While Irish Gaelic spellings add intrigue to a name, they'll prove endlessly confusing. Ailbhe is pronounced like the less intriguing but infinitely simpler Alva.

Ailbhe

Old Irish name that's taken off in its Anglicized forms, mainly Ashlyn or Ashlynn. Nonetheless, this more traditional version debuted in the US Top 1000 in 2015.
 Aislinn Paul is a Canadian actress known for her role of Clare Edwards in Degrassi: The Next Generation.

Aislinn

Aodh, the name of the Celtic sun god meaning "fire", was common in early Scotland. It's also the origin of the wildly popular Irish name Aidan (originally Aodhán). Its pronunciation varies depending on region: AY or EE are Irish pronunciations, and in Scotland it's closer to UH, and has been Anglicized as Hugh.

Aodh

Aoibhinn and its twin name Aoibheann may be popular in Ireland but most English-speakers would find the spelling baffling and the pronunciation impossible to divine.  It's ee-van, or se-vin, fitting with the Irish popularity of many names -- Aoife, Eabha, Ava -- with this similar sound.

Aoibhinn

Aoife, pronounced EE-fa, is derived from the Irish word aoibh, meaning "beauty." Aoife was borne by several different heroines of ancient Irish legend. In one tale, she was the fiercest woman warrior in the world and enemy of her twin sister, Scathach.
 
Aoife is very popular in Ireland, and is catching on across the UK as well. Aoife is sometimes Anglicized as Eva, but the names are from independent origins. Eva shares roots with Eabha and Aoibhe, both also currently popular in Ireland.

Aoife

This name of the Cretan goddess of fertility is most popular now as the more melodic Ariana, but Ariadne has possibilities of its own. It first entered the US Top 1000 in 2014. The renewed interest in the name falls in line with the revival of other mythological names like Apollo and Athena. The trendy nickname Ari doesn't hurt either.
 In Greek mythology, she was the daughter of Minus who gave Theseus the thread by which he escaped from the labyrinth. After being deserted by him, she married Dionysus, the god of fertility, wine and drama

Ariadne

Pronounced BEH-ak, this Scottish name is also seen as Bethoc.  In that form it was the mother of Duncan, the monarch slain by Macbeth in Shakespeare's play.  In later years, it was sometimes Latinized as as Beatrice.

Beathag

A popular name in medieval Scotland, it can be found in the surname Macbeth, meaning "son of Beathan" or "son of life."  In later years it was increasingly anglicized as Benjamin.

Beathan

Caoimhe, pronounced (more properly) kwee-va or kee-va, is a pretty and distinctive Gaelic name but one that could well lead to no end of confusion outside the Irish community. Even in its native habitat, it is sometimes spelled Keeva.
 Caoimhe comes from a word with several positive meanings--beautiful, precious, beloved, gentle, and graceful. It's also the name of an Irish saint.
 Caoihme has been very popular in Ireland in recent years.

Caoimhe

Cassiopeia, the name of a mythological mother who became a stellar constellation, is challenging but intriguing, and has all those softening Cass nicknames available. And with all names Cass-related trending, Cassiopeia may be an unusual route to a stylish name.

With the rise of other otherworldly and mythical choices, from Apollo to Jupiter to Juno, Cassiopeia may just feel more possible for mortals now than ever before in its long history.

Some sources say the meaning relates to the cassia berry or tree, and may be "cassia juice," making this a botanical as well as a mythological name.

Cassiopeia

Celtic goddess of poetry, though less-than-poetic name. 

Ceridwen

Lovely and rare (even in Ireland) mythological widow whose tears rained on Ireland.

Cessair

The way the French allude to Charlie Chaplin could make a charming name on its own, or a hip nickname alternate to Charlie or Chuck. It's also used in the Creole community.

Charlot

Extremely popular in Ireland, Ciaran is also well used in England and is beginning to be adopted by parents in the U.S., though usually via the more American-friendly Kieran spelling. The Irish spelling is, however, becoming more familiar on this side of the Atlantic, due to the rising popularity of Belfast-born actor Ciaran Hinds.
 Although it was the name of twenty-six saints in Ireland, Ciaran was not used as a secular name there until the 1950s.

