Looking back in time is one way to find uncommon baby names.
So what comes to mind when you haven't got a time machine handy?
Well, how about taking a peek at myths and legends... or books and plays?
You might find the odd familiar name - or even some rare baby names here.
And this selection could inspire you to do some more baby name research of your own using sources that are dear to your own heart and maybe your own culture.
Remember King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table? Excitement... danger... and love! Although the legend of King Arthur threatens to be a little male dominated, there are plenty of stalwart sweethearts hiding in the wings. So it's "ladies first" with some interesting Arthurian-inspired names for little girls.
Girls' names
Blanchefleur Literally "white flower" in French, Blanchefleur was Sir Percival's sweetheart in some versions of the tale. And Blanchefleur is also the name of a beautiful, sweetly scented white rose with pink tints. What more could you ask of an uncommon baby name?
Guinevere Arthur's queen, who fell in love with Sir Lancelot. Her name means "fair one", and the name Jennifer is derived from it.
Iseult An Irish princess and the lover of Tristan - a great love match in Arthurian legend, following closely behind Guinevere and Lancelot. Her name is a variant of Isolde, which may come from the Welsh for "beautiful."
Olwen Olwen was the daughter of a giant, who demanded that her bridegroom-to-be perform impossibly difficult tasks. The bridegroom was, however, King Arthur's cousin - so you can imagine the rest! It is said that wherever Olwen walked, white clover grew - and her name means "white footprints."
Boys' names
Andred A cousin of Tristan, Andred's name is probably a version of the name Andrew, which means "man."
Caradoc A knight of the Round Table, Caradoc's name has the meaning "beloved", and variants include Caradog and Caradeg.
Galahad Another knight of the Round Table, and a son of Lancelot and Elaine. He searched for and found the Holy Grail, and is famous for his gentleness and purity. His name may come from the name of his father's great friend Galahaut, meaning "tall Frenchman".
Geraint A brave warrior and knight, he fell in love with Enid, so these two star in their own part of Arthurian legend. His name means "old man" - but don't let this put you off; age was greatly respected when Geraint was around!
Lancelot Well, we can't miss him out can we? As the most famous knight of the Round Table, Lancelot's name could come from the French for "spear", or it could be connected with the Celtic name for a "church." Yet another source says it means "attendant." The fact is - nobody really knows. The name Lance may or may not be an abbreviated form, but it's still fairly popular within the rankings. Lancelot, however, really is an uncommon baby name, not ranking at all within the top 1000 over the past century.
Some inspiration from literature
Uncommon baby names in literature can produce some real goodies. Try these for size:
Shakespearean girls' names
Hermione This character from The Winter's Tale has also become famous through the Harry Potter stories. Her name can apparently mean "eloquence", although it also seems to have some connection with "stones" or "statues".
Jaquenetta A character in Love's Labours Lost by Shakespeare. Could be connected to the name Jacques meaning "supplant."
Lavinia This name disappeared from the top 1000 in 1929. Lavinia appears in Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus, but she also features in Greek and Roman mythology. Can mean "purified" or "ladylike."
Leonine Leonine, like the boy's name Leo, refers to "lion" - so a good name for a determined little baby girl! This version of the name adds a rather feminine air to that lioness quality, however. Leonine appears in Pericles.
Lucetta Lucetta did make an appearance in the top 1000 baby names charts - way back in 1882, coming in at 864th position! You can find her in the Two Gentlemen of Verona. Related to the name Lucy, meaning "light" or "brightness."
And for boys...
Lennox From the play Macbeth, Lennox is a Scottish name, referring to a place "where elm trees grow."
Lysander From A Midsummer Night's Dream. This uncommon baby name originates from an ancient Greek name meaning "release" or "liberation."
Montague Another character from Romeo and Juliet. This is from the French, meaning "pointed mountain."
Nestor This name hovers around at the back of the queue in the top 1000. A Greek name meaning "homecoming" or "traveler"; also the name of a very wise ancient Greek King. From the play Troilus and Cressida.
Orsino From Twelfth Night, Orsino simply refers to a "bear" as in the animal. You might like to know that Orsino was also the name of a small town in Florida that became part of the John F Kennedy Space Center.
