User-created list
Unusual Girl Names
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Marjolaine
French
"marjoram"
A French botanical word name, Marjolaine translates to "marjoram". A minty herb that can be used in cooking, it has also been considered medicinal and was used as an antiseptic by the Greek…
Iphigenia
Greek
"of royal birth"
In mythology, Iphigenia was sacrificed by her father, Agamemnon -- a difficult legacy to pass on to a daughter, and only one reason the name is hardly ever used.
Griselda
German
"grey battle"
Griselda is a famous folklore figure, noted for her patience and obedience. Her story has been told by Petrarch, Chaucer, Boccaccio and set to music by Scarlatti, Vivaldi and Massenet. In the most…
Perdita
Latin
"lost"
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…
Aravis
Literary name and place-name
Aravis was the name of a female character in C.S. Lewis's A Horse and His Boy , and is also the name of a mountain range in southern France. With the rise of Ava, Avery, and indeed seemingly all…
Ambrosia
Latin, feminine form of Ambrose
"Immortal"
Ambrosia combines some of the more whimsical qualities of more popular Aurora and Isabella, with a heavenly meaning. In Greek mythology, Ambrosia was not a goddess or other figure but literally the…
Tanwen
Welsh
"holy fire"
Tanwen is a far more singular and colorful alternative to Bronwen.
Praxis
Greek
"practical"
Praxis makes perfect? Though this mythological name sounds boyish, it's a female name, an equivalent for Aphrodite.
Ligeia
Greek
"clear-voiced, whistling"
One of the Sirens in Greek mythology, Ligeia was also the title character in an Edgar Allan Poe story. The mythological Ligeia was half-bird, half-woman. Spelling may also be Lygeia or Ligia.
Zelenka
Czech
"green"
A Czech surname derived from the word for "green", which has a certain spark.
Dasha
Diminutive of Dariya or Darya, Russian
"possessing goodness"
An energetic — dare we say dashing — Russian diminutive of Darya that hasn't caught on in the same way as Sasha has in the English speaking world. Singer Dasha (born Anna Dasha Novotny) , actress,…
Zuzela
Native American, meaning unknown
This attracitve Sioux name belonged to one of Sitting Bull's many wives.
Bronte
Greek
"thunder"
This lovely surname of the three novel-writing sisters, now used as a baby name, makes a fitting tribute for lovers of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights . While the original name took an umlaut over…
Lourdes
Spanish, Portuguese, from French, meaning unknown
This name of the French town where a young peasant girl had a vision of the Virgin Mary in 1858 vaulted into the spotlight when Madonna chose it for her daughter, but few other families except for…
Septima
Latin
"seventh"
Name for a seventh child, back when people had them.
Verina
Latin
"true"
More often spelled VERENA, this name is attached to a third century Swiss saint. But the "virtue" name VERITY, is more appealing and comes more directly to the point.
Sojourner
French, English
"to stay a while"
African-American and women's rights activist Sojourner Truth was born as Isabelle into enslavement. She adopted her new name when she began traveling and preaching abolition in 1843. Sojourner is a…
Maura
Anglicized variation of Maire, Finnish, Irish variation of Mary"sweet; drop of the sea, bitter"
"sweet; drop of the sea, bitter"
Somber, almost mournful name that still has a lovely sound. Neither really in nor out, Maura has played around at the lower half of the Top 1000 since the late 1940s. It might make one of those…
Amandine
French, diminutive of Amanda
"much-loved"
This fragrant, almond-scented name has hardly been heard in this country, which is a pity--we've loved it since John Malkovich used it for his now grown daughter. A French diminutive of Amanda, it…
Alandra
Alandra is a feminine name with multiple possible origins. It may be a feminine form of Alexander, meaning 'defender of mankind,' a variation of the Greek name Leandra, meaning 'lion woman,' or a…