Israeli-born singer Keren Ann introduced this traditional Hebrew name to the US, where it could well be mistaken for Karen. Nevertheless, 100 girls were given the name in a recent year.

This Hawaiian name gracefully celebrates the force of nature, paying tribute to the ocean. If you're looking for unique names that mean ocean, this should be on your short list.

Alevtina is a Russian form of the spirited Valentina, and while it may have a slightly gentler sound to it, the name retains the level of grandeur, elegance, and liveliness of the Latin variation. Notable bearers include tennis player Alevtina Ibragimova and actress Alevtina Tukan.

Mahi is another name for the Hindu earth goddess Bhumi. It also means strong in Hawaiian and might be a medieval French variation of Mary. But most modern Americans would hear it as the name of the fish mahi-mahi.

Slightly awkward girl's version of a straightforward male name.

Romy lovers, here's a new one for you! Romary is a surname with French and Scottish roots and has historically been a masculine given name in France. It would be a great choice on either sex, but feels slightly more feminine with the -mary ending and Romy nickname.

Makes Donna into a cool twenty-first-century unisex Irish surname.

Tetsu is a female name with an unusually strong and powerful meaning. It sounds spunky and cute too.

Writer James Baldwin could make this an inspirational choice for a child of either sex.

Evokes picture-postcard image of colorful Indonesia. Bali Barret is a Paris fashion insider who oversees women's style for Hermes. Bali rhymes with tally or galley.

This name was used by the royal House of Luxembourg in the Middle Ages, as a diminutive of Irmentrude. We definitely think this spunky shortening improves upon the heavy German original.

Popular in Kazakhstan, Tomiris is the Kazakh form of Tomyris, the name of a warrior-queen noted for defeating Persian ruler Cyrus the Great when he tried to invade her country of Massagetae (modern-day Turkmenistan).

Used for girls in Scotland in the sixteenth century; this would make a bold but bonnie choice.

Alcina is an operatic name, best-known as the name of the beautiful sorceress of the eponymous Handel opera drawn from the Orlando poems. Alcina and her sister Morgana live on an island where Alcina seduces every passing sailor but once their novelty wears off, changes them into plants, rocks, or animals. Alcina comes with modern-sounding short forms Alcie or Alsie, which feel more baby-ready now that names such as Elsie, Elsa, and Isla are becoming popular again.

Shakti is the female equivalent of the god Shiva in Hinduism. A sacred name sometimes used in a secular way.

A striking, unflowery girls name, Tomyris could work for parents looking for a distinctive choice with a strong namesake. Tomyris was a 6th century warrior queen of the Massagetae (modern-day Turkmenistan) noted for defeating Persian ruler Cyrus the Great when he tried to invade her country.

Feeney is an Irish surname found mostly in northwest Ireland. It may rise in the US as a first name for girls along with such Irish surnames as Riley and Kennedy. Feeney might also be considered an out-of-the-box short form of Josephine.

Conceivable middle name choice for admirers of flyer Amelia.

Hereswith is a rare name that comes to us from the dark ages. She was a Northumbrian saint, whose more famous sister, Hilda, was the Abbess at Whitby and patron of the first English poet, Caedmon. The name has a soft, lispy sound that is more wearable than its spelling would suggest.

Gunhilde is a strong feminine name borne by various notable women in Norse and Germanic history, including Gunhild of Denmark, a 10th-century Danish queen. The name embodies feminine strength and warrior spirit, reflecting the valuation of courage and fortitude in Nordic cultures.