My Favourite and Unusual Girls' Names

Luna

Latin

"moon"

The name of the Roman goddess of the moon, Luna is derived straight from the Latin word for moon, luna. Luna may be the name most likely to surprise someone from an older generation by its Top 10…

Ivy

Botanical name

The quirky, offbeat and energetic botanical name Ivy is enjoying a deserved revival, propelled even higher by its choice by high-profile parents Beyonce and Jay-Z for daughter Blue Ivy. Ivy is also…

Arabella

Latin, Scottish

"yielding to prayer; lovable"

Arabella, lovely and elegant, has long been well used in Britain and finally made it onto the American list in 2005. A Top 50 choice in the UK, in the US in remains in the Top 300, given to around…

Luella

Spelling variation of Louella

"battle famous fairy maiden"

Luella is a sleeker spelling variant of the girls' name Louella and is now more popular than the original. Sweet, but lively, it was a popular name in the the early 19th century, but fell out of…

Cordelia

Latin; Celtic

"heart; daughter of the sea"

Cordelia is exactly the kind of old-fashioned, grown-up name for girls that many parents are seeking for their daughters today. The name of King Lear's one sympathetic daughter, Cordelia has both…

Aliki

Greek, from German

"noble"

This sunny Greek form of Alice with the trendy -i ending could be a great choice for parents looking for a unique and stylish way to get to the nickname Allie. Aliki is sometimes associated with the…

Hermione

Feminine version of Hermes, Greek

"messenger, earthly"

Hermione's costarring role in Harry Potter has made this previously ignored, once stodgy name suddenly viable. Hermione could really take off once today's children start having kids of their own. In…

Mali

Welsh form of Molly or Thai

"jasmine flower"

Seems unfamiliar, till you realize everyone will just hear it as Molly. In Wales, Mali is a Top 100 name.

Orla

Irish

"golden princess"

Orla is an Irish name closely associated with the high king Brian Boru, as it was the name of his sister, daughter and niece. It was very popular in the Middle Ages – the fourth most popular name in…

Ravenna

Italian place-name

Ravenna is a lovely, untouristed Italian place-name just waiting to be discovered. Renowned for its fantastic Byzantine mosaics, it's a city that has a rich historic and artistic heritage. Part of…