G I R L S

An obscure yet on-trend name with two wonderful meanings associated with it. Neoma is one of the freshest celestial girl names with moon-related meanings, rarer than Luna or Phoebe but with the same fluid sound.

Like its cousin Tessa, Nessa -- a shortening of Vanessa or Agnes or Anastasia among other possibilities -- is an attractive nickname that can stand on its own.

Nuray is one of the most popular girls' names in the Middle East though it's largely unknown and unused in the Western World. The meaning, related to the more familiar Noor, adds appeal.

Deriving from the Catalan title for the Virgin Mary, Nostra Senyora de Núria , meaning "Our Lady of Nuria", this distinctive name is a popular choice in Spain and Portugal.

A fairly common Greek name that would fit in well here.

Pretty Victorian-feeling cousin of Ariel; also, more prosaically, a kind of bay window.

Orleanna was the young heroine of Barbara Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible.

Pacific island member of the currently-in-favor Lila/Leila family and one of the most attractive and unique girls' names starting with P.

A strong Greek name with pan-European charm, Petra is a relatively recent feminization of Peter, though it relates back to an incredible ancient city in Jordan that was rediscovered in the early nineteenth century.

This name of a tragic figure in Greek mythology, the daughter of King Minos, sister of Ariadne and wife of Theseus, has a mysterious and intriguing appeal, and would make a dramatic choice.

This old-fashioned word for poetry has some antiquated charm but doesn't exactly roll off the tongue.

Has become a byword in English for an overly optimistic person, thanks to the eponymous children's book heroine.

Poppy, unlike most floral names which are sweet and feminine, has a lot of spunk. Long popular throughout the rest of the English-speaking world, Poppy is finally starting to rise toward the top in the US, where it entered the Top 1000 for the first time in 2016.

Will assure your daughter she's numero uno.

After a long time in limbo, Prudence is now so clunky it'a cool, and it's starting to make a comeback, along with other Puritan virtue names like Mercy, Patience, and Constance.

Bird name Raven, once a symbol of pride for both African-American and Wiccan parents, is finding new life as a superhero name. Raven Darkholme is the real name of Mystique, heroine of the X-Men films played by Jennifer Lawrence. And there is another Raven superheroine in Teen Titans. Some parents may still choose Raven to signal black pride or mystical powers or maybe even Edgar Allan Poe fandom, but we are guessing most inspiration is coming from the comics.

A classic name with regal elegance--Queen Victoria, like other queens, had Regina appended to her name. She was a Top 100 name in the 1960s.

Revel is a joyous word name that may appeal to parents wanting a non-traditional Biblical choice or simply a name that expresses how they feel.

Unique choice, with a pleasant antique feel.

A traditional name still used in Orthodox families. Rivka is the original form of Rebekah or Rebecca, today used far more widely than the original. Rifka is a variation.