The most unique baby name in your state last year

riggleton // Shutterstock For many new parents, choosing a name is one of the most daunting parts of preparing for a baby. After all, there’s so much to consider when thinking about what you would call your child for the rest of their life. What does the name mean? What connotations does it carry? Is it too popular? Too unique? Are there other celebrities, public figures, or characters with the same name? Will it mature well with your kiddo? The list goes on and on. In fact, picking a name can be so overwhelming that a whole cottage industry of baby naming experts has popped up in recent years, with the goal of helping expecting parents choose the perfect one. From folks on TikTok who offer general advice to boutique firms that meet with new parents one-on-one to pick the best name, there’s now an entire industry capitalizing off of the struggle to get it right. But choosing a name doesn’t have to be that stressful or difficult, especially if you’re willing to put in a little legwork. Stacker used the Social Security Administration’s baby names database to compile a list of unique baby names state by state. The least popular names in 2022 were looked at and one from each state with only five babies given the name, the lowest name count that registers on the list, were highlighted. There are tens or hundreds of names only given to five babies in each state, so names were chosen at random from that list. These names may not be just right for everyone, but one thing’s for sure–give a new little one any of these sweet names and they’ll certainly stand out in a classroom full of Eleanors and Ryans. Alabama: Abner NYS // Shutterstock Ancient Hebrew in its origins, Abner means “my father is a light.” Alaska: Huxley noBorders – Brayden Howie // Shutterstock An English surname, Huxley saw a brief rise in popularity after “Supergirl” star Melissa Benoist gave her son the name in 2020. Arizona: Stone Tatiana Dyuvbanova // Shutterstock Over the past decade, the name Stone has continued to fall in popularity, accounting for just 0.012% of male births in 2022 according to the SSA. Arkansas: Draven Miramiska // Shutterstock Another English surname, Draven doesn’t have an easily identifiable meaning but seems to have risen to popularity after the release of “The Crow” in the mid-’90s. California: Genesis Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock An ancient Greek word meaning “beginning” or “origin,” multiple celebs have given their kiddos the name, including Alicia Keys and Viola Davis. Colorado: Zephyr Marlon Lopez MMG1 Design // Shutterstock In Greek mythology, Zephyros was the god of the west wind. Zephyr, then, is an Anglicized version of the old deity’s proper name. Connecticut: Sincere Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock Meaning “genuine” or “heartfelt,” the name Sincere was most popular in 2022, according to the SSA. In 2022, the name ranked #544 in popularity, up from #603 the previous year. Delaware: Kashton Katrina Elena // Shutterstock A spin on the more classic Cash or Kash, Kashton has been slowly rising in popularity. In 2022, it was ranked #380, up from #436 in 2021. Florida: Billion Anna Kraynova // Shutterstock Parents hoping to bestow a life of financial success on their offspring might consider Billion as a first name. If nothing else, the moniker would stand out, as it has never cracked the top 1,000 most popular baby names. Georgia: Chancellor Samuel Borges Photography // Shutterstock More typically used to identify a state official, Chancellor was a much more common name in the 1700s than it is today. Hawaii: Rush Oksana Kuzmina // Shutterstock Once used to describe a person who lived near a marsh full of rushes, the name Rush was an Old English surname long before it became one of Hawaii’s most unique baby names. Idaho: Jagger Fotonium // Shutterstock Jagger means “carter” or “peddler” in English. Thanks in part, perhaps, to rocker Mick Jagger, the name has always been semipopular, though the SSA reports it’s used less frequently now than it was a decade ago, falling in rank popularity from #667 in 2019 to #784 in 2022. Illinois: Tzvi Canva A name with Hebrew origins, Tzvi means “deer” or “gazelle.” It’s ultrapopular in Israel but would be a unique choice in the Midwestern United States. Indiana: Knowledge Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock According to the SSA, Knowledge hasn’t broken into the top 1,000 most popular baby names in any state in the past century. So giving your bundle of joy this Middle English name would truly make them one of a kind. Iowa: Royal javi_indy // Shutterstock First used as a given name in the 19th century, Royal peaked in popularity in 1906, with 38 registered births. Kansas: Zayd bendao // Shutterstock In Arabic, Zayd means “growth” or “abundance.” The name first cracked the top 1,000 names in 2017 and has since gradually gone up the ranks to #731 in 2022. Kentucky: Bellamy Tatiana Dyuvbanova // Shutterstock Derived from Old French, Bellamy loosely translates to “beautiful friend.” Louisiana: Kyng Inara Prusakova // Shutterstock A variant of King, Kyng was a name only given to 254 baby boys in 2021, or just 0.014% of all male births. Maine: Orion Stasia04 // Shutterstock Also the name of one of the most recognizable constellations in the night sky, Orion is a Greek name that loosely translates to “rising in the sky” or “dawning.” Maryland: Nova Pushish Images // Shutterstock Another name with celestial connotations, Nova comes from the Latin word for “new.” It was first used as a given name for girls in the 19th century. Massachusetts: Ocean Lopolo // Shutterstock A fairly gender-neutral baby name, Ocean has been given to a number of celebrity kids in recent years, including Forest Whitaker’s son and Alexa PenaVega’s kiddo. Michigan: Jetson Vasilyev Alexandr // Shutterstock So unique that the SSA doesn’t even have any popularity data about it, Jetson recalls the animated cartoon series and is a surname-turned-first name. Minnesota: Divine Rehan Qureshi // Shutterstock Derived from Latin, Divine translates to “heavenly” or “of the gods,” a super sweet, if not very common, name to give to your new bundle of joy. Mississippi: Mahogany Anna Kraynova // Shutterstock With Spanish origins, Mahogany means “rich” and “strong.” Missouri: Chesney