Most Unusual Baby Names of 2012

Jessica Ferri

Over half a million parents shared their unusual name choices with Baby Center over the course of 2012, and the results are in.

2012 had the honor of being the first year a baby was named "hashtag." Little Hashtag Jameson takes the best (or worst) social networking name title away from baby Facebook, who was born last year.

What your baby's name says about you

Parents reported to Baby Center that the name's uniqueness was at the top of their list of concerns in choosing a name for their baby. They also seemed to hope for a fashionable and beautiful child, when it came to girls (though there's no excuse for "Thinn") or a weird, wacky or brand-affiliated child, when it came to boys.

Here are a few of the highlights from Baby Center's very strange list:

Girls:

Fashion-conscious: Couture, Fedora
Rolling Stones fans: Jagger
Altered names: Joshitha
J-names: J'adore, Jazzy, Jeevika, Juju, Jury
Aspirational: Ace, Admire, Excel, Monalisa, Oasis, Queenie
Places: Americus, California, Zealand
Just plain weird: Inny, Yoga

Boys:

Aspirational: Bond, Casanova, Jedi, Legacy, Popeye, Rogue, Elite
Nirvana fans: Cobain
Altered names: Devid, Donathan, Villem, Xenon, Zaniel
Religious: Exodus, Savior
Dad picked this: Espn, Burger, Ball
Just plain weird: Cello, Drifter, Four, Goodluck, Google, Haven'T, Hippo, HToo, Pate

"Pate"? Seriously?

"These parents value creativity and nonconformity above other attributes in a name. Their goal is to come up with a name that is truly unique. By definition, they don't want to fit in. They want their children to be individuals who stand out from the crowd," Baby Center's Global Editor in Chief Linda J. Murray told Yahoo! Shine. "While we've all cringed at a baby name here and there, the good news is that most children end up liking their names. Less than 10 percent of adults want to change their name."

Nameberry, a baby-naming website, released its collection of "hottest" baby names of the year in July, inspired by the year's popular culture. From Game of Thrones, "Arya," and "Theon," were very popular. Also on that list "Cinna," from The Hunger Games, "Gatsby," revived by the upcoming remake starring Leonardo DiCaprio, and "Sybil," from Downton Abbey.

"The celebrity culture has had a tremendous influence as many celebs try to outdo each other with the most original, sometimes outrageous (and publicity-grabbing) name," Linda Rosenkrantz, co-founder of Nameberry, told Yahoo! Shine. "There is more an emphasis on standing out than fitting in. In the past this attitude had been more prevalent among girls, but the boys' names are gradually catching up. Parents, who grew up having epidemically popular names like Jennifer and Michael, and felt a lack of individual ownership of their name, are determined that their children won't be one of six similarly name kids in their class-in a sense they are looking to create a unique brand."

For their most outrageous names of 2012, Nameberry chose "Blue," inspired by Beyonce and Jay-Z's bundle of joy Blue Ivy, "Katniss," the heroine of The Hunger Games, "Hashtag," "Kingsolomon" (all one word), "Sabbath," and "Kick," a middle name chosen by actor Jeremy Sisto for his son, Sebastian.

So there you have it: little baby Espn or Pate, your choice.

Related links:
Popular baby names: Jacob, Sophia top latest list
Daily shot: world's weirdest baby names
Beyonce and Jay-Z welcome baby girl Blue Ivy