Unusual Girl Names 2015

Leighton

English

"meadow town"

One of those names that's suddenly on the map because of a celebrity's influence, Leighton Meester of the TV show Gossip Girl . She pronounces it LAY-ton but some will intuitively say LEE-ton.

Brinley

English, combination of Brynn + Lee "burnt clearing; hill + meadow"

"burnt clearing; hill + meadow"

Brinley was a surprise entrant to the US Top 1000 in 2009, however, in 2023, it doesn't feel surprising at all. In fact, alternative spellings Brynleigh and Brynlee also rank in the Top 1000, with…

Rainey

Word name or diminutive of Regina, Latin

"queen"

Has an old-time country feeling, perhaps due to Ma Rainey, considered the "Mother of the Blues". This is the most popular spelling of the name, given to about 50 girls last year, with half as many…

Victory

English word name

"victory"

A winning unisex word name, fresher than Victoria or Victor. While Victory ranked only once on the US Top 1000, in 1918 at the end of World War I, it's a Top 25 name for girls in France.

Indiana

American place-name

"land of the Indians"

Indiana is one of those place-names (think Camden and Trenton) that sounds cooler than the place that inspired it. Its fashionable -ana ending certainly sounds eminently name-like, and…

Ryann

Spelling variation of Ryan

An attempt to make this name swing more to the feminine side, though the original Ryan is becoming perfectly acceptable for girls. Ryann O'Toole is an American professional golfer.

Keela

Irish

"slender"

Is Keela distinct enough from Kayla to sound fresh and new? Maybe, though its similarity to the trendy cluster of names that also includes Kaylie and Kylie and Kelly may be enough to turn you off.…

Keara

Spelling variation of Keira or Kiera

One of many takes on the Keira/Kyra concept, this one was chosen by ice-skating champ Kristi Yamaguchi.