Uncommon Girls Names

  1. Tammy
    • Origin:

      English, diminutive of Tamara
    • Description:

      Made famous in fifties movies as a wholesome backwoods gal, Tammy was a Top 10 choice from the mid-60s to early-70s, but is now given to fewer than 100 babies per year in the US.
  2. Phyllis
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "green bough"
    • Description:

      Phyllis has been used by classical poets for the idealized pastoral maiden. A Greek mythological name of a woman who was turned into an almond tree, Phyllis was in the Top 100 from 1916 to 1958, reaching #24 in 1929, and has the (remote) possibility of joining other revived s-ending names like Iris. In the 'St Clare' book series by Enid Blyton Phyllis is nicknamed Fizz. Just a thought. Phyllida is a variation that sounds at once more old-fashioned and more stylish.
  3. Marsha
    • Origin:

      Variation of Marcia, diminutive of Marcella
    • Meaning:

      "warlike"
    • Description:

      Marcia is the most common version of this group of names in the U. S., now found more often among moms and grandmas than babies. Marsha was a Top 100 name in the 1950s, when Marcy was its common go-by name.
  4. Trina
    • Origin:

      Scandinavian, diminutive of Katrina
    • Description:

      Nickname name that retains an Old Country feel.
  5. Pollyanna
    • Origin:

      English compound name, Polly + Anna
    • Meaning:

      "beloved + grace"
    • Description:

      Has become a byword in English for an overly optimistic person, thanks to the eponymous children's book heroine. Polly is an antiquated short form of Mary.