997+ Unique, Rare, and Unusual Girl Names
- Aberdeen
Origin:
Scottish place-nameDescription:
This undiscovered Scottish port city name has a nice, upbeat feel and lots of good nickname possibilities.
- Azenor
Origin:
Breton form of Elinor or HelenMeaning:
"light"Description:
One way to spin grandma Helen or Ellen's name off the beaten track. The legendary Azenor was a tragic 6th century Breton princess who was mother to a saint. This personage also may be known as Senara.
- Lulie
Origin:
Short form of Lula or Louise, German and FrenchMeaning:
"renowned warrior"Description:
One of the few Lu- names that you've probably never heard of, Lulie could prove a good alternative for Luna, Lucy, and Lula.
- Elula
Origin:
Hebrew, female form of Elul, month nameDescription:
Elula, female derivation of Elul, the name of the sixth month on the Hebrew calendar, was used by Isla Fisher and Sacha Baron Cohen for their second daughter. The couple kept their unusual choice under wraps for several months, perhaps to get a head start on the hordes of fans who might adopt the fashionable-yet-unusual double-l name for their own. Reminiscent of (though not actually related to) Eulala, the stylish pick of Marcia Gay Harden for her daughter. Lula, Lulu, or Lu could be short forms.
- Joss
Origin:
English, diminutive of JocelynDescription:
A short form that could be used independently, a la the singer Joss Stone.
- Season
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"time of sowing"Description:
A generic possibility if you don't want to specify Spring or Summer.
- Theda
- Ioni
Origin:
Variation of Ione, GreekMeaning:
"violet-colored stone"Description:
A phonetic variant of the gorgeous Greek name Ione, and one that was used by model Coco Rocha for her daughter in 2015.
- Hendrix
Origin:
Dutch and German, from first name HendrikMeaning:
"estate ruler"Description:
Hendrix is an improbably trendy first name rising in honor of guitar great Jimi.
- Kelilah
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"crown, laurel"Description:
Kelilah, also spelled Kelila, is a lovely and unusual name that would make a perfect substitute for the trendy Delilah.
- Clarity
Origin:
English virtue nameMeaning:
"the quality of being clear"Description:
Clarity is one of the lightest of the newly rediscovered virtue names, with a bit of three-syllable sparkle, old-fashioned charm and a clear vision for the future. Clarity is a very desirable quality in this confusing world and it also, unlike some other newly coined word names, has real meaning and history as a name.
- Edwige
Origin:
French from German HedwigMeaning:
"war"Description:
Haitian writer Edwidge Danticat highlighted this sophisticated, chignon-wearing choice for literate parents.
- Tessie
Origin:
English, diminutive of Theresa, GreekMeaning:
"to reap, gather"Description:
With Tillie a new favorite of avant-garde parents, the British music-hall Tessie might conceivably follow.
- Inari
Origin:
Finnish place name; JapaneseMeaning:
"loaded with rice"Description:
A unisex cultural crossover that has seen a little use from the 1990s onwards. In Japanese mythology, Inari is an androgynous deity associated with rice, tea and foxes. In Finland, it is the name of a region, lake and village which is a center of Sami culture.
- Amory
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"industrious"Description:
Amory is best known for the hero of Fitzgerald's 1920 This Side of Paradise, Princeton student Amory Blaine. Amory is in some danger of being borrowed by the girls, a la Avery. Alternate spellings Amori or Amorie also relate to the Latin word for love.
- Dellen
Origin:
CornishMeaning:
"petal"Description:
Intriguing combo of elements.
- Isela
- Shenandoah
Origin:
Native American place-nameDescription:
While some sources assign the place-name the romantic meaning "beautiful daughter of the stars," the Virginia region itself says the name is of uncertain Native American origin with many possible but no definitive meaning. No matter: Shenandoah is a lovely name that's rare but usable.
- Zuleika
Origin:
ArabicMeaning:
"fair, brilliant beauty"Description:
Zuleika is a high-wire act of a name that might appeal to the intrepid baby namer, Like most 'Z'-starting girls' names, it projects a cool, strong aura, as exemplified by the character in Max Beerbohm's satirical 1910 novel, Zuleika Dobson, a heroine so gorgeous that the entire student body of Oxford University committed collective suicide at the sight of her.
- Brona
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"sorrow"Description:
Brona is an Anglicized form of Bronach or Bronagh, the name of a sixth century mystic and follower of Saint Patrick. The name is attracting some modern notice in the US via the character Brona Croft in TV's Penny Dreadful.