997+ Unique, Rare, and Unusual Girl Names
- Merry
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"lighthearted, happy"Description:
She'd better be. Merry is one of the classic names for Christmas babies.
- Amapola
Origin:
Arabic, SpanishMeaning:
"poppy"Description:
A rarely heard name that was the title of a hugely popular Big Band song in the forties. Amapola, with the emphasis on the third syllable, is one flower name that has not been widely discovered.
- Sonali
Origin:
SanskritMeaning:
"gold, beautiful color"Description:
Especially used in Bengal and Bangladesh, Sonali is nowadays considered to mean "golden". Bengali actress Sonali Chowdhury is a notable bearer of this name.
- Gloriana
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"glory"Description:
Originally the name of the titular faerie queene of Spenser's epic poem "The Faerie Queene," published in 1590. Gloriana was, along with Belphoebe, an allegory for Queen Elizabeth.
- Gwenore
Origin:
Variation of GuinevereMeaning:
"white shadow, white wave"Description:
An offbeat way to get to Gwen.
- Temple
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"dweller near the temple"Description:
The old word name Temple has gained some recent notice as a girls' name via admired autistic writer and inventor Dr. Temple Grandin (born Mary Temple), subject of an acclaimed biopic, in which she was played by Claire Danes.
- Jetta
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"jet"Description:
Although this is a legitimate name, most people would associate it with a line of Volkswagens -- you'd be better off choosing a Mercedes.
- Gem
- Poe
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"peacock"Description:
Hip new middle-name choice, conjuring up the gothic tales of Edgar Allan, and current single-named pop singer Poe.
- Cynara
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"thistly plant"Description:
Poetic though thorny.
- Jericho
Origin:
Biblical place-nameDescription:
The scope of biblical names has expanded to include sacred place-names, and this makes a plausible possibility, though it does have a masculine feel.
- Zaley
Origin:
Feminine variation of Zale, invented nickname-name, or short form of AzaleaDescription:
All baby names can be made more "creative" by putting a Z at the beginning instead of what's conventionally there: B or C or H, for instance. Zaley is an adorable entry in this group, also spelled Zailey or Zayley or Zalee. The Zaley spelling attains a measure of authenticity when seen as a feminine form of Zale, a Greek name with an ocean-related meaning.
- Girasol
Origin:
SpanishMeaning:
"sunflower"Description:
Girasol is a Spanish nature name, meaning "sunflower." As sun-related names — such as Soleil, Sol, and Sunny — heat up, we may see more of Girasol.
- Hathaway
Origin:
English surnameMeaning:
"one who lives near the heath"Description:
Before there was esteemed actress Anne Hathaway, there was Anne Hathaway, wife of Shakespeare — the former being named after the latter.
- Franny
Origin:
Latin, diminutive of FrancesMeaning:
"from France or free man"Description:
If Frances and Fran are too serious for you, and Fanny too saucy, you might like Franny, still identified by some with J. D. Salinger's Franny and Zooey stories.
- Clarinda
Origin:
Literary elaboration of ClaraMeaning:
"bright, clear"Description:
A poetic name first used in Edmund Spenser's "The Faerie Queene" in 1596, it had a literary vogue in the 18th century, especially favored by Robert Burns. "inda" names--Melinda, Belinda, Linda" are not particularly in right now.
- Ursuline
Origin:
Diminutive of UrsulaMeaning:
"little bear"Description:
Ursula, while beautiful, still carries a whiff of the Disney sea witch. Perhaps Ursuline smells a bit sweeter?
- Delphinia
- Ellington
Origin:
English place-name and surnameMeaning:
"Ellis' town"Description:
Ellington's popularity may be inspired by jazz great Duke, but the name is used slightly more often for girls today, perhaps because of its trendy El- beginning. Like a host of other El- names, from the familiar Ella to Eleanor to the more niche Elodie and Elula, Ellington carries the popular Ellie nickname.
- Maxima
Origin:
Latin, feminine variation of MaximusDescription:
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.