Uncommon Girl Names
Across 7 pages
of 7
About this list
Uncommon girl names come from a range of sources and include place names, unusual vintage names, surname names, invented names, and baby names from around the world.
Many unique girl names have ties to pop culture, including Eilish, Chicago, and Zendaya. Others may be totally new to you, such as Nairi, Deneb, Romola, and Ahona.
Here are some of our favorite rare girl names to get you started.
RELATED:
The names
Marceline
Feminization of Marcel, French
"little warrior"
Balancing femininity, vintage charm, and fantasy nerdiness, Marceline is one to watch. Marceline the Vampire Queen from the 2010-2018 animated TV series Adventure Time brought her elaborate French…
Loretta
English variation of Italian Lauretta; diminutive of Laura
"bay laurel"
Though Loretta has long ago lost its Latin flair, fashionable Sarah Jessica Parker's choice of it as the middle name of one of her twin daughters freshens it up a bit. It's one of several such names,…
Rosalia
Latin
"rose"
Elegant and bright with plenty of flair, Rosalia is widely-used in Spain and Italy, where there is a Sicilian Saint Rosalia. The name Rosalia refers back to the annual Roman ceremony of hanging…
Goldie
Anglicized form of Yiddish Golde or Golda
"gold"
Goldie is a shimmering new addition to the nickname name lineup, and became one of the fastest rising girl names in 2023. After peaking at Number 114 in 1904-1905, Goldie slid off the list completely…
Birdie
English
"bird"
Birdie was until recently a middle-aged Ladies' Club member wearing a bird-decorated hat --but now it's just the kind of vintage nickname (think Hattie, Josie, Mamie, Millie) that's coming back into…
Romy
Diminutive of Rosemary, Roma, Romana, Romilly etc.
Austrian actress Romy Schneider seemed to be the singular bearer of this international nickname name until it found new style currency in the past decade, entering the US Top 1000 for the first time…
Flavia
Latin
"golden, blond"
An ancient Roman clan name, Flavia is one choice that's unusual but historic. Now a Top 60 name in Italy, Flavia has been a rarity in the US, but with the upswing in F names for girls, this could…
Araceli
Spanish
"altar of the sky"
Once-obscure Spanish name inching back up into the US Top 1000 girl names after a short break. Araceli Segarra is a noted mountain climber.
Honora
Latin
"woman of honor"
Honora and Honoria are two ways of softening the severity of Honor, while retaining its righteous meaning. They were predominant until the Reformation, when the Puritans adopted the abstract virtue…
Bee
Animal name or English diminutive of Beatrice, Latin
"she who brings happiness"
We've seen Beatrice and Beatrix climb in popularity, along with traditional nickname Bea. And now there's Bee, giving it a buzzy nature world spin, plus a tie to popular late night TV''s Samantha…
Temperance
Virtue name
Not too long ago, Temperance was found only on lists of Puritan baby names . With increased increase in virtue names, and Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan on long-running television series Bones , this…
Araminta
Literature, compound of Arabella and Aminta, Greek
"loveable; unyielding + defender; unfading"
Araminta is a poetic and enchanting eighteenth-century invention with plenty of elegance and a touch of old-fashioned clunkiness. It first appeared in William Congreve's 17th century comedy The Old…
Zadie
English variation of Sadie, from Sarah, Hebrew
"princess"
When aspiring British writer Sadie Smith decided to change her name to the more distinctive and zippy Zadie at the age of fourteen, this attention-magnet name was born. But though it might sound like…
Mamie
Diminutive of Mary or Margaret, Hebrew, Egyptian, Greek
"drop of the sea or bitter or pearl"
Mamie is back. Having finally shorn her Mamie Eisenhower bangs, this insouciant and adorable nickname name is perfect if you want a zestier way to honor a beloved aunt Mary. Meryl Streep's actress…
Rafaela
Spanish and Portuguese version of Hebrew Raphaela
"God has healed"
This euphonious and lovely name is an internationally appealing choice, that, like Gabriela and Isabela before it, is beginning to be drawn into the American mainstream. Also spelled Raffaella…
Soraya
Persian
"Pleiades constellation"
Soraya is a Persian name made famous in the Western world by the one-time empress of Iran, who settled in Europe, primarily in France. Soraya is derived from Thurayya, the Arabic name of the…
Aviana
Variation of Avis, Latin
"bird"
Aviana is a name that's like the megapopular Ava and Ariana, but not quite as popular as either. It entered into the mainstream back in 2010 however, after actress Amy Adams chose it for her…
Hester
Medieval variation of Esther, Persian
"star"
The disgraced heroine of The Scarlet Letter 's name, after long neglect, just might have a chance at revival, following in the wake of sister-name Esther. We've characterized her elsewhere as an…
Delphine
French from Greek
"of Delphi; womb"
Delphine is a sleek, chic French name with two nature associations — the dolphin and the delphinium, a bluebell-like flower, a well as a link to the ancient city of Delphi, which the Greeks believed…
Dinah
Hebrew
"God will judge"
Dinah is a charming, underused Old Testament name with a rich literary and musical resume. In the Old Testament, Dinah was the beautiful daughter of Jacob and Leah and while some conflate her with…
