Clunky & Unusual - Girls
- Leontine
Origin:
French female form of Leontios, GreekMeaning:
"lion"Description:
Leontine is the French form of a name that's more familiar by its spelling variation Leontyne, the name made famous by opera diva Price. An obscure choice, Leontine nevertheless feels right for our lion-name-crazed moment.
- Lettice
Origin:
English variation of LetitiaMeaning:
"joy, gladness"Description:
Lettice is still occasionally heard in upper-class British families, but we fear it would cause too much salad-green teasing to be considered in the U.S. Calling your little Lettice Lettie could help make the name more user-friendly, or go all the way to the original Letitia.
- Margolette
Origin:
Literary inventionDescription:
Fanciful feminissima name created by L. Frank Baum for a character in The Patchwork Girl of Oz.
- Marguerite
Origin:
French variation of Margaret; also a flower nameMeaning:
"pearl; daisy"Description:
Marguerite is a classic French name with a remnant of old-fashioned Gallic charm; and is also a variety of daisy. Chic again in Paris, it's definitely ripe for revival here.
- Mazarine
Origin:
French color nameDescription:
Mazarine is a deep blue color also used as a first name in honor of Cardinal Mazarin, a leader of France in the 17th century. As a first name, Mazarine is as charming as it is unusual.
- Melisande
Origin:
French form of Millicent, GermanMeaning:
"strong in work"Description:
This old-time fairy tale name is rarely heard in the modern English-speaking world, but it's so, well, mellifluous, that it would make a lovely choice for a twenty-first century girl--a romanticized tribute to an Aunt Melissa or Melanie.
- Millicent
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"strong in work"Description:
Combining the mild and the innocent, this sweet and feminine name is worthy of a comeback, in the mode of Madeline and Cecilia. Its original, also attractive form is Melisende, which came from Germany to France and was borne by a daughter of Charlemagne.
- Nemorosa
- Palantina
Origin:
Latin, meaning unknownDescription:
The name of one of the 35 tribes of ancient Rome, virtually unknown in the modern world
- Philomena
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"lover of strength"Description:
Philomena is an earthy Greek name now used in various Latin countries. While it has felt simply clunky for many years, it's starting -- along with such sister names as Wilhelmina and Frederica -- to sound so clunky it's cool.
- Phyllida
Origin:
Greek variation of PhyllisMeaning:
"green bough"Description:
Phyllida, a "Masterpiece Theatre"-style appellation, seems far fresher and more unusual than Phyllis. It's green-related meaning makes it one of the prime names that mean new beginnings.
- Salome
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"peace"Description:
A soft and interesting Hebrew name long popular in France, where it has ranked in the Top 400 since 1986 (as Salomé). Ex-ER star Alex Kingston named her daughter Salome Violetta.
- Sophronia
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"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.
- Swanhilda
Origin:
GermanicMeaning:
"swan battle"Description:
Form of Swanhild, borne by the heroine of the ballet Coppélia. The -a ending certainly gives this ancient name a lighter, more balletic feel.
- Tamarind
Origin:
ArabicMeaning:
"tree and spice name"Description:
A hardwood tree native to Africa, India and other tropical regions, which bears sweet pod-shaped fruits which are used as a flavoring in many world cuisines, including Indian and Filipino. A rare and intriguing nature name which could honor an ancestral Tammy or Tamar.
- Tarragon
Origin:
Latin herb nameDescription:
Aromatic but also problematic.
- Temperance
Origin:
Virtue nameDescription:
Not too long ago, Temperance was found only on lists of Puritan baby names.
- Theodosia
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"giving to God"Description:
This feminine form of Theodosius has long been buried deep in the attic, but might be a good discovery for the parent who wants to move beyond Theodora. Vice President Aaron Burr named a daughter Theodosia ("Dear Theodosia" is a song in the smash musical Hamilton), and it was the birth name of silent screen vamp Theda Bara. Theodosia actually appeared on the US popularity lists in the 1880s and 90s.
- Thomasin
Origin:
English, feminine variation of ThomasDescription:
Pre-Thomasina female form of Thomas, now seen as more literary and upscale British. In Thomas Hardy's novel The Return of the Native, a leading character is Thomasin Yeobright.
- Umbrielle
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"one in the shadow"Description:
Pretty French sound, but there might be a lot of "umbrella" cracks.