Unique and Elegant Baby Names

  1. Ludovica
    • Origin:

      Italian, feminine variation of Ludovic
    • Meaning:

      "famous in war"
    • Description:

      This Olde World name with a large measure of European style makes an offbeat possibility for the bold baby namer in search of interesting Italian names for girls. Currently very popular in its native Italy, Ludovica is an unusual path to all the great Lu nicknames, like Lulu and Lula.
  2. Sophronia
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "sensible, prudent"
    • Description:

      Stately and elegant, but with the familiar sounds of Sophia and Sophie, Sophronia was a familiar choice back in the 19th century but has since fallen into obscurity. Derived from the Greek sophron, it means "sensible, self-restrained".
  3. Cyrilla
    • Origin:

      Latin from Greek
    • Meaning:

      "lordly"
    • Description:

      Cyrilla is an obscure feminization of Cyril that's a bit buttoned-up but also intriguingly unique, with an authentic pedigree. Spelling Cirilla is more visible thanks to The Witcher series, in which its the name of the heroine Princess Cirilla, nicknamed Ciri. 40 baby girls were named Cirilla in the US in 2021, vs. only 10 called Cyrilla.
  4. Kiefer
    • Origin:

      German
    • Meaning:

      "barrel maker; pine"
    • Description:

      Kiefer is a strong occupational surname associated with "24" star Kiefer Sutherland, but one that could well join the other 'er' surnames currently in favor. Keifer is a German surname transferred to first name use, derived from two old Germanic words, kien and forhe, both of which mean "pine tree."
  5. Peregrine
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "traveler, pilgrim"
    • Description:

      Peregrine is considered to be an elegantly aristocratic name in England, but has never made it to the US, where it has been seen as extravagantly eccentric. In the new naming climate, though, it's not beyond consideration — in fact it's already been chosen by at least one Berry.
  6. Gardenia
    • Origin:

      Flower name, from English surname
    • Meaning:

      "Garden's flower"
    • Description:

      More uncommon and powerful than garden varieties like Rose and Lily. Named for Scottish botanist Dr Alexander Garden.
  7. Tamerlaine
    • Origin:

      Turkic, Mongol
    • Meaning:

      "iron"
    • Description:

      Although Tamerlaine, especially with the addition of an i, feels more feminine than masculine these days and is occasionally used for girls, the original Tamerlane was a fierce Mongol warrior.
  8. Venetia
    • Origin:

      Italian place-name
    • Description:

      Venetia, the name of the region encompassing Venice, has a radiant, picturesque authenticity, as do the related Venezia and Venice.
  9. Mayuri
    • Origin:

      Sanskrit
    • Meaning:

      "peahen"
    • Description:

      Mayuri is the feminine version of the name Mayur, which means peacock. The name has a mellifluous sound to it, which makes it well placed to make the transition to the West. Dancer and chorerographer Mayuri Upadhya is a notable bearer of this name.
  10. Ludovic
    • Origin:

      English and Scottish variation of Ludwig
    • Meaning:

      "famous warrior"
    • Description:

      Euro-cool. Heard more in Scotland than in England or the US, Ludovic Lesly is a character in the Sir Walter Scott novel Quentin Durward and Sir Ludovic Kennedy was a noted Scottish broadcaster and writer. Cute nickname: Ludo.
  11. Kassiani
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "cinnamon"
    • Description:

      Kassiani, also spelled Kasiani or Cassiane, is an ancient Greek name best known as the name of a saint famous as a hymnographer. The Hymn of Kassiani, traditionally sung on Tuesday of Easter Week in the Greek Orthodox Church, is associated with fallen women. The 9th century saint Kassiani was supposed to be in love with the Emperor Theophilos, who rejected her when she proved to be more intelligent than he.
  12. Jacaranda
    • Origin:

      Spanish, Portuguese, Tupi-Guarani flower name
    • Meaning:

      "fragrant"
    • Description:

      Distinctive and charming nature name that blends elements of Jacqueline and Amanda.
  13. Sheherazade
    • Origin:

      Persian
    • Meaning:

      "noble lineage"
    • Description:

      The tale-spinning heroine of The Thousand and One Nights, Sheherazade is an extravagantly elaborate name for a little girl. Too extravagantly elaborate? It's lovely and beguiling, and with the rise of such evocative monikers as Persephone and Ophelia, Sheherazade may have a chance in the modern baby name world. Another accepted spelling is Scheherazade. While the origin of this name is Persian, there are also modern Arabic forms of the name.
  14. Cymbeline
    • Origin:

      Celtic
    • Meaning:

      "sun lord or sun hound"
    • Description:

      The title of a Shakespeare play based on legends featuring the early Celtic King Cunobelinus, whose name derives from the Gaulish sun god Belenus.
  15. Xanthippe
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "yellow horse"
    • Description:

      Famous as the long-suffering wife of the philosopher Socrates.
  16. Lysistrata
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "she who disbands armies"
    • Description:

      In the Aristophenes comedy, Lysistrata is the Athenian woman who organizes her fellow wives to end war in their country by denying their husbands sex until a peace treaty is signed. Interesting thought, but rather unwieldy as a baby name.
  17. Rhidian
    • Origin:

      Welsh
    • Meaning:

      "unknown"
    • Description:

      A Welsh saint’s name, possibly deriving from the Old Welsh word for "red".
  18. Corisande
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "chorus-singer"
    • Description:

      Corisande is a very unusual, haunting choice, with the aura of medieval romance--it is found in early Spanish romantic tales, arriving in the English-speaking world in the nineteenth century.
  19. Swanhild
    • Origin:

      Saxon
    • Meaning:

      "battle swan"
    • Description:

      An ancient name belonging to "the most beautiful of all women" in Germanic mythology, whose tragic story features in many northern European legends. The daughter of Sigurd and Gudrun, her jealous husband had her murdered after she was accused of infidelity, and was then himself killed by Swanhild's brothers.
  20. Ursa
    • Origin:

      Short form of Ursula, Latin
    • Meaning:

      "little female bear"
    • Description:

      Ursa might be a good choice if you're looking for a bear name for your daughter but want to avoid the She Witch curse placed on Ursula by Disney's The Little Mermaid. Too bad, because Ursula is a classic and lovely name, but Ursa has less baggage.

Introducing the Nameberry App

Nameberry App
Find your perfect baby name together with our new mobile app.
  • Swipe through thousands of names with your partner
  • Names you match on are saved to your shared list
  • Get personalized recommendations that learn based on your and your partner's preferences
  • Partner with friends and family to find names you all love
  • Backed by Nameberry's 20 years of data around name preferences.
Sign up to be notified when the app launches and to receive a discount on full access.
Nameberry App Logo