Evora is a city in Portugal known for its magnificent Roman aged ruins. It is occasionally seen as a female name, evoking some of the mystique of this region.

The lovely Sereia is the Portuguese word for mermaid but can also be used as a name. English speakers may shy away from the name because of pronunciation questions and indeed, any little Sereia growing up in London or Chicago will encounter many questions and mispronunciations. But it's not difficult to say once you know it and Sereia pay countervailing dividends with its beauty.

This possible word name, which rhymes with Maia, makes an even more distinctive alternative.

A name that refers to a title of the Virgin Mary -- "Maria des Neves," or Maria of Snows.

Way before January Jones made this month a fashionable girls' name, there was Princess Januaria of Brazil, daughter of the King of Portugal and the Archduchess of Austria. One of the most pointed yet most original January baby names.