User-created list
Unusual and Fancy Names for Girls
Across 8 pages
of 8
Ivana
Feminine variation of Ivan
A rarely used Slavic name until the Czech-born ex-Mrs. Trump took it over the top. Daughter's name Ivanka adds a dollop of charm.
Ivette
French variation of Yvette
Feels more modern than the Y version but also less authentic.
Jacaranda
Spanish, Portuguese, Tupi-Guarani flower name
"fragrant"
Distinctive and charming nature name that blends elements of Jacqueline and Amanda.
Kassiani
Greek
"cinnamon"
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…
Laetitia
Latin
"gladness, happiness"
Laetitia adds a layer of ancient patina to the more prosaic LETITIA.
Larkin
Irish
"rough, fierce"
While Larkin takes this name from bird to surname, there are actually more female Larkins these days than male, and it's a name that works as well for either gender. It has the literary connection to…
Lavender
English color and flower name
"purple flower"
Lavender lags far behind sweet-smelling purple-hued sister names Violet and Lila, but is starting to get some enthusiastic attention from cutting-edge namers along with other adventurous nature names…
Leocadia
Spanish
"splendid brightness"
Leocadia marries a mix of sounds: the strength of a lion, with a rhythmic Latin ending. St. Leocadia was an early martyred Spanish saint, and "La Leocadia" is a famous Goya painting of Leocadia…
Leopoldine
French feminine version of Leopold
"brave people"
A sophisticated girls' name for those attracted to Leona, Leonie and Leonore.
Lilavati
Sanskrit
A lovely name with a lovely meaning ("amusing, charming, graceful" in Sanskrit), Lilavati is a rare Indian name with a handful of historical namesakes. Notable bearers include the daughter of great…
Lovelace
English surname
"outlaw"
What better namesake for a baby girl than Ada Lovelace (or, to use her full title: Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace), the brilliant 19th-century writer, mathematician and early computer…
Ludovica
Italian, feminine variation of Ludovic
"famous in war"
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…
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…
Melisande
French form of Millicent, German
"strong in work"
This old-time fairy tale name is rarely heard in the modern English-speaking world, but it's so, well, mellifluous, that it would make a lovely choice for a twenty-first century girl--a romanticized…
Mignonette
Form of Mignon, French
"delicate, dainty"
Mignonette is kind of a diminutive of a diminutive. Mignon is the French word for cute, so Mignonette is more or less cutie.
Narcissa
Greek
"daffodil"
This Greek flower and mythological choice doesn't make it into the pantheon of possibilities because of its association with narcissism. But narcissa is December's flower of the month, so Narcissa…
Nita
Hindi, Hebrew, and Choctaw
"friendly, to plant, and bear"
One of those slender names, like Lena or Etta, that's used in several cultures and carries a range of meanings. But by being so many things, it doesn't feel decidedly like anything.
Novella
Novella is a feminine name with Latin and Italian roots, derived from 'novus' meaning 'new' or 'young.' Beyond its literal meaning, Novella carries literary associations as it refers to a short prose…
Odelia
Hebrew, German
"I will praise the Lord or wealth"
Pretty Hebrew name that would create a strong but feminine impression, as well as a variant of the Germanic name Odilia or Ottilie.
Orinthia
Latin
"to excite, to stir the mind"
A pretty, feminissima name, more distinctive than Cynthia. George Bernard Shaw used it for a character in his play The Apple Cart, about which it is said 'Orinthia is a name full of magic for me.'