Unusual But Beautiful Girls' Names

The musical word name Cadence, seemed to come out of nowhere to zoom up the charts; it rose over 700 spots between 2002 and 2004, and showed up in the Top 200 in 2007. It's gone down in the popular names list since then, though. Some might see it as a feminine relative of the popular Caden. Kadence and Kaydence are also rising.

Callia is a feminine name with Greek origins, derived from 'kallos' meaning 'beauty.' It can be considered a variation of Calliope (one of the Muses in Greek mythology) or related to Calla (as in the elegant calla lily flower). The name has a delicate, flowing quality with its soft sounds and lyrical rhythm. While not among the most common names, Callia has seen increased interest in recent decades as parents seek names that are both classical and distinctive. The name conveys elegance and grace while remaining accessible and easy to pronounce. Its botanical associations also appeal to those drawn to nature-inspired names, giving Callia a fresh, timeless quality.

Caralie is a feminine name with French influences, possibly derived from combining 'cara' (dear or beloved in Latin) with the French suffix '-lie.' The name has a graceful, melodic quality with its three flowing syllables. Caralie projects warmth and charm while maintaining a distinctive character that sets it apart from more common names like Caroline or Rosalie. Though never reaching widespread popularity, Caralie has maintained a quiet presence in naming records since the early 20th century, particularly in North America and France. The name offers versatility with potential nicknames like Cara or Cari, giving it both formal elegance and casual approachability.

Ciara is very popular in Ireland, more familiar here as the Anglicized Kiera or Keira. The uninitiated will tend to pronounce Ciara as the Italian Chiara, a form of Claire—kee-AHR-a or even see-AHR-a, like the American singer-songwriter Ciara. In the US, Ciara peaked in 2005, when it was the Number 150 name; it's since fallen down to Number 882.

The lyrical and melodious Elodie, a Nameberry favorite, is starting to rise through the US popularity charts for the first time since the 1880s. It's a uncommon member of the trending El- family of names, which includes Ella, Eloise, and Eleanor.

A beautiful modern Cornish nature name that is rapidly picking up steam in the States: even spawning variant spellings like Elowyn and Elowynn. In its native region, it wasn't widely used as a name before the twentieth century, when the Cornish language was revived. A (currently) unique member of the fashionble El- family of names, it has a pleasant, evocative sound.

St. Kateri Teckakwitha is the first Native American saint, canonized in 2012. St. Kateri was the daughter of a Mohawk warrior, born in 1656 in upstate New York. She converted to Christianity at age 20 and died at 24, and was known as "Lily of the Mohawk." Kateri was the name the saint took on, a native variation of Katherine, upon her baptism.

This lively Old Testament nature name (belonging to one of the three beautiful daughters of Job) may be missing from the current US Top 1000 list, but it ranks highly here on Nameberry — making it one to watch!

Before the young Irish actress Saoirse Ronan made her mark in the films Ladybird and The Lovely Bones, few of us had heard this name, let alone known how to pronounce it. But now it is slowly way edging its way into the mainstream, particularly, of course, with parents who have Irish roots. It made its first appearance in the US Top 1000 in 2016, when it was the third-fastest-rising girls' name.