Unusual girl names

Rhianon

Rhianon is a feminine name of Welsh origin, a variant spelling of the more common Rhiannon. The name derives from the Celtic Rigantona, meaning 'great queen' or 'divine queen.' In Welsh mythology,…

Ronja

Swedish literary name

Pippi Longstocking author Astrid Lindgren invented the name Ronja for her book Ronja, the Robber's Daughter . She was inspired by the lake Juronjaure, located in Norrbotten, Sweden. Lindgren's…

Sansa

Sanskrit

"praise, charm"

Game of Thrones author George R. R. Martin is a master namer, and this unusual choice from India is beginning to be heard in nurseries as well as on television. Sansa was perhaps slower to catch on…

Sanya

Diminutive of Aleksandra, Russian from Greek

"defending men"

An alternative to Sasha, another common Russian nickname for Aleksandra.

Saskia

Dutch

"Saxon"

From the first time we saw the name Saskia attached to a portrait of Rembrandt's wife (her full name was Saakje van Uylenburgh, but she was always called Saskia), we have found it utterly charming…

Sian

Welsh variation of Jane

"God is gracious"

Simple and pretty and user-friendly, the Welsh Sian was used by U2's Dave "the Edge" Evans for his daughter. In Welsh, it is also spelled Siân.

Tamara

Hebrew

"date palm tree"

Adding a final a to Tamar lends it a more sensual Slavic tone, making it a more popular choice than the original.

Tatiana

Russian, from Latin family name Tatius, meaning unknown

Classic yet spritely, Tatiana has long been familiar and popular in Russia and Eastern Europe, though it wasn't until the 80s that it caught on in the English-speaking world. With short forms Tiana,…

Thekla

Greek

"fame of God"

Deriving from the ancient Greek name, Theokleia, Thekla is a contracted form that appears in the New Testament. According to the Acts of Paul, Thekla (or Thecla) is a 1st century saint and the first…

Thomasina

English, feminine variation of Thomas, Aramaic

"twin"

Though rarely used now that many parents would rather appropriate men's names than sweeten them with feminine endings, Thomasina does have some vintage appeal. Thomasina Coverly plays a large part in…

Tosca

Italian

"from Tuscany"

Tosca is one operatic heroine that has never taken off as a baby name -- there were no babies named Tosca in the US last year -- but it's the name of entrepreneur Elon Musk's sister so may benefit…

Ursula

Latin

"little female bear"

A saint's name with a noteworthy literary background, including uses by Shakespeare in Two Gentlemen of Verona and Much Ado About Nothing , by Ben Johnson, Walter Scott, Longfellow, D. H. Lawrence…

Zandra

Variation of Sandra and Alexandra

"defending men"

A name that is rarely heard and might be worth considering as a way of zipping up a namesake Sandra. It has long been associated with iconoclastic British fashion designer Zandra Rhodes. Zandra did…

Zorya

Slavic

"star"

Zorya is the name of the two star goddess in Slavic mythology, Zorya Utrennyaya and Zorya Vechernyaya, referring to the morning and evening stars, respectively. It's used as a name in Russia and…

Edwina

Feminine variation of Edwin, English

"wealthy friend"

Edwina may still be taking tea in the parlor, but we can see her joining friends like Matilda and Josephine for a comeback, especially if pronounced like Edwin rather than Edween. She had a very…