Girl names that are rare but usable

Adventurous parents are venturing deeper into the garden in search of fresh names, but remember that this also makes for an alcoholic brunch.

For many, this is a Disneyfied name: Faline was the sweet doe Bambi fell in love with. The name is possibly based on Feline, a Latin name meaning "cat-like", however other sources suggest it comes from the French faon meaning "fawn", combined with the suffix -line. It is pronounced as FUH-LEEN in French and English or as fah-LEE-nuh in German, and was given to 7 girls in the US in 2024.

Tesla, the surname of Serbian inventor Nikola Tesla that has more recently been used as the brand name for an electric car, is gaining some use as a first name for girls. Exactly 100 girls were named Tesla in the U.S. last year. You might think of the name as a Tessa/Isla hybrid, though with Tesla the s is not silent. There was also a rock band named Tesla.

Penrose – an ancient place-name and surname derived from several villages in Cornwall, Wales, and the Welsh border country of England – would make for an even more unexpected alternative to quirky nature name Primrose. Intuitive nicknames Penny or Rosie make it feel more wearable.