Unique Girl Names: Uncommon, Unusual, Cool

Katayun derives from the Persian elements kata "house, city" and bânu "wife". In Iranian mythology, Katay(o)un is the wife of Goshtāsb and the mother of Esfandiār.

Sweet and simple, Jam is a name with variety of roots. As a playful short form, it could come from the Arabic Jamila meaning "beautiful" or from one of its derivatives, such as Jamari or Jamariah. Equally, it could be a form of Jamesina or Benjamina, along with any other feminizations of the classic boy names.

This name of Aztec origin has the lovely possible meaning of "dewdrop". Both the Jatziri and Jatziry spellings were given to a few dozen baby girls in 2022.

This kind of plainspoken nature name (think River and Sunshine) may still carry a whiff of the hippie, but this one has a nice, airy feel. It's slight similarity to Claude and Clyde helps to ground it.

Clementine, Peaches, Cherry, and Pepper (and more occasionally, Apple) are all in use for girls, while the name of the largest citrus fruit, Pomelo, might be a more unisex option if you want something both rare and from the fruit bowl.

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 refer to other coastal plants that resemble it. Similar in sound to Sapphire, Saphira, Samantha, and Samara, this undiscovered name could make a bold choice with familiar sounds and grounded nickname options, Sam, Sammy, and Saffie.

A unisex surname familiarized by male actor Dabney Coleman, but with potential to carry over to the girl's side as well. Dabney feels in line with the Irish Darcy and Darby.

Another intriguing and virtually unused Spanish nature name to add to the books.

A unisex name with a meaning that celebrates individuality.

Sachli, pronounced "sahch-lee", is a Turkish girl name that feels extra cool today with both the trendy "lee" sound, and the "-i" ending that has been red-hot for girl names recently. Sachli Gholamalizad is an Iranian actress who wears this name.

While it is predominantly used for boys, Elyon is a unisex name with a powerful meaning, but approachable sound. Given to 6 girls in the US in a recent year, it is also used as an epithet for God in Judaism.

An off-beat Puritan era virtue name with a bright, optimistic meaning. Hopestill has occasionally been used as a unisex name, such as in the case of missionary Hopestill Pillow or builder Hopestill Cheswell.

A unisex Russian short form, used for Isidor, Isaac, Isidora, and Isabel, this has yet to catch on internationally in the same way Tanya, Sonya, or Sasha have.

Part Ashley, part word name, Dashley combines popular suffix lee with the speedy feeling Dash to make this trendy but rough round the edges name. Though Dash could could from Dashiell, if you take it as a word name, it gives you the poeticized meaning of "running through the clearing" which might suit a sporty family.

An interesting name despite the pronunciation challenge. It has literary roots, both in the classical poetry of Horace, and as a character in John Fowles' The French Lieutenant's Woman. Appealing nicknames are Lalla and Lally.

Lyric is a name given to over 1000 boys and girls each year in the US. Could the more feminine Lyrical (given to only 20 girls each year) become more popular as parents look to find less common alternatives to this musical name?

Destry rides again, this time as a Western flavored baby name. Derived from the French surname Destrier, from an Anglo-Norman word meaning "warhorse", this rugged name was popularized by the 1930 novel Destry Rides Again by Max Brand, subsequently adapted for the big screen.

The city name Dublin ultimately derived from Irish elements dubh, meaning "dark," and lind, "pool." The dark pool in question was a tidal pool behind Dublin Castle.

An attractive and traditional unisex name perfect for a cross-cultural child. Despite the current popularity of names ending in -ari, Johari is surprisingly rare in the US, though recent years have seen it rise slightly. It comes from the Arabic jawhar via the Persian gohar meaning "jewels, gemstones" making it a sparkly choice, and a relation of Jawhara and Cevahir.

This short and distinct unisex Indian name is one to add to the appealing list of lively names meaning "life". It was a fast rising choice in Canada and the UK in recent years, perhaps owing to the 2022 Punjabi movie, Jind Mahi.