Ciaran

Daenerys is yet another girls' name invented by "Game of Thrones" author George R. R. Martin that is beginning to gain some traction in real life. Daenerys was used for 67 baby girls in 2013 while one of the character's titles, Khaleesi, was given to 241 baby girls. And the name Arya, also from the hyper-popular series, is one of the fastest growing <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls' names</a> in the country.

Daenerys

Delja

Eabha, along with Aoife and Aoibhe and even the Anglo Ava, are all Eve sisters or soundalikes in the Irish Top 100.  Outside of Ireland, though, this Gaelic spelling would prove difficult.  Confusingly for English speakers, this name beginning with E is pronounced as Ava, while the A-beginning Aoibhe is like Eva.

Eabha

Eachna is the name of an Irish goddess renowned for her beauty, brains and stylishness; in early legend, a Connacht princess named Eachna was deemed to be one of the loveliest and cleverest women int he world. 
Eachna is pronounced ahk-na, so despite its nice namesake story, it would provide a pronunciation challenge outside the Irish culture.

Eachna

Long popular in Scotland, this attractive name is strictly-speaking the Gaelic version of Eleanor, but is also often considered part of the Helen family of names. After the Normans introduced it into the British Isles, it was transformed into Aileen or Evelyn. It has rarely been heard in the US, but it is slowly starting to be used here too.

Eilidh

Pretty and soulful name of a goddess from Irish mythology and several Irish saints. Singer Enya, born Eithne Ní Bhraonáin, has made the Anglicized spelling familiar. Eithne comes from the vocabulary word "kernel", which was used as a term of praise in old bardic poetry.

Eithne

Elif is the Turkish form of Alif, the name of the first letter of the Arabic alphabet. Actor Natalie Portman gave another spelling to her son, Aleph. 

In Turkey, Elif is unisex but especially popular for girls – it's been a Top 5 choice there since the early 1990s, and also ranks highly in such other European nations as Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. 

Along with its alphabetical meaning, Elif can also mean "slender", from the Turkish phrase elif gibi, literally "shaped like Elif."

Elif

Romantic and mysterious, Eluned's beauty and intelligence were legendary in Welsh legend; she was the handmaiden of the Lady of the Fountain in a Welsh Arthurian romance, who had a magic ring that made the wearer invisible. Pronunciation is usually similar in emphasis to Eleanor, but with ned instead of nor at the end. However, it's sometimes also pronounced el-LIN-ed or even shortened to Luned, the sounce of Lynette, in Tennyson's Gareth and Lynette.

Eluned

Pronounced like Owen, this was the name of several early Irish kings and saints, as well as a celebrated Ulster hero. Often spelled with two 'n's in Scotland, it has been Anglicized as Ewan, Ewen, Euan, Owen, Hugh, or Eugene.

Eoghan

Rising star among Hispanic families that would make a good cross-cultural choice. A more<a href="https://nameberry.com/popular-names">popular name</a> with the same stellar meaning is Esther

Estrella

Ethne is one of the many Irish Gaelic names whose spelling and pronunciation -- it's en-ya -- will prove endlessly confusing to English speakers.

Ethne

In Greek mythology, Evadne was the daughter of Poseidon. Evadne also appears in literature (Mary Shelley's "The Last Man") and has a pop culture reference as the cousin of Wonder Woman. A more unusual alternative to other Greek "-ee" names like Ariadne, Daphne and Penelope. The trendy "Ev" sound makes this a lovely choice in a world of Evelyns, Evangelines and Everlys.

Evadne

This lovely Gaelic name, very popular in the Emerald Isle, has inspired a whole host of diminutives (including Nuala and Nola) and variant spellings, from Finola to Finula to the Scottish and English Fenella. In Irish legend Fionnuala was one of the four children of Lir who were transformed into swans for 900 years.

Fionnuala

Genevieve is derived from the Germanic medieval name Genovefa, or Kenowefa, which consists of the elements kuni, meaning "kin", and wefa, meaning "woman." The medieval saint Genevieve, patroness of Paris, defended the city against Attila the Hun through her rational thinking, courage and prayer. 
 
