A - Girls' Names

An early day name worthy of consideration today for someone seeking a truly unusual name.

Alexandra is a name with many international variations, elaborations and short forms, and Alexandrine is one of the more unusual. Another, Alexandrina, was the first name of Queen Victoria.

Alice is a classic literary name that's both strong and sweet, ranking in the US Top 100 and popular throughout the western world. Alice is derived from the Old French name Aalis, a diminutive of Adelais that itself came from the Germanic name Adalhaidis, which is composed of the Proto-Germanic elements aþala, meaning "noble," and haidu, "kind, appearance, type."

The brightest star in Ursa Major, this is one of the major navigational stars used by ships.

Gwyneth Paltrow's Apple has opened the world of botanical names beyond flowers to trees, herbs, fruits, and -- why not. -- nuts.

Amaranta is the unusual and intriguing Latinate form of the Greek botanical name Amarantha, which connects to an eternal mythical figure. An excellent choice for the parent who wants an A name but wishes to move beyond the usual complement of names from Amelia to Annabel.

If you love both unique baby names and flower names for girls, Amaryllis might be a perfect choice for you.

This lovely name from Spenser's The Faerie Queene is borne by a character who represents married love. A related unusual-yet-usable choice: Amabel.

Amparo is a medieval name related to the Virgin Mary most closely associated with the city of Valencia, in Spain. Although it does not appear at all on the most recent US name roster, meaning it was used for fewer than five babies last year, it was used in the US throughout the 20th century.