997+ Unique, Rare, and Unusual Girl Names

  1. Dali
    • Origin:

      Variation of Dalia, Spanish, or Georgian
    • Meaning:

      "dahlia"
    • Description:

      In Georgian mythology, Dali is the goddess of hunting. The origins of her name are disputed — some scholars claim it comes from the Georgian word for morning, dila, while others claim links to words for "demon" and "god".
  2. Vivica
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Viveca
    • Description:

      The attractive actress Vivica A. Fox has done a lot to add this version of the name into the mix.
  3. Farida
    • Origin:

      Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "unique, precious pearl"
    • Description:

      Farida is a Muslim name more distinctive than the Americanized Farah/Farrah.
  4. Emeraude
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "Emerald"
    • Description:

      Gemstone names have a long history of use, from Ruby to Pearl. Emeraude is the French word for emerald. If the Spanish Esmeralda is stylish, why not Emeraude?
  5. Gala
    • Origin:

      Russian and Slavic feminine form of Galina
    • Description:

      Festive name of the wife of Salvador Dali. In Spanish, Gala comes from the Roman name Galla, a feminine form of Gallus meaning "rooster" or "a person from Gaul".
  6. Sahara
    • Origin:

      Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "desert"
    • Description:

      A beautiful and evocative place-name that deserves wider use.
  7. Gracia
    • Origin:

      Spanish variation of Grace
    • Description:

      Although Gracia is the literal Spanish translation of Grace and is used as the Grace equivalent in Spanish-speaking countries, where it's pronounced grah-see-a, it's also a long-time if unusual Grace variation pronounced gray-sha. You might consider Gracia if Grace is getting too commonplace for you.
  8. Hanalei
    • Origin:

      Hawaiian
    • Meaning:

      "crescent bay or garland valley"
    • Description:

      An appealing Hawaiian name which belongs to a town, river and bay on Kauaʻi island in Hawaii. The two possible meanings of the name, "crescent bay" or "garland (lei) valley" both describe the beauty of the place.
  9. Kielo
    • Origin:

      Finnish
    • Meaning:

      "lily of the valley"
    • Description:

      A Finnish word name for the lily of the valley flower.
  10. Kahlo
    • Origin:

      German
    • Meaning:

      "bald"
    • Description:

      Contrary to popular belief, the name Kahlo has German origins, rather than Spanish. It derives from kahl, a German word meaning "bald." Mexican Artist Frida Kahlo was born to a German father, photographer Guillermo Kahlo.
  11. Rosette
    • Aquilia
      • Origin:

        Latin
      • Meaning:

        "eagle"
      • Description:

        This and two other female forms -- AQUILA and AQUILINA -- of the Roman family name Aquilius might live on in modern times.
    • Garnet
      • Origin:

        Jewel name, from the French
      • Meaning:

        "pomegranate"
      • Description:

        One of the jewel names in use a hundred years ago, due for revival along with sisters Ruby and Pearl.
    • Cambria
      • Origin:

        Place-name
      • Description:

        Most names that start with Cam- are on the upswing, so why not this obscure term for Wales as well as for a prehistoric time period.
    • Schuyler
      • Origin:

        Dutch
      • Meaning:

        "scholar"
      • Description:

        Originally a Dutch surname, imported by the early Dutch colonists, has been all but overpowered by the phonetic spellings in the US -- Skyler for boys and Skylar for girls. With the surnames-as-first-names trend, however, and the popularity of the Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical Hamilton, which features the Schuyler sisters, perhaps Schuyler might receive some more interest in the coming years.
    • Kizzy
      • Origin:

        Variation of Keziah
      • Meaning:

        "cassia tree"
      • Description:

        Kizzy was a character in Alex Haley's Roots; this and other Keziah variations were widely used among enslaved people. In Roots the name is explained by the hero Kunta as 'you sit down' or 'you stay put' in the Mandinka language meaning that 'this child would never get sold away'.
    • Diya
      • Origin:

        Mbama, Sanskrit, Hindi and Latin
      • Meaning:

        "love; lamp; heavenly"
      • Description:

        A sweet and simple multicultural choice which has several different meanings and origins.
    • Kinta
      • Origin:

        Choctaw, Native American
      • Meaning:

        "deer"
    • Gwenore
      • Origin:

        Variation of Guinevere
      • Meaning:

        "white shadow, white wave"
      • Description:

        An offbeat way to get to Gwen.
    • Maxima
      • Origin:

        Latin, feminine variation of Maximus
      • Description:

        Max names were one of the hottest trends for boys in the mid-2010s, and are still very popular. The girl versions haven't seen so much love, unfortunately. (Or fortunately, if you love them and want them to stay rare!) Maxima got some attention in 2015 when Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan used it for their daughter, but few parents have copied them.