Genevieve is a perfect choice for anyone who wants to retain the gen sound but is tired of all the overused Jen names. It is both dainty and substantial and can be pronounced either GEN-uh-veev or the French zhahn-vee-EV. 
 
Genevieve is undergoing a real revival—it's currently enjoying its highest popularity ranking since the 1930s.

Genevieve

Grainne is the Irish form of the name often Anglicized as Grania. It was the name of the ancient grain goddess and also of the fiancee of mythological hero Finn McCool and lover of Dermot, who was a heroine of the seas. 

In the past, the name was anglicized as Grace, as in Grace O'Malley, Ireland's pirate queen. Grania is a phonetic spelling.

Grainne

The name of the Greek goddess of youth, daughter of Zeus and Hera, is rarely used today but may be ripe for revival considering the rejuvenation of the rhyming Phoebe. We'd call it one of the <a href-="https://nameberry.com/list/624/gorgeous-greek-goddess-names-for-babies">Greek goddess names</a> ripe for modern use.

Hebe

Biblical name -- he was an ancestor of Abraham's -- rarely used today but registered on the U.S. popularity list at the end of the 19th century.  With the rise of other obscure Old Testament names, just might have a shot at revival.

Heber

Iolanthe is known primarily through the 1882  Gilbert & Sullivan operetta of that name, in which the title character is a fairy. Iolanthe is a softer version of Yolanda, and is the kind of multi-syllabic classical name once considered too weighty for a modern baby girl, but now within the realm of possibility--this one as a dramatic twist on Violet. The biggest drawback is its variety of legitimate pronunciations in English.

Iolanthe

A pretty international form of Helena used in many Slavic languages, also sometimes spelled Yelena.

Jelena

Actor Joaquin Phoenix (brother of River, Rain, Liberty and Summer) highlighted this one, then Kelly Ripa began talking about younger son Joaquin on her daily TV show, and presto—it's now one of the hottest and most appealing multicultural <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">baby boy names</a>.
 Joaquin is currently enjoying high popularity in South America, especially in Argentina and Chile.
 Colorful poet Joaquin (born Cincinnatus) Miller was known as the "Byron of the Rockies." There is a teenage character in Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls named Joaquin, and San Joaquín is the Spanish version of Saint Joachim, the traditional name for the father of Mary, mother of Jesus.

Joaquin

Kaori is a Japanese girls' name once largely unknown but brought into the spotlight by celebrity couple Eniko and Kevin Hart, who gave it to their daughter in 2020. Kaori is easily translated in the Western World; it's got a rhythmic sound and a familiar feel, maybe since it's similar to Maori, the name of the people and language of New Zealand. But the correct pronunciation is kow-ree.

Kaori

Has a lot of charm, giving the sense of opening the door to life, and has a creative connection to Dutch artist Kees van Dongen. 

Kees

A French accent makes almost everything sound better, especially when attached to a Twilight vampire. Laurent also has a high-style feel via designer Yves St-Laurent. Laurent de Brunhoff is the French author-illustrator who continued his father Jean's series of Babar books.

Laurent

Mary has hundreds of variations around the world, and this German form, pronounced Ma-RYE-keh, is virtually unknown in English-speaking lands.  A possible alternative to Mariah?

Mareike

Well-established Irish and Scottish name that has never really caught on across the pond. Remembered by an older generation as the beautiful red-haired ballerina in the film The Red Shoes, Moira Shearer.

Moira

Muirgen in Irish mythology was turned into a mermaid and then brought back to land after 300 years and transformed back into a woman -- which must have been quite a shock.  Muirgen's original name was Liban.  Muirgen may also be spelled Muireann or Muirenn.

Muirgen

Intriguing Old Welsh name being revived there, but would have major pronunciation problems here. 

Myfanwy

New Zealand writer Ngaio (born Edith Ngaio) Marsh is the best-known bearer of this Maori nature name, properly pronounced ng (like the end of sing) -EYE-oh. It is the name of a tree indigenous to New Zealand, also called the Mousehole Tree.

Ngaio

Niall is pronounced nye-al--something like Neil, but this Irish spelling of the name makes it much more current and cool.
 This is an ancient name borne by several of the high kings of Tara, the most famous of whom was the powerful semi-mythological fifth century king known as Niall of the Nine Hostages, ancestor of all the O'Neills and MacNeills that followed.
 Niall Ferguson is a respected English historian, one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2004.

