Uncommon Girl Names

A name with a double animal connection via two distinct origins, one Native American and the other Hebrew and Biblical. Yona is rare in the US but not unknown: It was given to a dozen baby girls in 2021.

Finola, the readily accessible version of some of the more problematic Gaelic versions of the name, would make a welcome addition to the stockpot of Irish girls' names.

Calista Flockhart may have made her variation of this beautiful Greek name familiar to modern Americans, but the even-edgier x version was the name of an earlier feminist heroine: a character in Kate Chopin's The Storm.

One of three Cherokee names with the same meaning, along with Inali and Enoli, both male names.

Mayuri is the feminine version of the name Mayur, which means peacock. The name has a mellifluous sound to it, which makes it well placed to make the transition to the West. Dancer and chorerographer Mayuri Upadhya is a notable bearer of this name.

This is one of the most vibrant and feminine of the names meaning life, and it's sure to gain more attention as the whole sisterhood of Viv- names rise.

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

Short, but still kind of a mouthful.

Grey is the more common spelling in Britain and Australia. This color name has a softness and ambiguity which makes it equally lovely for a boy or a girl.

A cute, upbeat name with a covetable meaning.

Remember, the Muse is passive: someone else's inspiration.

Jonquil is an unusual flower name that is less outlandish than Daffodil and less common than Daisy. It just might appeal to parents seeking a singular botanical option.

Unlike most flower names, Jonquil wasn't introduced until the 1940s, and saw some usage in the U.K. during the forties and fifties.

Queen Elizabeth's childhood nickname was Lilibet, the name of Prince Harry and Meghan's newborn daughter, and Lilibeth has the same kind of lilting charm. While many combo names are less attractive than either of their original parts, Lilibeth can make a nice compromise if you're stuck between Lily and Elizabeth or if you want a fresh variation of either.

Jocasta is a mythological name fashionably used in England, but mostly ignored here. She was the mother of Oedipus, King of Thebes, whom he (oops) unwittingly married. If you can ignore that small error in judgment, you'll find an interesting and attractive J name that's neither overused nor terminally dated.

Resonant and unusual.

Pronounced klo-TEELD, this name is well used in France, but rarely heard here; it has a chic and sophisticated air.