Unusual Female Names From My Genealogy R-Z

Sancha of Leon was an 11th century princess who became Queen of Spain after her brother was killed by Ferdinand I, whom she then married. A twisted tale indeed, but Sancha is one of those names that is both historic and extremely rare -- no babies were named Sancha or Sancho in the US in 2021. Sancho Panza was the sidekick of the fictional Don Quixote.

The original but less common spelling of the ancient mythological name, now used mostly for fictional witches. But the rise of the lovely Lady Sybil Crawley on television's Downton Abbey and the fall of the multiple personality Sybil, a self-confessed fake, may give Sibyl and Sybil more credibility as a name.

Sigrid is a distinctly Scandinavian name that is starting to edge out into the wider world, a la cousin Ingrid. Unfortunately, short form Siri is now off the table, but Sigrid is still a possibility.