Unique Girl Names: Uncommon, Unusual, Cool

Elsinore

Literary place name, English, Danish

"narrow strait"

The famous home of Hamlet in Shakespeare's great play, Elsinore is based on Kronborg Castle in eastern Denmark. Known as Helsingør in Danish, it guarded the narrow entryway to the Baltic Sea for…

Samphire

English, French

"St. Peter's Herb"

Sage, Rosemary, Saffron, Ginger, and Cassia are used as names, so how about Samphire? This unusual name is given to a plant from the parsley family that grow on seaside cliffs but it's also used to…

Shacarri

Variation of Shakari or Sachar, Zulu, Hebrew, Arabic, English compound name

"stomach cramp; dawn; thankful; freeman"

Stylized as Sha'Carri, Olympic sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson brought this name to the field. It entered the US stats for the first time in 2024, when it was given to 5 babies. The name has a variety…

Sirianna

Norwegian

"fair victory + grace"

This rare name combines the Scandi Siri with the classic Anna into one enchanting name. For anyone who loves Siri but finds it unusable due to the association with the digital assistant, Sirianna…

Satara

Arabic, Hindi

"one who covers; seven stars"

A bright, musical name with multiple origins, Satara is a distinctive choice with familiar sounds. It hasn't appeared in the US stats since 2007, making it an appealing possibility for those looking…

Ellerby

English surname and place name

"farmstead, village"

A preppy surname and place name derived from the Anglo-Saxon personal name Ælfweard "elf guardian" + the -by suffix, meaning "village, homestead". Ellerby feels like a quirkier Ellery or Emery.

Swift

English, Irish

"quick, windblown; bird name"

A word name, a nature name, and a surname, Swift is strongly tied to singer Taylor Swift. It could make a fun and quirky middle name, and there might just be some "Swiftie" parents who choose it in…

Stewie

Female diminutive of Stewart, Scottish

"steward"

While Stewie Griffin from Family Guy may come to mind, boyish nicknames for girls are in and Stewie may offer a fresh way to honor Grandpa Stewart. It also offers a fun twist on rapidly rising Stevie.

Sophiko

Georgian diminutive of Sopio, Sophie, and Sophia, Greek

"wisdom"

This Georgian diminutive of Sophia can also be spelled as Sopiko and Sofiko and could be a way to make your Sophia stand out if Soph doesn't appeal to you as a nickname. Journalist, author, and…

Eliska

Czech from Hebrew, pet form of Elisheva

"pledged to God"

Eliška is warm and friendly, in the Misha, Sasha mode.

Elisent

English, Germanic

"temple path"

An intriguing medieval name found in various forms across Europe. Variants include Elisende, Elisenda, Elysant, Elysande, Elissent and Helisent. It likely derives from a Visigothic name meaning…

Tegwen

Welsh

"fair, white, blessed, beautiful"

Tegwen is a Welsh name that balances between clunky and mystical, sweet and tough. Created back in the 19th century by blending the element teg "beautiful, pretty", with the element wen "fair, white,…

Elitsa

Bulgarian

"fir tree, spruce"

Also spelled Elitza, this sweet but spiky name comes from the Bulgarian ела meaning "fir tree". Similar in sound to Eliza, though not related to it, this could make a charming option for a December…

Elestren

Cornish

"Iris"

Less known than other Cornish beauties like Elowen, Demelza, and Kerensa, Elestren is a pretty botanical name ripe for wider usage. While it may have a starry, celestial feel, likely owning to…

Eldora

Spanish

"covered with gold"

An unusual old school name which is made more modern by that fashionable El- beginning.

Ejiro

Urhobo

"praise God"

Variation of Ejiroghene

Eirwen

Welsh

"white snow"

A fresh and pretty Welsh nature name whose beautiful meaning would be perfect for a winter baby girl. Pronounced as AIR-wen or IRE-wen depending on the region of Wales from which someone is from, it…

Theda

Short form of Theodora or Theodosia, Greek

"gift of God"

Theda is most famous as the name of silent film vamp Theda Bara. Today most fashionable little Theodoras and Theodosias are called Thea, but Theda makes an intriguing change.

Eivor

Swedish and Norwegian

"careful island; island defender; good luck"

An old-lady name in Scandinavia today, but Eivor may get a fresh start in the US, where it is associated with Assassain's Creed character Eivor Varinsdottir. Interestingly, the video game inspired…

Thessaly

Greek, place name, meaning unknown

The name of an area in northern Greece, known in the era of Homer's Odyssey as Aeolia, Thessaly makes a spirited and pretty place name. Reminiscent of Tessa, Rosalie, and Thea, the name likely…