Naming a baby is generally a landmark ceremony for the parents and the society. A person under normal circumstances retains his or her name throughout the life time. The name gives an identity to the person. It distinguishes a person from another.

Choosing a baby name is influenced by various factors such as religion, culture, and region etc. It also depends on the preference of the parents. Some parents keep the religious, cultural, or regional flavors intact by choosing the common names unique to their culture, religion, etc. On other occasions, parents may want to give their babies a name which is unique. Of late, this trend has caught up with the parents and they are using more and more unique and unheard of names for their babies. Like many other aspects of life, unusual names too have their advantages and disadvantages. Unusual names are sometimes difficult to remember. But at the same time, they provide a unique identity to the individual. Common and popular names are easy to remember. But they too have their disadvantages. They can sometimes create confusions.

Like normal baby names, unusual baby names too differ from country to country and region to region. A name which is unusual for an American parent may be quite common in India. Similarly, a name which is unusual for the Japanese may be a house hold name in a country like Hungary. For example, Yuri is a common male baby name in the erstwhile Soviet Union, but it can be regarded as an unusual name in a country like India. Parents have the option of choosing a name which do not belong to the top 300 or top 500 common names, or they may prefer a name which is unique. Hollywood celebrities have popularized the trend of giving their babies unique names.

The interesting fact about unusual baby names is that they do not remain unique or unusual for long. Over a period or time, they too have the danger of becoming a common name if more and more parents use them. Some of the parents still stick to the traditional naming methods, whereas, some other parents prefer unique names for their babies. The decision is entirely dependant on the preference of the parents.