Best One-of-a-Kind Names for Girls

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 resurgence of so many ancient Roman names, the elaborate and pretty Petronilla or its French form Petronille seem more usable these days than they have in centuries.

An old Irish surname cousin of Tierney that makes an unusual and appealing Irish gender switch.

The tale-spinning heroine of The Thousand and One Nights, Sheherazade is an extravagantly elaborate name for a little girl. Too extravagantly elaborate? It's lovely and beguiling, and with the rise of such evocative monikers as Persephone and Ophelia, Sheherazade may have a chance in the modern baby name world. Another accepted spelling is Scheherazade. While the origin of this name is Persian, there are also modern Arabic forms of the name.

This Hindu goddess name is very popular in India. The goddess of love, fertility and devotion, representing female force, Parvati is the wife of Shiva and the mother of Ganesh. There is a Harry Potter character named Parvati Patil, a twin sister of Padma..

It is said that if one wears a flawless blue sapphire, it can remove poverty and provide health, wealth, long life, happiness and prosperity.

Appreciated by religious Jews for its connection to "Hatikva," the Israeli national anthem.

Ulyssia is an ultra-rare feminization of the stately presidential name Ulysses. It has only made the American charts one time — in 2003 when it was given to five baby girls.

Zabelle and Zabel are fresh (to us) and ancient forms of Isabel, making zippy variations for modern lovers of that ancient name who feel the original is overexposed.

Used in France as a male name, this would make an appealing and unusual choice, as would two other Gallic month names, Avril and Mai.

Yardley, a surname redolent of British soaps and perfume, was used for her daughter by Megyn Kelly.

Winter, Summer, and Autumn are all mainstream names; this covers all bases.

Unfamiliar Asian choice that can work for a parent in search of something really different.

Not quite Beatrice or Letitia, but Leatrice still has a gently old-fashioned charm of its own, a kind of silent movie star aura, as in one of the top actresses of that era, Leatrice Joy. Largely due to her popularity, Leatrice was in the Top 1000 from 1922 to 1943, reaching a high of 350 in 1927.

Some names rise in tandem in their male and female forms, but Sebastia is very rare while the male Sebastian is quite popular. But it certainly might be an attractive choice.

Although it's more commonly seen as a surname, Haviland is occasionally used as a first name, particularly for girls.

Evocative of the beautiful South Pacific islands; we've also heard Samoan used as a name.

Anglicized form of Irish Ó Cearmada, which is reminiscent of other jaunty Irish surnames like Cassidy and Connolly.

Derived from the Hebrew words shai, meaning "gift," and li, "mine." The Shaily variation is more common in Israel and the US.

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.

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.