Unique
Unique is a name with a single cultural origin: English.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Unique
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Unique is a name with a single cultural origin: English.
Origin data from Behind the Name .
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Unique
As a girl name
Unique first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1972, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2009, when 292 Uniques were born — ranking #921 that year. As of 2026, Unique ranks #2,300 for girls with 81 births, falling sharply (-24%). In total, more than 8K Uniques have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Unique first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1976, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2026, when 55 Uniques were born — ranking #2,495 that year. As of 2026, Unique ranks #2,495 for boys with 55 births, rising sharply (+253% over the past five years). In total, more than 1K Uniques have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Unique
Phonetically similar names — useful when Unique is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Unique
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In which U.S. states is Unique most popular?
Is Unique a unisex name?
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About the name Unique
Unique is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1972 and has accumulated 8K births in the dataset. Unique's peak popularity came in 2009 when it ranked #786. Use the chart and map above to compare Unique's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2009 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- Names starting with "U" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.