Unusual Girl Names

This lovely orange-scented Spanish place-name would make an inventive namesake for an Aunt Valerie.

An ancient Roman name rarely heard in modern times, though the related VARINA appears in Slavic families.

Vera was the height of fashion in 1910, then was for a long time difficult to picture embroidered on a baby blanket. Now, though, it has come back into style along with other old-fashioned simple names such as Ada and Iris.

More often spelled VERENA, this name is attached to a third century Swiss saint. But the "virtue" name VERITY, is more appealing and comes more directly to the point.

A vivacious Latin alternative to the superpopular Sierra.

This name of a famous Parisian fashion designer known for her sophisticated 1920s and 30s style could translate into a pretty American baby name.

Embroidered lace hankie of a name, used in a Thomas Hardy novel. That literary cred lends some gravitas.

Winslet is one of a legion of surnames newly considered fair game as first names. The inspiration may be British star Kate, but she's not the only reason parents are attracted to Winslet, one of those British girl names that sounds at once classy and winning. Yet be warned that if you choose this, people will forever assume you are major fans of the actress. Other Win- beginning names up for new consideration: Winslow, Winston, Wynton, Winifred and Winnie, along with just plain Win or Wyn or Wynn.

A yellowish chemical compound that produces fluorescent dyes ranging from bright yellow to hot pink to flaming red -- but as a name sounds glaringly sci-fi.

The longer form of Xia is more rhythmic but also more problematic.

Not strictly Spanish but Guanche, the original inhabitants of the Canary Islands, this place name became popular as a first in Spain via a trilogy by Alberto Vazquez Figueroa. The Guanche meaning of the place name is "one who shares equally."

Yesenia is a Latinx favorite popularized by a character on a Spanish-language soap opera. Jessenia is another variation. The name is drawn from the name of a palm tree in South America, but Yesenia is also an Arabic name meaning flower, making it an excellent cross-cultural choice.

Zabelle and Zabel are fresh (to us) and ancient forms of Isabel, making zippy variations for modern lovers of that ancient name who feel the original is overexposed.

Zaina is the simplified form of Zaynab, the name of the eldest daughter of Muhammad. Zayna is another accepted spelling; the name is also found as Zainabu, which exists in both the Arabic and Swahili languages. These are all feminizations of the male Zayn, also spelled Zain, which sounds exactly like but is a fundamentally different name from Zane, rooted in Western culture as a variation of John. Confused yet? Zaina is an unusual name that is simple to understand and pronounce, all pluses, though the many spelling variations may cause mixups.

Has an evocative feel, unusual to the Western ear without being identified with any particular culture.

A Czech surname derived from the word for "green", which has a certain spark.

This name of a daughter of Zeus has an intriguing air of antiquity.

Zephyr may not be a name often heard in the U.S., but its variations are used throughout Europe. Zephyrine, a cousin in sound and feel if not in fact to such lovely names as Severine and Seraphina, has distinctive possibilities.