Great Unexpected Girls Names

Most names that start with Cam- are on the upswing, so why not this obscure term for Wales as well as for a prehistoric time period.

A Shakespearean invention for an abandoned baby in The Winter's Tale, Perdita's sense of loss has always been off-putting to parents. But her image was somewhat resuscitated by its association with the appealing canine character in Disney's One Hundred and One Dalmations.

Irish surnames are hot, and this one can successfully cross the line to work for girls, replacing the outdated Casey. And only a dozen girls were named Clancy in the US in one recent year (along with 27 boys), making it one of those rare Irish names that are both accessible and distinctive, classic and cool. Clancy is a winner for either gender.

Hip new middle-name choice, conjuring up the gothic tales of Edgar Allan, and current single-named pop singer Poe. As a first name, it's radically underused, given last year in the US to only five baby boys and no baby girls.