jupiter was the father of all creation and reigned over all the heavens.
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Washington: Zeppelin
A baby wearing glasses asleep on a yellow moon pillow.
Another rocker-inspired name, Zeppelin has found some popularity with new parents thanks, most likely, to the legendary hard rock group Led Zeppelin.
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
West Virginia: Legacy
Baby girl in pink lying in crib.
This transliteration of the French word “legacie” is most commonly given to girls. In 2022, the SSA reports that some 650 babies were named “Legacy,” ranking #484 in the list of most popular names.
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Wisconsin: Andromeda
Baby girl laying on stomach on floor.
The name of a constellation in our own sky and a nearby galaxy, Andromeda has Greek origins.
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Wyoming: Daxton
A baby in a wooden crib with pillows.
Daxton has become immensely popular since 2007, when it first made the list of the top 1000 baby names. As of 2022, it was given to 1,010 boys born in the United States, according to the SSA.
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Washington DC: Princeton
A sleeping baby under a white knitted blanket.
Most commonly associated with the Ivy League university, Princeton essentially means “princely town.”
Story editing by Carren Jao. Copy editing by Lois Hince. Photo selection by Clarese Moller.
