997+ Unique, Rare, and Unusual Girl Names
- Calloway
Origin:
English from LatinMeaning:
"pebbly place"Description:
Calloway is one of those irresistibly jaunty, animated three-syllable surnames, like Sullivan and Finnegan — but this one has the added attraction of jazzy ties to the immortal "Dean of American Jive," Cab Calloway. For a girl, this could be an unconventional route to the cool nickname Callie.
- China
Origin:
Place-nameDescription:
Long before the current place-name craze, a pair of the more daring pop singers of the Age of Aquarius picked this name for their daughters. Jefferson Airplane's Grace Slick used the conventional spelling, the Mamas and the Papas's Michelle Phillips went further afield with Chynna (of the group Wilson Phillips).
- Gertie
Origin:
Short form of GertrudeDescription:
Gertie has a certain homespun charm, summoning to mind butter-yellow braids and denim overalls, summoning mind the adorable character played by little Drew Barrymore in E.T. Is the world ready for the return of Gertie and Gertrude? Maybe?
- Ishtar
Origin:
MesopotamianDescription:
The mother goddess Ishtar (also called, or identified with, Ashtoreth, Ashtoret, Astarte and Inanna) was worshipped by the Assyrians and Babylonians as the goddess of love, war, justice and fertility. While the original meaning is unknown, the name possibly derives from "Attar" meaning the morning star. She has been equated with the Greek Aphrodite.
- Sylvana
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"from the forest"Description:
Sleek, woodsy European choice.
- Aretha
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"virtuous"Description:
There's still only one.
- Doon
Origin:
Spelling variation of word name Dune or Scottish surnameMeaning:
"brown or dark"Description:
Photographer Diane Arbus named her daughter Doon, inspired by the sand dunes she walked among when pregnant. Used this way, Doon might be considered a nature name, a refashioning of the word dune. But Doon might also stem from the familiar Scottish surname Dunn or Dunne, which means brown or dark, originally used for a dark-haired person.
- Kalindi
Origin:
Hindi, variation of KalindaMeaning:
"sun"Description:
Kalindi is a lovely, rhythmic name refers to one of the seven sacred rivers of India.
- Yulisa
Origin:
Spanish variation of Julisa or JuliaMeaning:
"youthful or sky father"Description:
Yulisa is a spelling variation of the Latin American Julissa or Julisa. Yulisa clarifies the pronunciation of the name for English speakers.
- Galit
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"wave"Description:
A pretty and intriguing elaboration of Gal — made internationally famous by Israeli actress Gal Gadot.
- Cozy
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
"comfortable"Description:
A snug word name that may appeal to hygge-minded parents. It reappeared on the US charts in both 2020 and 2022 after a gap of 55 years. It can be short for Cosima or Cosette/Cozette.
- Emmylou
Origin:
Combination of Emmy and LouDescription:
There's only one: Emmylou Harris, the singer who gives dignity to an old-style combo name.
- Halona
Origin:
Native AmericanMeaning:
"happy fortune"Description:
Resonant and unusual.
- Rox
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"dawn"Description:
Likely derived from the Greek name Roxanne, Rox was a short form popular in America in the mid-19th Century. Like Max and Lux, it seems sleek and contemporary and particularly suited to modern life.
- Sitara
Origin:
Urdu from PersianMeaning:
"star"Description:
A beautiful Urdu name with a musical sound and a lovely celestial meaning. Sitara got a boost in 2022, potentially from the award-winning 2020 short film "Sitara: Let Girls Dream", bringing awareness to the issue of child marriage.
- Sahara
Origin:
ArabicMeaning:
"desert"Description:
A beautiful and evocative place-name that deserves wider use.
- Aquilia
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"eagle"Description:
This and two other female forms -- AQUILA and AQUILINA -- of the Roman family name Aquilius might live on in modern times.
- Kerith
Origin:
Biblical place name, HebrewMeaning:
"a cut"Description:
In the Bible, there is a reference to the Kerith Ravine, where God told Elijah to hide in order to be provided with water during a drought. There is also a Kerith in the James Michener novel The Source. A soft and gentle and very unusual addition to the category of biblical place names.
- Claudie
Origin:
French feminine variation of ClaudeDescription:
Attractive form still très Parisienne.
- Bellona
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"fighter"Description:
A beautiful name with a combative meaning (from the Latin bellare "to fight"), belonging to a Roman goddess of war. Bellona has never appeared on the SSA list, but it could be an intriguing option for fans of the popular Belle/Bella.