Uncommon Names: 12 Less-Used Choices with 2025 U.S. Counts

Finding a name that appears less often on national birth records is a frequent goal for parents refining a baby name shortlist. In this guide, our operational definition of an uncommon name is specific: a name ranking between 700 and 1,000 within its listed sex category in the 2025 U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) top 1,000 table [1]. This is our operational definition for this article rather than an official SSA category, and it does not represent global frequency or combined-sex totals.

To build a balanced selection, consider our general guide on how to pick a baby name alongside our name meaning and origin guide for broader structuring techniques.

What "Uncommon" Means in National Records Versus Daily Life

When evaluating names from official records, it helps to distinguish national annual application numbers from your everyday experience. The SSA data tracks Social Security card applications for children born in a single calendar year across the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia [2]. It does not measure the total living population of all age groups, nor does it reflect how names are distributed across specific towns, neighborhoods, or social circles.

A name recorded only a few hundred times nationwide in 2025 might happen to belong to someone in your immediate community. Conversely, a name ranked much higher nationally might not appear in your personal circle at all. Looking at annual national application counts gives you a standardized benchmark, but personal encounters will always vary.

12 Less-Used Names from the 2025 National Records

The table below presents 12 names drawn from ranks 700 through 1,000 of the 2025 national dataset, grouped into six recorded for male applicants and six recorded for female applicants [1].

Listed Name	Sex Recorded on Application	Applications for 2025 Births	2025 Rank Within Category
Hugh	Male	360	732
Ambrose	Male	358	735
Alfred	Male	293	840
Casper	Male	255	924
Wallace	Male	241	964
Quentin	Male	238	968
Ramona	Female	373	733
Laurel	Female	372	734
Celia	Female	351	774
Zelda	Female	328	832
Winifred	Female	284	923
Cordelia	Female	258	981

Table data reflects SSA Social Security card application records for children born in 2025. [1]

Comparing Counts Within the Lower Ranks

Even when names fall into the 700–1,000 range of the top 1,000, their national application totals differ depending on their position:

• Male Selections: Hugh was recorded on 360 applications at rank 732, while Quentin was recorded on 238 applications at rank 968 [1]. That represents a direct difference of 122 recorded applications in 2025.
• Female Selections: Ramona was registered on 373 applications at rank 733, whereas Cordelia appeared on 258 applications at rank 981 [1]. That produces a difference of 115 recorded applications in the same year.

These comparisons show that choosing a name near rank 700 instead of rank 970 or 980 still corresponds to a measurable numerical gap in annual recorded applications.

Shortlisting by Written Length and Personal Style Preference

Because all twelve candidates share lower national totals in 2025, you can select candidates based directly on observable written length to suit your personal style preference:

• Compact Profiles (4 to 5 Letters):
  • Hugh has 4 letters.
  • Celia has 5 letters.
  • Zelda has 5 letters. If your personal preference leans toward shorter written names, these three options provide the most compact letter counts among the twelve.
• Six-Letter Profiles:
  • Alfred has 6 letters.
  • Casper has 6 letters.
  • Laurel has 6 letters.
  • Ramona has 6 letters. These four names share an identical six-letter written length.
• Longer Profiles (7 to 8 Letters):
  • Ambrose has 7 letters.
  • Quentin has 7 letters.
  • Wallace has 7 letters.
  • Winifred has 8 letters.
  • Cordelia has 8 letters. If you prefer a name with a longer written footprint, these five names feature seven or eight letters.

Practical Ways to Evaluate Your Shortlist

Once you have narrowed your choices to two or three candidates, you can test them using simple observational routines. For example, you might write down the candidate next to your surname to see how the letter counts look together on paper. You might also try saying the name aloud or practicing spelling it aloud over the phone. These steps are personal suggestions to help you gauge your own comfort with a name, rather than guarantees of how other people will speak or write it.

Methodology and Data Scope

All figures are taken directly from the Social Security Administration's 2025 top 1,000 dataset [1]. To produce this list, we selected twelve distinct names occupying ranks 700 through 1,000 within their respective sex categories. Counts outside the published top 1,000 table are unlisted in this release and cannot be assumed to be zero.

The SSA records applications for births occurring in the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, excluding U.S. territories [2]. Records reflect the sex recorded on the application form. Hyphens and spaces are removed, and distinct spelling variants are counted separately rather than combined [2].

Sources and Further Reading

[1] Social Security Administration. "Popular Names by Birth Year: 2025; Top 1000; Number of births." Popularity in 2025 table, accessed September 17, 2026, from SSA Popular Baby Names via the SSA Baby Names Entry Page (query: 2025, Top 1000, Number of births; rows: Hugh, Ambrose, Alfred, Casper, Wallace, Quentin, Ramona, Laurel, Celia, Zelda, Winifred, Cordelia).

[2] Social Security Administration. "Background Information for Popular Baby Names." Data collection scope and limitations, accessed September 17, 2026, from SSA Background Information and SSA Limitations.

Prepared with AI assistance; counts checked against the cited SSA table.