Selka

Selka is an uncommon feminine name with a whole variety of possible origins. Its crisp, modern sound and rare-yet-familiar feel, make it an alluring choice.

On one hand, it may refer to the Scottish mythological being, the selkie, that lives as a seal in the sea but shed their skin to become human on the land. Their name comes from the word Selch meaning "gray seal".

Alternatively, it may be a form of Selda, the Polish form of Zelda, meaning "gray-fighting maid", or a variation on Silke, a German and Dutch diminutive of Celia or Cecilia meaning "heavenly" and "blind". There's also the possibility that it links to the Yiddish Zelig, lending it a cheerful meaning.

Other interpretations could be that Selka is: related to Slavic names containing the element sel meaning "village" or "settlement"; a variant of the Turkish Selcan meaning "flood or river of life" or "vibrant"; a diminutive of Gizela, meaning "hostage, pledge"; or a feminine form of the South Slavice Željko, meaning "desire"; a form of the Czech word for the name of a farmer's wife or a peasant woman.

With its intriguing sound, connections to mythology and to many well established names, Selka makes for a cross-cultural choice that remains rare.

Pronounced SEL-kuh.