Unusual and Obscure Female Names

Aurelia

Latin

"the golden one"

Aurelia is an ancient Roman name that's become a surprise hit in the contemporary world. A top favorite on Nameberry, it reentered the US Top 1000 in 2014 after a 70-year absence and continues to…

Raven

Word and animal name

Bird name Raven, once a symbol of pride for both African-American and Wiccan parents, is finding new life as a superhero name. Raven Darkholme is the real name of Mystique, heroine of the X-Men films…

Rhea

Greek mythology name

"a flowing stream"

Rhea is an old-style creative name of the Greek mythological earth mother of all the gods. A lot better than the Roman equivalent: Ops. Rhea reentered the US Top 1000 in 2015 and has been heading…

Laurel

Latin

"laurel tree"

Laurel takes Laura back to its meaning in nature, resulting in a gentle, botanical option. Even more directly than Laura, Laurel relates back to the laurel wreath signifying success and peace in…

Elowen

Cornish

"elm"

A beautiful modern Cornish nature name that is rapidly picking up steam in the States: even spawning variant spellings like Elowyn and Elowynn. In its native region, it wasn't widely used as a name…

Maurelle

French

"dark, elfin"

New twist to the Maur- names, a bit cosmetic sounding.

Fia

Irish, Portuguese, Italian

"wild, weaver"

Fia may be most notable at this moment as the Anglicized version of the Irish Fiadh, one of the fastest-rising names in the Republic of Ireland. The meaning of Fia or Fiadh is sometimes given as…

Aella

Greek

A name with a weather-related meaning, a tie to mythology, and an airy, bright sound, Aella is a quietly rising choice, with 51 American babies receiving the name in a recent year. In Greek…

Lillemor

Scandinavia

"little mother"

Lillemor is a relatively recent coinage in Scandinavia, where it was most popular in the 1930s and '40s, especially in Sweden. As such, it is considered rather dated in Scandinavia, but it would…

Sian

Welsh variation of Jane

"God is gracious"

Simple and pretty and user-friendly, the Welsh Sian was used by U2's Dave "the Edge" Evans for his daughter. In Welsh, it is also spelled Siân.

Vanille

French

"vanilla"

While Vanilla might be too bland, the French version is more flavorful.

Netta

English, diminutive of names ending in -ette or -etta, or variation of Neta, Hebrew

"plant"

Netta ranked in the US Top 1000 in the 1880s, when it was often used as a short form of names such as Jeanette, Annette, and Antoinette. In Jewish families, Netta was typically seen as a variation of…

Blossom

English

"to bloom"

Now that parents have picked virtually every name in the garden, from the common Rose to the captivating Zinnia, some are reconsidering the old, more generic names like Flora and Posy and Blossom —…

Aster

English; Amharic

"star"

This is a fresh new addition to the botanical list; comedian Gilbert Gottfried made it a real bouquet when he named his daughter Lily Aster. And the name of the little girl on television's Dexter…

Nel

Nel is a concise, charming feminine name with multiple origins. It can be a diminutive of names like Eleanor, Helen, Penelope, or Cornelia, giving it versatile roots across different cultures. In…

Amberly

Modern variation of Amber

A rarely used play on Amber, making it more feminine and both more modern and old-fashioned at the same time.

Leonie

Latin

"lion"

Leonie is a chic French and German form of a name that exists in a range of variations from Leona to Leonia to Leon to Leo to Lionel, all newly fashionable after a couple of generations in style…

Loire

French river and region name

The lovely sound and image of the French river and lush valley would make this a most distinctive and captivating choice. Pronunciation: low-ahr.

Arcadia

Greek

"region offering peace and contentment"

Arcadia, a name for an unspoiled paradise, makes an attractive secular alternative to Nevaeh or Eden. For parents who want an unusual name with a friendlier nickname, Arcadia has the advantage of…

Coryn

Coryn is a feminine name with multiple possible origins. It may be a variant of Corinne, derived from the Greek name Korinna meaning 'maiden,' or possibly related to the Latin 'corona' meaning…