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Hipster Baby Names

Hipster baby names are names that are favored by hip, stylish parents, none of whom want to be accused of using hipster names for their children. That makes hipster names a moving target — as soon as a name becomes identifiably hipster, hip parents start to avoid it.

What qualities are shared by hipster names? They're usually conventional names but never popular ones. They are quirky and edgy but may also have deep roots. Old-fashioned nickname-names, such as Sally and Sonny, often strike a hipster vibe, as do mythological names and boys' names used for girls. The letters O, Q, X, and Z are often found in hipster names, including Opal and Io, Zelma and Ziggy.

Along with Opal and Sonny, other hipster names in the US Top 1000 include Cleo, Eugene, Florence, Ira, Langston, Rudy, Stanley, and Zelda. Former hipster names that are now mainstream include Matilda and Clementine for girls, Arlo and Otto for boys.

Below, the hipster baby names most often heard around Brooklyn, Austin and Madison these days (though we can't resist pointing out that the names Brooklyn, Austin and Madison are nowhere among them).

Soleil

Meaning: sun

Origin:French
236
Bernadette

Meaning: brave as a bear

Origin:German
548
Mildred

Meaning: gentle strength

Origin:English
778
Gertrude

Meaning: strength of a spear

Origin:German
838
Kit

Meaning: bearer of Christ

Origin:English, diminutive of Christopher
92
Fern

Meaning: plant name

Origin:English
613
Wilhelmina

Meaning: resolute protection

Origin:German, feminine variation of Wilhelm
246
Zora

Meaning: dawn

Origin:Serbo-Croatian
365
Rufus

Meaning: red-head

Origin:Latin
174
Cornelius

Meaning: horn

Origin:Latin
228
Thaddeus

Meaning: gift of God

Origin:Aramaic, meaning unclear, possibly from Theodore
238
Oak

Meaning: tree from the genus Quercus

Origin:English tree name
965
Cosmo

Meaning: order, beauty, universe

Origin:Greek, Italian, English
82
Lazarus

Meaning: God is my helper

Origin:Latinized Greek variation of Hebrew Eleazar
183
Origin:Diminutive of Montague, Montgomery
483
Huck Huck is of American origin. It is traditiona...
Origin:Diminutive of Huckleberry, word name
552
Beck

Meaning: small stream

Origin:English
659
Viggo

Meaning: war

Origin:Scandinavian
329
Alistair

Meaning: defending men

Origin:English spelling of Alasdair, Scottish version of Alexander
72
Orson

Meaning: bear cub

Origin:Latin and English
152