Unique Girl Names: Uncommon, Unusual, Cool

A rare alternative to the already unusual Gemelle or Gemella, suitable for a twin due to its meaning but perhaps uncomfortably close to the antiseptic cream Germolene.

If you can get past the unintuitive J (it's pronounced like a Y), Fjolla is a perky and attractive girl name. It is derived from the Albanian word for snowflake, fjollë, and is most common in Kosovo.

Dune is a haunting and evocative sandy-beach name, which also has sci-fi connections. Dune is a science fiction franchise that was launched by Frank Herbert's 1965 novel. Some interesting Dune character names include Alia, Leto, Siona, Bellonda,and Tamalane.

Variation of Channah and Hannah making multiple appearances in the US popularity charts during the latter portion of the twentieth century, Chana has now remained in the Top 1000 since 2008.

Xaviera is one of the most intriguing and rarest female forms of a male name. Only a handful of baby girls are named Xaviera in the US each year, compared with nearly 3500 baby boys named Xavier.

In Choctaw culture, people could have multiple names over a lifetime. New names would be bestowed upon tribe members after major life events.

Form of Eleanor found in the Pacific Islands, such as Fiji and Tonga. Other sources say it is used in Hawaii, but Elenoa has never been recorded as a name in the state.

Inas is one of those simple but rare names that's worth a look, whether you're trying to bridge Arabic and English cultures or are looking for a meaningful, unusual choice. No baby girls were named Inas in the US last year. For English speakers, the second syllable rhymes with has or jazz.

A fresh and pretty Japanese name which would be an unusual route to the popular Emmy/Emi nickname. In Japanese, this name can be formed from a variety of different kanji combinations with different meanings, but "laughing child" and "beautiful child" are two appealing possibilities.

A pleasant, welcoming Middle Eastern choice.

Fluttery and flighty. But there are a couple of names that mean butterfly you might consider, such as Yara and Farasha.

This feminine name, pleasingly reminiscent of Kismet, has a similarly lovely meaning: Rainbow.

Funky choice with za-za-zoom. Zaza could be used as a nickname for almost any name with the "za" cluster, including Elizabeth and Esperanza.

Fading since the 1970s -- but still a lovely name.

In geography, a meridian is a line drawn around the curve of the Earth between the North and South Poles. The term comes from Latin meridianus, meaning "pertaining to midday", and the association with midday has led to the word gaining an added figurative meaning of "pinnacle; culmination".

This possible word name, which rhymes with Maia, makes an even more distinctive alternative.

The river Ganges in India is also called Jahnavi (literally "daughter of Jahnu") due to a legend involving the sage Jahnu. The Ganges river destroyed his fields, so Jahnu drank up all of the river's water to punish her. The Gods prayed to the sage to release the Ganges, and Jahnu relented and released the Ganges from his ear.

Juba, a strong and resonant unisex name, belonged to an ancient African king, is a city and river name, and is traditionally given to Ashanti (of Ghana) girls born on Monday.

The name of a nymph in Greek mythology, one of the prophetic Thriai, who divined the future by throwing pebbles. She was a lover of the sea god Poseidon.