Uncommon Girl Names
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- Lavinia
Origin:
Latin, from ancient place name LaviniumDescription:
Lavinia is a charmingly prim and proper Victorian-sounding name which actually dates back to classical mythology, where it was the name of the wife of the Trojan hero Aeneas, who was considered the mother of the Roman people.
- Soleil
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"sun"Description:
An attractive French word name known here via former child TV star Soleil Moon Frye, aka Punky Brewster. It started to be lightly used in the U.S. in the 1920s and is now attracting some attention as both a sunny nature and an international word name. It's currently in the Nameberry Top 500.
- Manon
Origin:
French, diminutive of MarieMeaning:
"bitter"Description:
Manon is an endearing French pet name for Marie or Marianne; it has the international yet straightforward feel that makes it a viable import. Manon of the Spring was a gorgeous French film, Manon Lescaut a 1731 novel by Abbe Prevost, set in France and Louisiana, that was controversial in its day. It formed the basis of operas by Puccini and Massenet, and several films and TV series.
- Aster
Origin:
English; AmharicMeaning:
"star"Description:
This is a fresh new addition to the botanical list; comedian Gilbert Gottfried made it a real bouquet when he named his daughter Lily Aster. And the name of the little girl on television's Dexter sounds like Aster, but is actually spelled Astor, which brings it more high society name. Aster relates to the Greek word for star. In Ethiopia, Aster is pronounced "ah-STAIR", and is the Amharic variation of Biblical Esther.
- Rae
Origin:
English, diminutive of Rachel, HebrewMeaning:
"ewe"Description:
All the old ae/ay middle names for girls are back--Kay, Fay, Mae/May, --and Rae is one of the coolest, used as such by celebrities as Mark Wahlberg and Daniel Baldwin.
- Ellery
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"island with elder trees; descendant of Hilary; cheerful, happy"Description:
In the past few years Ellery has gone from middle-aged male detective -- from old school fictional hero Ellery Queen -- to a plausible girls' name, a la Hillary.
- Cosette
Origin:
French literary nicknameMeaning:
"little thing"Description:
Cosette is best known as the heroine of Les Miserables. In the Victor Hugo novel, Cosette was the nickname given to the girl named Euphrasie by her mother. Although Hugo invented the name, some etymologists believe it's a spin on Colette, originally a female short form of Nicolas.
- Winter
Origin:
Word nameDescription:
Fresher, brisker and, yes, cooler than Summer or Autumn or Spring, Winter is now a full-fledged female choice, especially since Nicole Richie and Joel Madden used it for daughter Harlow's middle name, and Gretchen Mol picked it as her daughter's first, as did media mogul Sean Parker. Winter continues to be the preferred spelling and has risen in popularity significantly over the past few years.
- Bryony
Origin:
Latin flower nameMeaning:
"to sprout"Description:
Bryony is an unusually strong plant name --the bryony is a wild climbing vine with green flowers --that caught on in the U.K. before sprouting here. The name of the young character in the Ian McEwan novel Atonement is spelled Briony, which is the variation and Bryony the original.
- Saga
Origin:
Swedish word nameMeaning:
"story; seeress"Description:
Apt name for a little drama queen with a long future ahead of her. Saga is a Top 30 girls' name in Sweden.
- Lisette
Origin:
French, diminutive of Elizabeth or LiseMeaning:
"pledged to God"Description:
Lisette, also spelled Lizette, is a dainty,, if somewhat dated, Gallic offshoot of Elizabeth. It reached its U.S. peak of popularity in 1999, then fell off the list in 2001.
- Annette
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"grace"Description:
Annette is a French diminutive of Ann which was among the first wave of widely-used girls' names from France, now neglected for so long that it's almost starting to feel stylish again.
- Greer
Origin:
Scottish, contraction of surname Gregor; LatinMeaning:
"alert, watchful"Description:
This attractive Scottish surname choice, has a certain amount of glamour thanks to feisty British-born red-haired forties Academy Award winner Greer Garson, who was born Eileen Evelyn Greer Garson--Greer was her Irish mother's maiden name). Greer was chosen much more recently by Kelsey Grammer for his daughter and by Brooke Shields in the Grier form. As a surname, it's associated with feminist writer/activist Germaine Greer.
- Amity
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"friendship"Description:
Amity--what nicer gift to give your little girl than a name that signifies friendship and harmony? This virtue name is also more rhythmic and feminine than the single-syllable Hope, Faith, and Grace.
- Livana
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"the moon, white"Description:
Pretty and unusual, Livana may find a lot more fans as parents look for alternatives to Number 1 Olivia. Livana was used for only seven baby girls in the US last year.
- Marta
Origin:
Italian, Spanish, Scandinavian, SlavicMeaning:
"lady"Description:
Sharper and steelier than Martha, but with the same underused vintage appeal.
- Hannelore
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"grace + god is my light"Description:
A pretty and substantial German smoosh name, a combination of Hanne and Eleonore. Most popular in Germany from the 1930s to the 1950s. Former German Chancellors Helmut Kohl and Helmut Schmidt both had wives named Hannelore.
- Hero
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"demi-god"Description:
Despite the possibility of gender confusion, the Hero in Greek myth was a woman. Myleene Klass got that when she chose Hero for her daughter, and Sam Taylor-Wood and Aaron Johnson used it as their daughter's middle--and we wouldn't be surprised to see more girls with this heroic name.
- Vasilisa
Origin:
Feminization of Vasili, Russian from GreekMeaning:
"royal, kingly"Description:
Vasilisa is the feminine form of Vasili, the Russian translation of Basil.
- Ismay
Origin:
Possible variation of EsmeMeaning:
"esteemed, beloved"Description:
The rise of the the various Isabel names may give a boost to this variation, which has a sunny, springtime feel.