Unique baby names in your state last year

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.

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Alabama: Abner

Ancient Hebrew in its origins, Abner means “my father is a light.”

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Alaska: Huxley

An English surname, Huxley saw a brief rise in popularity after “Supergirl” star Melissa Benoist gave her son the name in 2020.

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Arizona: Stone

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

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

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

In Greek mythology, Zephyros was the god of the west wind. Zephyr, then, is an Anglicized version of the old deity’s proper name.

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Connecticut: Sincere

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 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.

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Florida: Billion

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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Kentucky: Bellamy

Derived from Old French, Bellamy loosely translates to “beautiful friend.”

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Louisiana: Kyng

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

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

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 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.

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Michigan: Jetson

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.

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Minnesota: Divine

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.

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Mississippi: Mahogany

With Spanish origins, Mahogany means “rich” and “strong.”

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Missouri: Chesney

A modernized version of the Old French word “chesnai,” Chesney means “oak grove” or “oak tree.”

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Montana: Cedar

With strong and earthy connotations, Cedar has never been among the most popular baby names in the country.

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Nebraska: Wilhelmina

A feminine version of the ever-popular William, Wilhelmina means “protection” or “helmet.”

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Nevada: Emberly

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

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

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

A diminutive of Cruz, Cruzito means “cross” in Spanish.

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New York: Lovely

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

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

A 21st-century spelling of an English surname, Bexlee refers to Bexleyheath, a neighborhood in Greater London.

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Ohio: Sultan

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

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.

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Oregon: Love

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

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

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.

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South Carolina: Marigold

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

A recognizable diminutive of Letitia, Lettie means “joy” or “gladness.”

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Tennessee: Lyrik

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

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.

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Utah: Savvy

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

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

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

Another rocker-inspired name, Zeppelin has found some popularity with new parents thanks, most likely, to the legendary hard rock group Led Zeppelin.

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West Virginia: Legacy

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

The name of a constellation in our own sky and a nearby galaxy, Andromeda has Greek origins.

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Wyoming: Daxton

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

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.