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Best One-of-a-Kind Names for Girls

Sophie Kihm
By Sophie Kihm
Updated Sun May 04 2025
Best One-of-a-Kind Names for Girls

Rare girl names that nobody (literally!) in the US include the following, all ranking below the five-baby cutoff necessary to make the Social Security extended list.

Among the coolest rare girl names are vintage gems such as Leocadia, Ottoline, Effia, and Zephyrine. Other literally unique girl names include hot international choices Madelief, Lowri, and Petronilla, and nature names Freesia, Quarry, and Plum.

Among these one-of-a-kind girl names are many classic choices as well as new and unusual name ideas.

If you want a truly rare name for your baby girl, here are our suggestions, ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.

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  1. Ianthe

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "purple flower"

    • Description:

      Like Violet, Lavender and Lilac, Ianthe is a purple flower name. Chosen by the poet Shelley for his daughter, Ianthe has a poetic, romantic, almost ethereal quality. In the ancient myth, she was the daughter of Oceanus, supreme ruler of the sea, and also a Cretan woman so beautiful that when she died the Gods made purple flowers grow around her grave.
  2. Bluebell

    • Origin:

      Flower name from English

    • Meaning:

      "blue bell"

    • Description:

      Bluebell is one flower name that is used very quietly. Geri "Ginger Spice" Halliwell joined her former Spice Sisters in creative baby-naming with this adventurous — some might say outlandish — choice. Andie MacDowell has a granddaughter named Bluebell Coyote through her daughter Rainey Qualley.
  3. Endellion

    • Origin:

      Cornish place and saint's name

    • Meaning:

      "fire soul"

    • Description:

      Endellion is the name of an early saint who was a daughter of King Brychan and goddaughter of King Arthur whose life is commemorated by the Cornish village of St. Endellion. This intriguing ancient name was brought into modern usage by British Prime Minister David Cameron, who used it as one of the middle names for his fourth child, a baby girl.
  4. Alouette

    • Origin:

      French

    • Meaning:

      "lark"

    • Description:

      Alouette is a sweet Gallic twist in the stylish bird name genre made familiar via the charming French children's song, Alouette, gentile alouette.
  5. Nephele

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "cloudy"

    • Description:

      An enchanting ancient Greek name belonging to the Greek goddess who was created from a cloud by Zeus and so became goddess of the clouds and mother of the centaurs. The name Nephele is not widely known but as among modern parents become used to Phoebe, Penelope, and Persephone, it may become one of the ancient Greek goddess names that's back in the mix.
  6. Desdemona

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "ill-starred"

    • Description:

      Desdemona is as Shakespearean as a name can be, but because the beautiful and innocent wife of Othello came to such a tragic end, her name has been avoided for centuries. But at this point in time, there might be some adventurous parents willing to overlook that.
  7. Cia

    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Cynthia

    • Description:

      What's Cia short for? Cynthia or most any other C-name. Stylish in its sleek Mia-Nia minimalist feel, but may remind some of the Central Intelligence Agency.
  8. Thessaly

    • Origin:

      Greek, place name, meaning unknown

    • Description:

      The name of an area in northern Greece, known in the era of Homer's Odyssey as Aeolia, Thessaly makes a spirited and pretty place name. Reminiscent of Tessa, Rosalie, and Thea, the name likely derives from that of an ancient tribe, though the exact meaning isn't known.
  9. Plum

    • Origin:

      Fruit name

    • Description:

      British-born novelist Plum Sykes has taken this rich, fruity name out of the produce section and put it into the baby name basket. It's more appealing than Apple, more presentable than Peaches. The French equivalent, Prune, is very fashionable there but would not fly with English speakers.
  10. Delphi

    • Origin:

      Greek place name

    • Meaning:

      "of Delphi; womb"

    • Description:

      An interesting unisex possibility, with an air of mystery connected to the Delphic Oracle, the most important oracle in ancient Greece; it was also a major site for the worship of the god Apollo.
  11. Sidonie

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "from Sidon "

    • Description:

      Sidonie is an appealing and chic French favorite that is starting to attract some American fans as a fresher alternative to Sydney. Also spelled Sidony, Sidonie was the birth name of the French novelist Colette.
  12. Whimsy

    • Origin:

      English word name

    • Meaning:

      "whimsical or fanciful"

    • Description:

      Whimsy is a new entry to the ever-expanding word name lexicon, sister for Pixie and Bliss. While it has an undeniable offbeat English aristocratic charm (maybe we're thinking of Dorothy Sayers' fictional detective Lord Peter Wimsey, whose middle name was Death?), we see this as more fitting for a middle than a first name.
  13. Madelief

    • Origin:

      Dutch

    • Meaning:

      "daisy"

    • Description:

      Madelief is an uncommon name but not unheard of in the Netherlands, where 123 girls were called Madelief in one recent year. With its soft sounds and similarities to all those "Madeleine" type names as well as names ending in "eef/eev" sounds (Aoife, Eve, Genevieve), Madelief has potential in English-speaking countries to be a fresh and pleasant change from Daisy, Margaret and Madeleine.
  14. Zephyrine

    • Origin:

      Feminine variation of Zephyr, Greek

    • Meaning:

      "west wind"

    • Description:

      Zephyr may not be a name often heard in the U.S., but its variations are used throughout Europe. Zephyrine, a cousin in sound and feel if not in fact to such lovely names as Severine and Seraphina, has distinctive possibilities.
  15. Gwyneira

    • Origin:

      Welsh

    • Meaning:

      "white snow"

    • Description:

      An unusual Gwyn name with a lovely meaning, this compound name pairs Gwyn with the name Eira, meaning "snow". A relatively modern creation, it remains very rare.
  16. Eithne

    • Origin:

      Gaelic

    • Meaning:

      "nut kernel"

    • Description:

      Pretty and soulful name of a goddess from Irish mythology and several Irish saints. Singer Enya, born Eithne Ní Bhraonáin, has made the Anglicized spelling familiar. Eithne comes from the vocabulary word "kernel", which was used as a term of praise in old bardic poetry.
  17. Ottoline

    • Origin:

      French and English, diminutive of Ottolie

    • Meaning:

      "prospers in battle"

    • Description:

      Curiously appealing, in a hoop-skirted, wasp-waisted way, Ottoline has recently entered the realm of modern possibility, especially since Sienna Miller chose it as the middle name of her daughter Marlowe.
  18. Amandine

    • Origin:

      French, diminutive of Amanda

    • Meaning:

      "much-loved"

    • Description:

      This fragrant, almond-scented name has hardly been heard in this country, which is a pity--we've loved it since John Malkovich used it for his now grown daughter.
  19. Sophronia

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "sensible, prudent"

    • Description:

      A name some people first encountered in the old children's book series The Five Little Peppers, in which Sophronia, the youngest of the Peppers is nicknamed Phronsie.`It was also used by Dickens in two of his novels: The Old Curiosity Shop and Our Mutual Friend.
  20. Cerelia

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "relating to springtime"

    • Description:

      Cerelia is a melodic and unusual choice, perfect for a child born in April or May. Another version is Cerella.