Unusual and Unique Girls Names

Anaya

Arabic, Hebrew

"care, concern; Yahweh has answered"

Following in the footsteps of Leila and Aaliyah, Anaya is a gentle but sparky name that's been climbing the US and UK charts since the early 2000s. Given to around 900 American babies in a recent…

Maja

German, Slovene, and Scandinavian form of Maya; also, Arabic

"splendid"

Whether you pronounce it my-a, ma-zha or ma-ha, Maja is an intriguing choice. Sometimes associated with Goya's famous painting "The Naked Maja." As a cognate of Maya, it's a Top 10 name in Slovenia…

Zene

Zene is a concise, uncommon feminine name with multiple potential origins. It may derive from Greek roots relating to 'xenos' (stranger or foreigner) or have connections to Hungarian, where it…

Xenia

Greek

"hospitable, welcoming, guest"

The name of a Christian saint and a city in Ohio, Xenia is one of the more accessible and intriguing x names. It is the name of one of the Bond Girls--played by Famke Janssen in the film "GoldenEye."…

Anja

Scandinavian; Finnish; Slovene; Croatian; Serbian, from Russian

"grace"

Anja is one of the most international of several versions of Ann/Anna now being imported, also including Anya and Annika. Anja is heard in several European cultures, including Germany, the…

Kaja

Scandinavian diminutive of Katarina, Polish variation of Gaia or Estonian

"pure; earth mother; rejoice; echo"

Short, sharp, and pretty, Kaja is an international choice with multiple origins. Favored in Slovenia, Norway, and Poland, the similar Kaia is currently popular more widely. Most often used as a…