Uncommon Girl 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…

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.

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…

Eleni

Greek variation of Helen

A common choice in Greece, Eleni is starting to rise in the US too thanks to its bouncy rhythm and cool -i ending. Also familiar in England and Wales, Eleni was chosen for 255 girls in the US in…

Lavender

English color and flower name

"purple flower"

Lavender lags far behind sweet-smelling purple-hued sister names Violet and Lila, but is starting to get some enthusiastic attention from cutting-edge namers along with other adventurous nature names…

Grecia

Spanish

"Greece"

An elegant country name that evokes the climate and culture of Greece. Grecia is a Top 200 name in Mexico, but in the US it's poised just under the Top 1000, without any significant rises or falls in…

Zendaya

Shona

"to give thanks"

Zendaya has propelled her unusual African name into the spotlight and up the popularity charts. Zendaya is one of the major baby name influencers of our era. What does Zendaya's name mean? The name…

Rumi

Japanese

"beauty, flow, lapis lazuli"

Rumi is a Japanese girl name, with a sweet yet substantial sound. Reminiscent of other popular choices in the West — think Ruby, Remy, and Romy — it is currently achieving more notice thanks to…

Zinnia

Flower name, from German surname

"Zinn's flower"

Zinnia is an unusual floral choice with a bit more edge and energy than most and beginning to find its way onto namers' wish lists of botanical possibilities. Named after the 18th-century German…

Sidra

Latin, Hebrew, Arabic

"like a star; order, sequence; lotus tree"

Sidra is an uncommon name shared by a gulf off the coast of Libya. Popular in the Jewish community of North Africa, its Hebrew meaning refers to a weekly reading portion of the Torah. In Arabic, it's…

Petra

Greek

"rock, stone"

A strong Greek name with pan-European charm, Petra is a relatively recent feminization of Peter, though it relates back to an incredible ancient city in Jordan that was rediscovered in the early…

Calla

Greek

"beautiful"

Calla is a botanical name that is much more distinctive than popular Lily or similar Callie. Rarely heard today, it did appear in the popularity lists in the last decades of the nineteenth century.…

Giada

Italian

"jade"

Popular in its native Italy, Giada has been quietly and stylishly used in English-speaking countries for several years now. Television cook Giada De Laurentiis made this a possibility — then…

Clarke

Variation of Clark

A rising choice for girls that fits in with tailored surnames such as Sloane, Greer, and Blair.