Names that start with U are by definition unique: U is the rarest first intial! But wait — before you skip from the T’s of Thea and Theo to the V’s of Violet and Viggo, pause for a moment and consider these unique U-name possibilities, from the storied Ulysses to the virtuous Unity. There’s something for everyone here, whether you’re seeking a word name, or a biblical, ancient, color, or an international option.

　　

Unique Girl Names Starting with U

　　

Uma

This evocative, almost-one-person name is imbued with the image of the glamorous Uma Thurman, who was given this Sanskrit appellation of a Hindu goddess by her father, a professor of Eastern religion. In Hebrew, Uma means “the nation,” and is sometimes used for girls born on Israeli Independence Day. Close cousins include Una, an ancient Irish name, and the medieval German Uta, tied to legendary acting teacher Uta Hagen and photograph Uta Barth.

　　

Umber

A new color-spectrum possibility, that of a dark, deep, rich brown hue called Burnt Umber in the Crayola box. With Amber a reviving semi-classic gem and Ember newly popular at Number 187, why not consider the distinctive Umber, wearable for both girls and boys.

　　

Umbria

The name of the beautiful Italian region known for its medieval hill towns, truffles, and wine, would make a hauntingly lovely, one-of-a-kind choice. A successor to Siena?

　　

Umeko

A sweet and accessible Japanese name with a fruit-laden scent — In Japanese, ume refers to apricots and plums. Umeko Tsuda (born Ume) was a champion of women's rights in Japan and fought for girls to receive a quality education, regardless of their background.

　　

Unity

Puritan virtue names like Unity and Verity deserve a comeback, embodying as they do qualities we’d all like to impart to our kids. Unity Kincaid is a character In the Sandman series by Neil Gaiman.

　　

Ursula

Kids may still be associating Ursula with the campy, corpulent octopus sea-witch in Disney’s 1989 The Little Mermaid, but she has many other more legit references, including a 4th-century saint, two Shakespearean characters, Ursula Brangwen, heroine of D.H. Lawrence’s The Rainbow, and novelist Le Guin. Ursula was a Top 500 name in the 1960s and 70s, and British Influencer Plum Sykes choosing it for her daughter put it back on trend alert.

　　

Unique Boy Names Starting with U

　　

Ulysses

With so many classic Greek names being revived, Ulysses might be next in line.  It has so many distinguished associations, including the Homeric hero (Odysseus being the Greek form of Ulysses), eighteenth US President Grant, and the eponymous James Joyce novel.

　　On the US popularity list well into the twenty-first century, Ulysses is off now but is currently at Number 729 on Nameberry. Former SNLer Ana Gasteyer made this bold choice for her son, and the Peter Fonda movie Ulee’s Gold provided a friendly nickname.

　　

Umberto

The far more romantic and royal Italian version of the English Humbert, also boasts the notable namesake of novelist Umberto Eco. Umberto has significant royal pedigree, borne by two historic kings of Italy and contemporary princes of Bulgaria and Piedmont.

　　

Urban

This name borne by several saints and popes could make a comeback as a nouveau-style word name with the trendy -an ending. Urban was often heard through the 1930s, once reaching as high as #435, but it has completely disappeared from both the urban and rural name landscape. In the New Testament, Urban appears as an active member of the Roman Christian church.

　　

Uriel

The most common U name for boys, Uriel is a Hebrew name that means ‘light.’ Uriel represents one of the four angels surrounding God’s throne, the one responsible for inspiring writers and teachers. Uriel is a symbolic name given to boys born on Chanukah. Nickname Uri is used on its own, popular in Israel.

　　

Utah

An unvisited place name with a Western vibe, probably named for the Native American Ute tribe. We like its combination of a strong soft syllable with a softer ending.

　　

Uziah

Uziah, also known as Uzziah and Azariah, was a king of ancient Judah, reigning for 24 years. It would be an interesting choice for anyone looking for an unusual but accessible biblical option which, thanks to Mr. Dickens, is more appealing than Uriah.

　　

More Unique U Names

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About the Author

　　

Linda Rosenkrantz

　　Linda Rosenkrantz is the co-founder of Nameberry, and co-author with Pamela Redmond of the ten baby naming books acknowledged to have revolutionized American baby naming. You can follow her personally at Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. She is also the author of the highly acclaimed New York Review Books Classics novel Talk and a number of other books.

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