Unique Girl Names: Uncommon, Unusual, Cool

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.

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.

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.

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.

There was an eighties cartoon queen named Jem (& The Holograms), and this is as likely to be a full name as a short form – deriving from Jemma, Jemima or Jameela.

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.

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.

This is a Greenlandic girls' name made famous when Princess Mary and Prince Frederik named their twin daughter Josephine Sophia Ivalo Mathilda.

Évodie is the French form of Evodia

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.

A contemporary sounding word name with an ancient history, widely used in the Roman Empire, and based on the mythic goddess of good luck and fertility.

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.

A pleasant, welcoming Middle Eastern choice.

Louisiana is a geographic spin on the Louise theme. Pretty, if a bit of a syllable overload. Short form Lou or Lulu lightens it.

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

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.

The strong and unusual name of a medieval (male) saint and a contemporary (female) novelist, Benilde Little.