Unusual Names/Spellings That Rock

In music, the term allegro means "quickly, lively tempo," which makes this quintessential Bohemian ballet dancer's name all the more appealing. Allegra is one of the most distinctive yet accessible girl names starting with A.

Amadeo and Amedeo are both valid Italian forms of the Roman Amadeus, most famous as the middle name of the composer Mozart as well as the title of a movie about him. Mozart's name was actually the Greek Theophilus, but he transformed it to the Latin version. Amadeo is also used in Spain, where it was the name of a 19th century king who was born in Italy.

Cassio is a notable Shakespearean name that's a member of the ever-more-popular Cassius family of names. Cassio was Othello's young, good-looking, and flirtatious lieutenant.

How can a strong simple name like Cera remain so uncommon? Only five baby girls were named Cera in the US last year.

Too many Connors in your neighborhood? This name--spelled with one 'l' or two--is equally authentic and much more unusual.

Lorcan is a name rich in Irish history as belonging to several kings, including the grandfather of the most famous high king of Ireland, Brian Boru. Lorcan O'Toole, known in English as Laurence O'Toole, is the patron saint of Dublin, so it's not too surprising that Irish-born actor Peter O'Toole named his son Lorcan.

This name owes its present life to actress Sorvino. Mira and Mirra have an arty aura.

Apt name for a little drama queen with a long future ahead of her. Saga is a Top 30 girls' name in Sweden.

This early Scottish title -- known to us via Shakespeare's Macbeth -- has recently surfaced as a baby name possibility, familiar sounding through its similarity to names like Zane and Wayne.