User-created list
Girls- Unlikely but Interesting
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Elisabetta
Italian variation of Elizabeth
"pledged to God"
This version softens, feminizes, and glamorizes the long-time favorite. A fresh way to honor Grandma Betty. Elizabetta is a variation.
Tuesday
English
"Tiu's Day; Tiw's day"
When actress Susan Ker Weld changed her name to Tuesday, she opened up a whole calendar of possibilities. This was decades before the arrival of Sunday Rose Urban and years before Wednesday Addams…
Cassiane
Greek
"cinnamon"
Cassiane, also spelled Kassiani or Kasiani, is an ancient Greek name best known as the name of a saint famous as a hymnographer. The Hymn of Cassiane, traditionally sung on Tuesday of Easter Week in…
Mattia
Mattia is a feminine name with Italian origins, though interestingly it serves as the Italian form of Matthew (meaning "gift of God") and is actually more commonly used for boys in Italy. This…
Jessamine
English from Persian
"jasmine"
Jessamine, a charming name occasionally heard in England, is just beginning to be appreciated in the U.S. as a possible successor to all the Jess names of the past. It's also spelled Jessamyn, as in…
Eleri
Welsh
"greatly bitter"
Striking name of a legendary princess and a Welsh river that feels both moody and modern. It is currently popular in Wales.
Gwyneira
Welsh
"white snow"
An unusual Gwyn name with a lovely meaning, this compound name pairs Gwyn with the name Eira, meaning "snow". A relatively modern creation, it remains very rare.
Beatriz
Spanish and Portuguese variation of Beatrice
"she who brings happiness; blessed"
Attractive translation of Beatrice, popular with Hispanic parents. Beatriz is currently a Top 10 girl name in Portugal. The original Latin form of the name, Beatrix, was in early sources spelled…
Shoshana
Hebrew
"lily"
This is a rare and lovely form of Susannah commonly heard in Israel. Shoshana Shapiro — nicknamed Shosh — is the character played by Zosia Mamet on the hit HBO series Girls — a fact that could give…
Bara
Hebrew, Japanese
"to select; rose"
Gently appealing, a floral choice in Japanese.
Barra
Irish
"fair-headed"
Barra is a Gaelic-speaking island in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, that's been inhabited since the Neolithic era. A male nickname for Finbarr in Ireland, as well as a stand-alone name, Barra was used…
Arizona
Place-name from Papago Indian
"little springs"
We usually think of place-names as a modern invention, but in fact Arizona ranked on the US Top 1000 from its inception in 1880 until 1911, when it vanished below the surface. It peaked at Number 510…
Mireia
Catalan form of Mireille
"to admire"
Popular name in Spain drawn from the Provencal Mireio, coined by the poet Frederic Mistral. Very pretty and, though difficult to spell and pronounce, simpler than the French version.
Oceana
Greek
"ocean"
If you're a lover of the beach and sea, and want a name that relates to the largest body of water, there are several variations you could consider. Oceana is the female form of Oceanus, the god of…
Zola
African, Congolese; also literary name
"piece of earth"
When the Eddie Murphys named their fourth daughter Zola, it affirmed the up-and-coming status of the name, which has African roots, but also literary links to Emile Zola. Zola may also be…
Lysistrata
Greek
"she who disbands armies"
Literary and ancient, Lysistrata is the Latinized form of the Greek Lysistrate and the variation used by the ancient Greek playwright Aristophenes in his comedy of the same name. Set around the…
Sidra
Latin, Hebrew, Arabic
"like a star; order, sequence; lotus tree"
Sidra is an uncommon name shared by a gulf off the coast of Libya. Popular in the Jewish community of North Africa, its Hebrew meaning refers to a weekly reading portion of the Torah. In Arabic, it's…
Taja
Arabic
"to mention, to name"
Soft, sultry resonance.
Accalia
Latin, mythological name
Accalia was the human foster-mother of twins Romulus and Remus. Her name is even more obscure than theirs.
Calais
French place-name
Undiscovered name of picturesque northern French port.