Great and unusual girl names

Eden is an attractive, serene name with obvious intimations of Paradise, one of several place names drawn from the Bible by the Puritans in the seventeenth century.

This iteration of the name makes the link to the ultra-popular Emma even more obvious. It lags behind alternate spelling Emmeline on the US Top 1000 list.

Evaline may be unusual, but there are so many stylish names around right now that sound like it, from Eva to Evelyn to Adeline, that it will feel less distinctive than it is.

Sweet and stylish, with a sporty, energetic undertone, Everly is a name that ticks lots of boxes.

Hadley, an old surname-name best known as the name of author Ernest Hemingway's "Paris Wife," only recently broke onto the scene in a big way. While Hadley has considerable appeal, spelling variations such as Hadleigh—and onward to Hadleah, Hadleah, Hadli and so on—only emphasize its trendiness. Hadleigh made its first appearance on the US Top 1000 in 2014.

A striking and feminine possibility associated with a modern hero — longtime Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi.

Isla is a hit name throughout the English-speaking world but hasn't found the same popularity in other western countries, perhaps because its spelling and pronunciation don't make sense for those whose native language is not English. Think island without the final two letters.

Actress Flockhart popularized the C version, but this works, too.

One of many spelling variations of Cadence — one that is far more popular among baby girls.

Magnolia, a sweet-smelling Southern belle of a name made famous via the iconic Edna Ferber novel and musical Showboat, is one of the latest wave of botanical names, along with unexpected blossoms Azalea and Zinnia. It is named for French botanist Pierre Magnol.

Euphonic hybrid of the sounds of Melissa and Laura. Melora Hardin is an actress who was featured on The Office.

This popular name in various Slavic countries and in Italy holds considerable Continental appeal. It is the full name of Ukranian-born actress Mila Kunis, most noted for her award-winning role in the film Black Swan. Another actress bearing the name is Milena Govitch, of Law & Order.

Popular name in Spain drawn from the Provencal Mireio, coined by the poet Frederic Mistral. Very pretty and, though difficult to spell and pronounce, simpler than the French version.

A pretty and unusual path to the nickname Mira. Mira is the main character in Nobel Prize-winner Federico Mistral's poem of the same name. Mireya Moscoso was Panama's first female president.