Unique Girl Names: Uncommon, Unusual, Cool

Japanese classic with optimistic meaning.

Glory sounds fresh and uplifting and a lot more modern than Gloria (which is definitely feeling the stirrings of a revival, though some might still view it as a terminal Old Lady name). Glory, as in "Glory Be" and "Old Glory," has both a religious and a patriotic flavor.

A modern alternative to Shelby.

Bleuenn is a name virtually unknown in the English-speaking world but trendy in its native France. Bleuenn's origins are in Brittany, in the north of France, and it's related to the Welsh Blodwen. Other spellings include Bleuen and Bleunwenn. This might give the perfect twist to a color name that feels too slight.

This name's meaning derives from the material from which the mythical sculptor Pygmalion chiselled his ideal woman - she was carved from ivory. Pygmalion fell in love with his creation and Aphrodite, taking pity on him, brought the sculpture to life. The woman was named Galatea due to her incredibly pale skin. The Pygmalion myth was the inspiration behind the story of "My Fair Lady" starring Julie Andrews on stage and Audrey Hepburn on screen.

A variation of the Old Testament Bithiah, Batya is a Hebrew variant of the name. Derived from bat meaning "daughter" and yah meaning "Yahweh", Batya (or Bithiah) is the name of one of Pharaoh's daughters, often depicted as the one to take Moses out of the Nile.

Poema is a a multicultural word name, working as an elaborate form of Poem in English, but as a direct word name in Spanish, Portuguese, and more. In an English speaking context, this may make it feel lean more "name-y", blending the sounds of classic Emma with the playful 'Poe' sound.

This popular Japanese name has many various meanings (bright, clear, autumn), depending on the combination of kanji used to spell it. The final element is the character ko, meaning "child", which features in many Japanese feminine names. Akiko is one of the best unique names for autumn babies.

Fifi is a perfect name -- for a French poodle. But Fifi may seem more child-friendly as names like Coco and Lulu rise. Fifi in its fluffiness also balances the seriousness of such full names as Josephine or Federica.

Duna refers the Hungarian word for the Danube River or to the Icelandic term for the down of a duck. Duna also bears a resemblance to both Dune and Djuna. In this era of word names and invented names, Duna may have a bright future.

Zuleika is a high-wire act of a name that might appeal to the intrepid baby namer, Like most 'Z'-starting girls' names, it projects a cool, strong aura, as exemplified by the character in Max Beerbohm's satirical 1910 novel, Zuleika Dobson, a heroine so gorgeous that the entire student body of Oxford University committed collective suicide at the sight of her.

Rayen is well-known in Chile, and sometimes seen in the Netherlands, as a Mapuche girls name meaning flower. This name could be an alternative to people who like Ryan but want to keep it as a boys name or as a spunkier alternative to other names that mean flower, such as Fleur and Flora.

Term for a native-born Israeli, first brought to notice in Edna Ferber's 1929 novel Cimarron. Prickly pear has been interpreted to mean tough on the outside, soft and sweet within.

A winning last-name-first Celtic choice, Flynn is still mostly used for boys, such as the son of Orlando Bloom and Miranda Kerr. Though Flynn is definitely one of the Irish surname names, from Quinn to Flannery to Makenna, that makes one of the trendy boy names for girls".

One of the rarer names to come from the Bible, Cherith has a fresh and modern sound despite its ancient roots. Cherith was the name of the stream that kept Elijah alive during the three years' drought which he announced to King Ahab. In English, Cherith pleasingly reminds one of the word cherish which is another plus to this underused girls' name.

Juliet sound-alike Joliet actually derives from the name Jolie, and was historically a term of endearment, later a surname. It's an attractive alternative to Juliet names and could work to honor a Joe or Joseph in your life.

Kizzy was a character in Alex Haley's Roots; this and other Keziah variations were widely used among enslaved people. In Roots the name is explained by the hero Kunta as 'you sit down' or 'you stay put' in the Mandinka language meaning that 'this child would never get sold away'.

Seneca was both a Roman philosopher-statesman and is a Native American Iroquois tribe. Occasionally used for both girls and boys, Seneca is now a Hunger Games character.

Authentic, melodic place-name for the adventurous, chosen by rapper LL Cool J for his daughter and given to nearly 80 baby girls in the US last year. Italia of course is what the Italians call Italy.

Pleasingly quaint and dainty New Testament possibility; the nickname Dru modernizes it.