Unusual Girl Names

This is a name used as a pseudonym by Celia in Shakespeare's As You Like It to conceal her real identity. It was later seen as a character in the Ken Follett novel Pillars of the Earth. Can also be spelled Alienna, taking it further away from the alien connection.

While Alivia may not have achieved the megapopularity of its mother name, it's still a widely used choice. Alivia combines the trendiness of A names with the trendiness of Olivia to create a choice that's slightly off the beaten track -- slightly being the operative word here. Is the distinction the initial A earns you worth a lifetime of explaining, "No, it's Alivia, with an A, not Olivia"? Your call, though ours would be no.

Alouette is a sweet Gallic twist in the stylish bird name genre made familiar via the charming French children's song, Alouette, gentile alouette.

Alsie and Alcie feel more baby-ready now that names such as Elsie, Elsa, and Isla are becoming popular again. Mother name Alcina was an operatic sorceress who turned men into animals and trees.

Altalune is an invention used by Uma Thurman and Arpad Busson as one of several middle names for their daughter, its Latin meaning roughly translated as "over the moon." Celebrity baby Altalune will be called the more familiar Luna for short.

Amaris sounds like "amorous," which is a loving name for a child, but doesn't really have a clear derivation or meaning of its own. The popular Amara is one of the most international names on the charts, with derivations and meanings in cultures that truly span the globe. And Amariah is an ancient Hebrew name. Still, Amaris is unusual and pretty, and that may be enough.

If you love both unique baby names and flower names for girls, Amaryllis might be a perfect choice for you.

Ambrosia combines some of the more whimsical qualities of more popular Aurora and Isabella, with a heavenly meaning.

Given to children of both sexes as far back as colonial times, this carries a lot of baggage. However, parents continue to take the risk. Actress America Ferrera may be have inspired some families to choose the name. Ferrera's Honduras-born mother shares her unusual name.

Pop princess Amerie is half Korean, half African-American. Her name may relate to Amelia, Emily, Emery, or Amory, though there's no exact equivalent among historical names. But doubtless there will be more Ameries, starting now.

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.

Anastasia is the feminine form on Anastasius, a Greek name derived from the word anastasis, meaning "resurrection." It was a common name among early Christians, who often gave it to daughters born around Christmas or Easter. There are handful of saints named Anastasia, including the patron saint of weavers.

Anemone is a floral name that relates to the ancient Greek myth of the famous love story of Aphrodite and Adonis, in which Aphrodite transforms her wounded lover's blood into a flower, the crimson anemone, whose blossoms are opened by the wind — accounting for its other name, windflower.

A pretty smoosh name predominantly used by Italian Catholics.

Anneli is one of the hundreds of Anne variations with an intriguing spelling. This name has been popular throughout Scandinavia over time and would certainly translate easily to English-speaking countries.

Variant of Hannelore

Annora is a noble name, a distinctive twist on its most essential form: Honor. Other variations to explore include Honora and Nora.