Lovely Japanese name that would certainly be appreciated in Europe and the U.S. It was rarely used in Japan until the 1990s, and draws its current popularity from the fact that it is deeply connected to Japanese traditional culture without sounding frumpy and old-fashioned.

A character name from Avatar: The Last Airbender. Azula is one of the two main antagonists of the series: a Firebender who produces blue flames (hence her name, which is derived from Spanish, Portuguese and Galician azul, meaning "blue").

A royal name in ancient Egypt that's never quite made it to the modern world, though nickname Cleo is widely used. Other now-extinct Cleopatra diminutives, including Cleora and Cleola, achieved some popularity in the early 20th century when there was a crazy for all things Egypt-related as the ancient tombs were opened and artifacts displayed. In the US, Cleopatra became a popular silent film in 1917 starring Theda Bara.

Demetria is a dramatic ancient Greek earth goddess possibility with the star-studded nickname Demi. Young actor/singer/songwriter Demi Lovato was born Demetria, but contrary to common hearsay, Demi Moore was born Demi.

An even more unusual cousin name is the Cornish Demelza, made somewhat familiar via the TV series Poldark.

This unusual surname name has been made famous by Pretty Little Liars actress Troian Bellisario. Troian is a family name on her father's maternal side, possibly meaning "of Troy", but more likely deriving from a Slavic name meaning "triad; trinity".

A unisex cultural crossover that has seen a little use from the 1990s onwards. In Japanese mythology, Inari is an androgynous deity associated with rice, tea and foxes. In Finland, it is the name of a region, lake and village which is a center of Sami culture.

A rare Finnish name with ties to sorcery and witchcraft.

Japanese writer Haruki Murakami, well known in the U. S. , might inspire some namesakes. Haruki is a popular Japanese name meaning spring tree or bright tree, a lovely nature meaning combined with its literary credibility.

Tora is the female version of Tor or Thor, the name of the Norse god of thunder. Actress Jeanne Tripplehorn chose it for her daughter.

A unisex Japanese name, with a variety of meanings depending on which kanji combinations are used. It is often said to mean "aster", giving it a botanical tie, and a link to remembrance based on the symbolism of the aster flower.

Seen as both a given name and a surname in Japan. There was a Princess Izumi in eighth-century Japan, forbidden from marriage as her older sisters had already been paired off with the Emperor's sons.

Undiscovered musical form melodious enough to be a hit on the name charts.

A modern Japanese name meaning "future", borne by figure skater Mirai Nagasu. The name is technically unisex, but more often given to girls. Mirai is also a Shona female given name, meaning "wait".

Also written as Atarah, this regal name appears in the Old Testament, borne by the wife of Jerahmeel. With its confident air and concise appearance, it was given to just under 50 girls in the US in a recent year, while Atarah was chosen for 60.

A prominent character name from the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender, derived from an Arabic word meaning "(water) droplet" ⁠— Katara belongs to a water tribe.

A very popular Japanese boys' name whose characters refer to the constellation Ursa Major. Short form Hiro might work better in the West, as may another popular Japanese boys' name, Ren.

Naming babies after precious gems as a protection against evil spirits is an ancient Japanese tradition.

In Egyptian mythology, Amon is a major god associated with creation and the air. He was later fused with the Sun god, Ra, and became Amun-Ra.

Traditionally, this name is written with kanji that give it lovely meanings of "full moon," "moonlight," or similar. Mitsuki is the real name of singer-songwriter Mitski.

Lavi is a rare member of the trendy leonine group of names in the US, but in Israel it's among the Top 10 boy names. It makes a good alternative to Levi.