Rare ish chic and cool baby girl names

Irina

Russian from Greek

"peace"

Irina is a Russian ballet-inflected classic, one of the Three Sisters in the Chekhov play. While some Americans will pronounce this like Irene with three syllables, the pronunciation used throughout…

Manon

French, diminutive of Marie

"bitter"

Manon is an endearing French pet name for Marie or Marianne; it has the international yet straightforward feel that makes it a viable import. Manon of the Spring was a gorgeous French film, Manon…

Lilac

English, from Persian

"bluish or lilac"

Could Lilac be the next Lila or Lily or Violet? It certainly has a lot going for it--those lilting double 'l's, the fabulous fragrance it exudes, and the fact that it's a color name as well,…

Estee

French, diminutive of Esther or Estelle, Hebrew

"star"

Estée, with or without an accent, is most famously associated with cosmetics entrepreneur Estée Lauder, whose birth name was actually Josephine Esther Mentzer. The name is believed to be a stylized…

Antonina

Slavic, Italian and Nordic from Latin

"priceless"

Despite the popularity of Anthony and its masculine variants, female derivatives of its source – the Roman family name Antonius , of unknown meaning – have never caught on in the same way. Sister…

Rome

Place name, Latin, Greek

"to flow or hurry; strength"

The name of this historic European city is more distinct than Paris and London but sounds similar enough to the rising Romy and well-established Ramona and Rosemary that it doesn't feel totally out…

Amorette

Variation of Amoret

Amorette is an elaborate variation of the old yet rare girls' name Amoret, used in Spenser's The Faerie Queen to represent married love.

Essie

English diminutive of Esther, Persian, or Estelle, French

"star"

Cute short form of Esther, now associated with the iconic nail polish brand.

Céline

French variation of Celeste

"heavenly"

French Canadian singer Dion made us notice this variation, but most parents would prefer the Selene spelling.

Méline

French form of Melina, Greek

"bee, honey"

A light and lovely variation of Melina, in the French Top 500 since the 90s. Most popular between 2004 and 2014, around the same time Melina came into style in the US. Mélinne is an alternative…

Aphra

Hebrew, variation of Aphrah

"dust"

Aphra would make an interesting choice-- especially since it's the name of the first professional female writer in English, the seventeenth century's Aphra Behn. Born in 1640, she was a prolific…

Dove

Nature name

"dove, a bird"

One of the new bird names, like Lark and Wren, this one's associated with the billing and cooing sounds of love. Soft and gentle, Dove also has the admirable association with peace. Dove was actually…

Cynthia

Greek

"moon goddess; woman from Kynthos"

Sleek and serious, yet bright and energetic at the same time, Cynthia appears in classic mythology as an epithet for Artemis or Diana. While it is now a more neglected choice, it was once hugely…