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Rare and Uncommon Girl Names
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The names
Nora
Diminutive of Honora or Eleonora, Latin
"honor or meaning unknown"
Nora is a lovely, refined name that conjures up images of Belle Epoch ladies in fur-trimmed coats skating in Central Park. Long seen as a quintessentially Irish name though its roots are not in…
Melody
Greek
"song"
A melodious choice big in the 60s, Melody is now starting to pick up tempo again. It cracked the Top 100 for the first time ever in 2024. Melody is also the name of Ariel's equally curious and more…
River
Nature name
Most of the notable Rivers have been male, but this nature name certainly flows as well for a girl. The name River is still rising for both genders, with about 3500 baby boys receiving the name last…
Talia
Hebrew; Australian Aboriginal
"gentle dew from heaven; by the water"
Talia is derived from the Hebrew elements tal , meaning "dew," and yah , in reference to God. In the mythology of one ancient sect, Talia was one of ten angels who attended the sun on its daily…
Colette
French, short form of Nicole, feminine variation of Nicholas, Greek
"people of victory"
Like the French author with whom the name is most closely associated, Colette is a chic and charming name, sharp, stylish, and feminine but without the frills of Nicolette. After disappearing from…
Zuri
Swahili
"good, beautiful"
A Swahili name with a positive meaning, Zuri came to the attention of American parents when an Ohio zoo used it for a female giraffe. It subsequently shot up the charts in 2010, peaking in 2022 when…
Matilda
German
"battle-mighty"
Matilda is a sweet vintage name that has been gently climbing the popularity list for the past 15 years, after a half-century slumber. The spunky children's book heroine Matilda is one factor in its…
Willa
Feminine variation of William
"resolute protection"
Willa has become increasingly fashionable, with its combination of Willa (born Wilella) Cather-like pioneer strength and the graceful beauty of the willow tree. Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas are the…
Calliope
Greek mythology
"beautiful voice"
Melodic and beautiful but with a touch of sass, Calliope is the name of the muse of epic poetry — and perhaps less glamorously, the musical instrument on the merry-go-round. Bold and creative, it…
Estella
Latinate form of Estelle
"star"
Estella is a pretty Latin name, most notably associated with the character in Dickens's Great Expectations , adopted and raised to reek Miss Haversham's revenge on men. With the popularity of Stella,…
Lenora
English, contracted form of Leonora
"light"
A lovely (and uncommon) longer form for Nora, one of the most fashionable international nickname names around. Lenora fell off the US charts in the 70s, but just re-entered in 2022 as parents' love…
Nadia
Russian, Arabic
"hope; tender, delicate"
Nadia, an accessible Slavic favorite, has a strong run of popularity in the US in the early 2000s, partially thanks to the character on Lost called Nadia but actually named Noor, but it's since…
Imani
Arabic, Swahili
"faith"
Another strong Arabic name, related to Iman. Imani one is popular throughout the Muslim world but especially East Africa. It was chosen for her daughter by actress Jasmine Guy.
Selene
Greek
"moon"
Selene may be the mythological Greek original, but Latin variation Selena is used more often in the US these days. Selene is the Greek goddess of the moon, sister of Helios the sun god. Selene is…
Louisa
Latinate feminine variation of Louis
"renowned warrior"
Louisa, a quaint but strong vintage name, might feel fresher in English speaking countries than old favorite Louise, just as Diana and Julia have more energy than Diane and Julie at the moment. Part…
Soleil
French
"sun"
An attractive French word name known here via former child TV star Soleil Moon Frye, aka Punky Brewster. It started to be lightly used in the U.S. in the 1920s and is now attracting some attention as…
Elouise
Variation of Eloise, English and French
"healthy; wide"
Familiar in the UK where it has featured just outside or towards the end of the Top 1000 since the late 90s, this spelling was once a well-used option in the US too, peaking in the 1920s and 30s,…
Elowen
Cornish
"elm"
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…
Adina
Hebrew
"slender, delicate"
Name of an Old Testament soldier that's been also used as a girls' name in modern Israel. An alternate spelling is Adinah. Some mistake Adina and Adinah to be the root of Dinah, but the Biblical name…
Shona
Scottish Gaelic
"God is gracious"
Anglicized form of Seònaid, the Scottish Gaelic equivalent of Janet. It has historically been quite popular in Scotland, although it hasn't ranked in the Top 100 there since 1995. Shona is also,…
