Unusual Girl Names

Gittel

Yiddish

"good"

Still heard in some religious Jewish communities, however diminutive Gitty is more common as a given name.

Lysistrata

Greek

"she who disbands armies"

Literary and ancient, Lysistrata is the Latinized form of the Greek Lysistrate and the variation used by the ancient Greek playwright Aristophenes in his comedy of the same name. Set around the…

Amerie

Modern invented name

Pop princess Amerie is half Korean, half African-American. Her name may relate to Amelia, Emily, Emery, or Amory, though there's no exact equivalent among historical names. But doubtless there will…

Arabesque

French word name

"ballet position; ornate design"

Fanciful, edging toward bizarre.

Pascaline

Pascaline is a feminine name with French origins, derived from the male name Pascal, which comes from the Latin 'paschalis' meaning 'relating to Easter' or 'born at Passover.' The addition of the…

Hypatia

Greek

"highest, supreme"

Hypatia, an ancient Greek name, has a distinguished namesake: Hypatia of Alexandria was an early philosopher and scholar of mathematics and astronomy. Fittingly, the name derives from the Greek…

Alandria

Alandria is a feminine name that appears to be a modern creation, possibly combining elements of Alan (meaning "handsome" or "cheerful" from Celtic origins) with the feminine suffix "-dria" found in…

Amapola

Spanish

"poppy"

A rarely heard flower name, Amapola comes from the Spanish word for "poppy", in turn associating with name with remembrance and the months of August and November. Pronounced as a-ma-POH-la, with the…

Agneta

Agneta is a feminine name of Swedish origin, representing a Scandinavian form of Agnes. It derives from the Greek word 'hagnos' meaning 'pure' or 'chaste.' Particularly popular in Sweden and other…

Jerusha

Hebrew

"inheritance"

This biblical name of the mother of King Jotham of Judah has an appealing soft Russian accent.

Acantha

Greek

"thorn, prickle"

Acantha is one of the unique baby names in the stylish mythological category that also might count as a flower name. In Greek mythology, Acantha was a nymph beloved by Apollo. An unusual and…

Amidala

Italian

"beautiful flower"

An attractive enough name, but for die-hard Star Wars fans only.

Azenor

Breton form of Elinor or Helen

"light"

One way to spin grandma Helen or Ellen's name off the beaten track. The legendary Azenor was a tragic 6th century Breton princess who was mother to a saint. This personage also may be known as Senara.

Cliantha

Greek

"glory-flower"

A highly unusual flower name that could give you Clio for short.

Tribeca

American place-name

Tribeca was the term created for New York City's TRIangle BElow CAnal Street. Stangely enough--that aside--it almost does sound like a plausible girls' name , nicknamed Becca.

Ismene

Greek

"knowledgeable"

Sister of Antigone and daughter of Oedipus in Greek mythology, Ismene's name is unlikely to make it in modern times because of its teasability factor. Ismay or Esme would be better bets.

Enna

Enna is a feminine name with multiple possible origins, including as a variation of Anna (Hebrew for 'grace'), a shortened form of names like Ennaline or Marienna, or derived from the ancient city of…

Uriela

Hebrew

"God's light"

That difficult Ur- sound cancels out the feminine appeal of the rest of the name.

Abrial

French

"open, secure, protected"

This unique baby name is stronger, more distinctive than April or Avril.

Zaltana

Native American

"high mountain"

Has an evocative feel, unusual to the Western ear without being identified with any particular culture.