Best One-of-a-Kind Names for Girls

Nuray

Turkish

"bright moon"

Nuray is one of the most popular girls' names in the Middle East though it's largely unknown and unused in the Western World. The meaning, related to the more familiar Noor, adds appeal.

Oberon

English spelling variation of Auberon

"noble, bearlike"

The name of the king of the fairies in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream ; could work just as well for your little sprite.

Olimpiada

Russian and Ukrainian feminization of Olympias, Greek

"from Mount Olympus"

At a whopping five syllables long, Olympiada is a lot of name for a little girl. Thankfully, nicknames abound. Try Pia, Ollie, or Ada.

Olwen

Welsh

"white footprint"

Olwen is a Welsh favorite, the name of a legendary princess in what is believed to have been the earliest Arthurian romance, and in fact one of the first recorded examples of Welsh prose. In this…

Onnolee

Native American, meaning unknown

Onnolee is a name immortalized in American legend. She was the last surviving member of the Munsee tribe of Native Americans, native to the Finger Lakes region of New York. In the 14th century,…

Ottoline

French and English, diminutive of Ottolie

"prospers in battle"

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…

Padgett

Variation of Page, French

"page, attendant"

Padgett is an occupational surname name related to page, meaning not a page in a book but a page or attendant in the Senate or a royal court. It makes a cute uncommon alternative to all those more…

Perdita

Latin

"lost"

A Shakespearean invention for an abandoned baby in The Winter's Tale , Perdita's sense of loss has always been off-putting to parents. But her image was somewhat resuscitated by its association with…

Perrine

Feminine variation of Perry or Peter, English or Greek

"dweller near a pear tree or rock, stone"

Five girls were given the name Perrine last year. Other feminine Perry or Peter alternatives are Perrin, Perry, or even Petra.

Petronilla

Roman and Italian feminine variation of Petronius

"yokel, woodpecker, stone"

Petronilla is an ancient saint's name that relates to the Roman family name Petronius, thought to mean yokel or woodpecker, though some connect it with Petra or Peter, meaning stone. With the…

Phillida

Latin, spelling variation of Phyllida

"green bough"

Phillida is a "Masterpiece Theatre" appellation, proper to an almost comical degree yet might make an original way to honor an ancestral Phyliis. Actress Phyllida Law is the mother of Emma and Sophie…

Pipaluk

Greenlandic

"sweet little thing who belongs to me"

Consistently among the top 5 girls' names in Greenland for the past four decades, Pipaluk has one of the most adorable meanings going, and could make for a quirky route to Pip or Pippa. A famous…

Pomeline

French, related to "apple"

"apple"

A rarely heard--even in France--name, most prominent as the third name of Charlotte Marie Pomeline Casiraghi, the daughter of Princess Caroline of Monaco and granddaughter of Grace Kelly.

Pomona

Latin

"apple"

This name of the Roman goddess of fruit trees is also associated with a suburban town in Southern California.

Puck

Literary name

Puck, the mischievous sprite of Shakespeare, is a unisex name given more often to girls in The Netherlands and is also the name of one of the moons of Uranus, discovered in 1985 and named Puck for…

Quarry

Nature name

Strong meaning, sweet but strong sound, fresh and earthy: a winner.

Queralt

Catalan

A top 200 name in Catalonia, Spain since 2004. There are several Catalan towns with the name, including Santa Coloma de Queralt and Rocafort de Queralt.

Quinby

Norse

"queen's settlement"

Love Quinn but find it too popular? Quinby is a rare spin on names in the Quinn and Quincy constellation, familiar as a surname and a fresh nonbinary choice.

Remember

Word name

No one will ever forget it. But Remember as a name came over on the Mayflower, so it has deep history as well as modern potential.

Rhonwen

Welsh

"slender, fair"

The delicate and haunting Welsh Rhonwen is still a rarity in the U.S., where her English version Rowena is better known, but would be a lovely choice for any parent in search of a name that was both…