Niall

Ossian, or Osian, from the Old Irish name Oisin, was the son of Finn in Irish legend that was transformed into a Scottish hero in the Ossianic poems of James Macpherson in the eighteenth century--which also popularlized Oscar, Fingal, Selma and Malvina.
 Downside: could be confused with Ocean.

Ossian

Pronounced "TAHL-a-mee," this was the name of one of Alexander the Great's generals and several Greco-Egyptian rulers, as well as the name of a famous Greek astronomer. Actress Gretchen Mol brought it into modern times when she chose it for her baby.

Ptolemy

Ruadhan (sometimes spelt with a fada: Ruadhán) is a fashionable name in its native Ireland. Borne one of the Twelve Irish Apostles, it originated as a diminutive of Ruadh, meaning "red-haired". It has sometimes been Anglicized as Rowan.

Ruadhan

Sanne is hugely popular in the Netherlands, but almost unknown here; which makes it an interesting prospect for the parent in search of an unusual name. Pronounced sah-na, Sanne is in keeping with the Dutch taste for nicknames plucked from the middle or end of a name vs. the beginning, such as Bas for Sebastien or Bram for Abram.


Sanne

A cool and breezy nature name with a stylish sound, used by Volkswagen for one of its cars.

Scirocco

Seren is a top girls' name in Wales – and a lovely choice almost unknown elsewhere. Seren, in the Sirona form, was an ancient goddess of the hot springs.
 Seren only recently fell out of the girls' Top 10 in Wales, and ranks just below the Top 100 in England and Wales combined.
Seren is also a Turkish surname and girls' name.

Seren

Simple and pretty and user-friendly, the Welsh Sian was used by U2's Dave "the Edge" Evans for his daughter. In Welsh, it is also spelled Siân.

Sian

The name of several ancient kings and princes of Ireland, Tadhg became so common at one point that it was used to represent a kind of Irish Gaelic everyman, or man in the street, as Paddy and Mick would later. Tadhg has seen a major resurgence in recent years and is also now ranked in England. 

It is sometimes used as the Irish equivalent of Timothy and is also anglicized as Teague and Thaddeus. Tadleigh and Thad are pet forms. Pronunciation is like tide ending with a g.

Tadhg

This unusual Welsh mythological name just might appeal to architect parents wishing to honor Frank Lloyd Wright, who called his two famous residences Taliesin and Taliesin West. 

Taliesin

This intriguing name of an ancient Etruscan queen renowned for her prophetic powers was long associated with the prima ballerina Tanaquil LeClerq. 

Tanaquil

Tertia&mdash;which is occasionally used in the UK, but rarely in the US, would make an unconventional but interesting possibility for the third child in a family. Terza and Terzo are lively Italian female and male variations.
 This is just one of several Roman numeral names that suddenly sound plausible--like Primo and Prima, Decimus, Quintus, etc.

Tertia

Thierry, which is very popular in France, would make an interesting import; it's somewhat familiar through designer Thierry Mugler and international soccer star Thierry Henry. It almost sounds like Terry, but not quite.

Thierry

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

Vionnet

Xanthipe, also spelled Xanthippe, is the name of the wife of Socrates. Challenging for English speakers, it's also dramatic and alluring.

Xanthipe

The two X's may be a challenge for even the most intrepid baby namer. Xerxes was the name of two early kings of Persia and the Handel opera Serse or Xerxes is loosely based on Xerxes I.

Xerxes

Yeats, the strong name of the great Irish poet, would work better for a boy.  Also has possible pronunciation problem with people who might think it rhymes with Keats.  Yeats rhymes with the word from which it's derived: gates.

Yeats

Name of a fertility goddess said to confer luck on its bearer, though to avoid confusion you may want to use the phonetic spelling Anya or Enya. 

Áine

Eire was a mythological goddess who named Ireland after herself. Rarely used today, even in Eire. 

Éire

Appealingly gentle and romantic French classic--with a lot more charm than Steve. 

Étienne

sickwithsin's list "Tricky Pronunciations" of 62 great name ideas: Ailbhe - Étienne!