Rare Girl Names You Don’t Know (Yet!)

June 29, 2020 Sophie Kihm

rare girl names

Connoisseurs of rare girl names are familiar with the challenge of finding the perfect name that is at once unusual, usable, and fits your personal style.

You may be looking for a name so rare and cool, it’s intimidating (try Ottilia or Socorro). Or perhaps you’re on the hunt for one that conveys friendliness from the get-go (how about Halona or Lulie?). Included here are girl names from cultures all over the world, as well as English word names and invented names that haven’t hit the mainstream. You may not have heard of these girl names before, so here’s your formal introduction.

Each of these girl names was given to 10 babies or fewer in 2018, the most recent year from which we have official Social Security data, however many are truly one-of-a-kind.

Here, our A to Z roster of 100+ unique names for girls.

Girl Names You Don’t Know

A

Admire

Akiko

Anokhi

Aryani

B

Brindle

C

Calvary

D

Devri

E

Elke

Evora

F

G

Galit

Graceland

H

Hajira

Haviland

Hutton

I

Idalie

Izumi

J

Jancey

Jericha

Joliet

K

Katori

L

Larsa

Lazuli

Libi

Lydian

M

Madelief

Madhavi

Marijke

McCartney

Miyu

Momoko

N

Nemy

O

Omya

P

Pemma

Philou

Q

Quetzal

R

S

Shruthi

T

Torvi

U

Umayma

V

Vivienna

W

X

Xael

Y

Yareliz

Yolani

Z

Zafreen

Zeldy

Zuly

If you had to name a daughter using this list, which name would you choose?

About the author

Sophie Kihm

Sophie Kihm has been writing for Nameberry since 2015. She has contributed stories on the top middle names of 2019, the top baby names in each state, and the hottest nickname names of 2018. Sophie is Nameberry’s resident Name Guru to the Stars, where she suggests names for celebrity babies. She also manages the Nameberry Instagram and Pinterest. You can follow her personally on Instagram or Pinterest, or contact her at sophie@nameberry.com. Sophie lives in Chicago.

View all of Sophie Kihm's articles

Comments

18 Responses to “Rare Girl Names You Don’t Know (Yet!)”

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Kibby Said on December 5th, 2017 at 12:57 am
A good deal of these were new to me which is a nice surprise!
Corisande has been one of my favourites for years however!! I wish I were brave enough to use it!
lesliemarion Said on December 5th, 2017 at 1:02 am
Many of these I didn’t know.

Some of them I have known and loved for awhile:

Berengaria
Corisande
Delphia
Gwyneira
Leocadia
Ligeia
Ngaio
Orinthia
Pomeline
Tegwen
Verbena

Of all those, I would choose Ligeia Ngaio (love the sound) or Corisande, which to me sounds like the name of a heavenly baking spice. Gwyneira is particularly lush too.

Great blog.
FelicitySmoak Said on December 5th, 2017 at 2:38 am
I like

Corisande
Delphia
Dorrin
Evora
Merrigan
Willodean
Zerynthia
tfzolghadr Said on December 5th, 2017 at 4:21 am
I LOVE Cirilla, Pari (my daughter’s middle), Tanwen, Mereigan, Orana, and Sabra.
maggiemary Said on December 5th, 2017 at 5:02 am
Most of these I don’t know, but a few I did:

Corisande
Delphia
Ffion (my dad’s Welsh cousin is named this)
Gwyneira (a long-time GP of mine)
Hila (I have a friend named this, it means ‘halo’, and I adore it)
Isra
Leocadia
Lowri
Merewen
Merrigan
Nephele
Pomeline
Rhonwen (dad has another Welsh cousin with this name, her and Ffion are sisters!)
Tanwen
Urbana
Yesenia

Of those I didn’t know, I like these:

Berit
Dorrin
Eleusine
Ellisif (WOW WOW WOW)
Ferelith
Flordelis
Halona
Medora
Nereida
Willodean
PrimButcher Said on December 5th, 2017 at 9:13 am
I taught a Svea (pronounced sah-VEE-ah), and it was very wearable.
FantasyandPrayer Said on December 5th, 2017 at 9:51 am
Surprised by how many Welsh names are on here, especially as some of them are fairly common ones? Talking Ffion and Rhonwen especially. Eilonwy i’m sure is a disney character that quite a few people would recognise. Tanwen is a gp of mine and has been for a long time and Prideaux and Zennor are both Cornish place names- I’ve used them both in the “baby a day” thread in the games forum
ceryle Said on December 5th, 2017 at 2:04 pm
Loving Azra, Gwyneira, Hila and Svea!
chi1127 Said on December 5th, 2017 at 4:46 pm
Wow! I was actually surprised to see a handful of names I didn’t know. Most of these are familiar to me. I’ve even known some people with these names.
DawnitaSunshine Said on December 5th, 2017 at 7:00 pm
I once named a little kitten Rialta. She was the cutest little thing.
HannahMali Said on December 7th, 2017 at 4:25 pm
What about Eirawen? First time I heard of it. It is also a welsh name I believe and means snow and white, similar to Gwyneira. Anyone heard of it?
ElsaAnne Said on December 8th, 2017 at 4:00 am
Many of these names are on my ‘like but would never actually use’ list (with a few spelling changes), and some on the real deal list too :

Aroa, Azenor, Azra, Cleona, Delphia, Doveva, Elucine, Erendira, Evora, Gwynora, Halona, Hila, Nephele, Nerea, Pomeline, Verbena, Yareli

Great post!
amie1la Said on December 9th, 2017 at 7:45 am
Really quite like Svea and Pomeline. Very pretty.
mill1020 Said on January 18th, 2018 at 12:46 am
I like Antinea. My tastes have definitely become bolder over time, but I really doubt I’d be brave enough to use Antinea!
Coconnor4 Said on May 5th, 2019 at 9:08 am
Thoughts on the name Ora for baby girl?
Care Said on February 27th, 2020 at 9:10 pm
Ora reminds me of a mom who was going to name her daughter Orally. She wanted the nn Rory.
I suggested maybe Auralee or Auraleigh could be nicknammed Rory.
From this list, I think Aroha would work with nn Rory.

She went with Sherry. No nn needed. ☺
Selkit Said on June 29th, 2020 at 10:36 am
I actually knew quite a few of these. You know you’re spending too much time on this site when… 😉
mermuse Said on June 29th, 2020 at 1:35 pm
Leocadia was on my list for a long time! Also love Xanthe and Verbena is such a cool under the radar nature name

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