Gemstone names are always fun, but once a name becomes as popular as Ruby, Jade, or Diamond, it begins to lose its gemstoniness, and sound more and more like an average name. Luckily, none of the following have reached that level of popularity (and dare I say, probably never will). These gemstone names are truly unexpected.
Agate- A beautiful veiny quartz. She's a great way to get to Aggie if you're not a fan of Agatha or Agnes.
Alexandrite- One of the birthstones for June. Perfect for a boy or a girl.
Amethyst- Famous for its purply hue. Lovely choice for a February-born daughter.
Aquamarine- A blueish-green gem, much like its name suggests. She makes a fun, surprising middle name,
Beryl- Beryl is a subset of minerals that includes emerald and aquamarine. As a name she sounds a bit outdated, but is moving into the "charming" territory.
Carnelian- A red-brown semi-precious gemstone. She makes an unusual way to get to the nickname Carnie.
Celestine- A blue mineral, also called celestite. Long time readers will know that Celestine is one of my favorite guilty-pleasure names for a girl.
Cinnabar- Cinnabar is a lovely red mineral often used in jewelry. The name can be used for a son or daughter, with the possibility of the nickname Cinna.
Citrine- A yellow gemstone that symbolizes success and prosperity. Every once in a while I hear of a girl named Citrine, and I'm always enchanted.
Garnet- January's gemstone. Garnet is one of the tamer gemstone names on this list--it fits right in with the baby names of today.
Heliotrope- A variety of Jasper, also called bloodstone. Even though its name suggests a purple coloring, its actually green and red. Heliotrope would make a lovely middle name for a daughter, plus, it's also a flower name.
Jacinth- Jacinth is a red-orange gem, and the Middle-English word for Hyacinth. She's the perfect addition to my collection of Jacin- names.
Moonstone- A gorgeous irridescent gemstone. Anyone else think this would make a positively dreamy name for a daughter? (no pun intended)
Morganite- A pink beryl, found in many a wedding ring. It puts a fun spin on the name Morgan.
Onyx- A shiny stone known for its jet black color. He's one of the few gemstone names that works especially well on a son.
Peridot- Peridot is a lovely green gem. It's no secret I love it as a name for a daughter, especially with the nickname Dot.
Quartz- Quite a popular mineral, but an uncommon Q name for either gender.
Sapphire- A royal blue gem rich in color. Not unheard of as a name, but certainly a surprising choice.
Topaz- A well-known mineral that comes in many colors. She makes a good name possibility for parents looking for something with that zesty "Z."
Turquoise- Turquoise is a beautiful stone that comes from Turkey.She's a color and gemstone name, which makes her twice as nice.
