One-of-a-Kind Names for Girls
Updated Tue Jan 30 2024
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Rare girl names that nobody (literally!) in the US include the following, all ranking below the five-baby cutoff necessary to make the Social Security extended list.
Among the coolest rare girl names are vintage gems such as Leocadia, Ottoline, Effia, and Zephyrine. Other literally unique girl names include hot international choices Madelief, Lowri, and Petronilla, and nature names Freesia, Quarry, and Plum.
Among these one-of-a-kind girl names are many classic choices as well as new and unusual name ideas.
If you want a truly rare name for your baby girl, here are our suggestions, ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.
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- Whimsy
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
"whimsical or fanciful"Description:
Whimsy is a new entry to the ever-expanding word name lexicon, sister for Pixie and Bliss. While it has an undeniable offbeat English aristocratic charm (maybe we're thinking of Dorothy Sayers' fictional detective Lord Peter Wimsey, whose middle name was Death?), we see this as more fitting for a middle than a first name.
- Ianthe
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"purple flower"Description:
Like Violet, Lavender and Lilac, Ianthe is a purple flower name. Chosen by the poet Shelley for his daughter, Ianthe has a poetic, romantic, almost ethereal quality. In the ancient myth, she was the daughter of Oceanus, supreme ruler of the sea, and also a Cretan woman so beautiful that when she died the Gods made purple flowers grow around her grave.
- Alouette
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"lark"Description:
Alouette is a sweet Gallic twist in the stylish bird name genre made familiar via the charming French children's song, Alouette, gentile alouette.
- Desdemona
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"ill-starred"Description:
Desdemona is as Shakespearean as a name can be, but because the beautiful and innocent wife of Othello came to such a tragic end, her name has been avoided for centuries. But at this point in time, there might be some adventurous parents willing to overlook that.
- Delphi
Origin:
Greek place nameDescription:
An interesting unisex possibility, with an air of mystery connected to the Delphic Oracle, the most important oracle in ancient Greece; it was also a major site for the worship of the god Apollo.
- Zephyrine
Origin:
Feminine variation of Zephyr, GreekMeaning:
"west wind"Description:
Zephyr may not be a name often heard in the U.S., but its variations are used throughout Europe. Zephyrine, a cousin in sound and feel if not in fact to such lovely names as Severine and Seraphina, has distinctive possibilities.
- Bluebell
Origin:
Flower name from EnglishMeaning:
"blue bell"Description:
Bluebell is one flower name that is used very quietly. Geri "Ginger Spice" Halliwell joined her former Spice Sisters in creative baby-naming with this adventurous -- some might say outlandish -- choice. Distinctive and charming? Or better suited to a farmyard animal? Your call.
- Cerelia
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"relating to springtime"Description:
Cerelia is a melodic and unusual choice, perfect for a child born in April or May. Another version is Cerella.
- Eithne
Origin:
GaelicMeaning:
"nut kernel"Description:
Pretty and soulful name of a goddess from Irish mythology and several Irish saints. Singer Enya, born Eithne Ní Bhraonáin, has made the Anglicized spelling familiar. Eithne comes from the vocabulary word "kernel", which was used as a term of praise in old bardic poetry.
- Nephele
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"cloudy"Description:
An enchanting ancient Greek name belonging to the Greek goddess who was created from a cloud by Zeus and so became goddess of the clouds and mother of the centaurs. The name Nephele is not widely known but as among modern parents become used to Phoebe, Penelope, and Persephone, it may become one of the ancient Greek goddess names that's back in the mix.
- Endellion
Origin:
Cornish place and saint's nameDescription:
Endellion is the name of an early saint who was a daughter of King Brychan and goddaughter of King Arthur whose life is commemorated by the Cornish village of St. Endellion. This intriguing ancient name was brought into modern usage by British Prime Minister David Cameron, who used it as one of the middle names for his fourth child, a baby girl.
- Sidonie
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"from Sidon "Description:
Sidonie is an appealing and chic French favorite that is starting to attract some American fans as a fresher alternative to Sydney. Also spelled Sidony, Sidonie was the birth name of the French novelist Colette.
- Acantha
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"thorn, prickle"Description:
Acantha is one of the unique baby names in the stylish mythological category that also might count as a flower name. In Greek mythology, Acantha was a nymph beloved by Apollo. An unusual and attractive choice that could make a creative way to honor a grandma Rose.
- Aphra
Origin:
Hebrew, variation of AphrahMeaning:
"dust"Description:
Aphra would make an interesting choice-- especially since it's the name of the first professional female writer in English, the seventeenth century's Aphra Behn. Born in 1640, she was a prolific dramatist of the English Restoration, and a spy.
- Thalassa
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"the sea"Description:
A pretty, rarely used Greek name, Thalassa is the ancient personification of the sea, particularly the Mediterranean, who is sometimes considered the mother of Aphrodite. In 1991, a newly discovered moon of Neptune was dubbed Thalassa.
- Eluned
Origin:
WelshMeaning:
"idol, image"Description:
Romantic and mysterious, Eluned's beauty and intelligence were legendary in Welsh legend; she was the handmaiden of the Lady of the Fountain in a Welsh Arthurian romance, who had a magic ring that made the wearer invisible. Pronunciation is usually similar in emphasis to Eleanor, but with ned instead of nor at the end. However, it's sometimes also pronounced el-LIN-ed or even shortened to Luned, the sounce of Lynette, in Tennyson's Gareth and Lynette.
- Anemone
Origin:
Flower name; GreekMeaning:
"daughter of the wind"Description:
Anemone is a floral name that relates to the ancient Greek myth of the famous love story of Aphrodite and Adonis, in which Aphrodite transforms her wounded lover's blood into a flower, the crimson anemone, whose blossoms are opened by the wind — accounting for its other name, windflower.
- Kerensa
Origin:
CornishMeaning:
"love"Description:
Kerensa, forever romantic, is a rare Cornish name spelled with an 's' or 'z', the most modern of the Karen family. Kerensa (or Kerenza) has ties to the Welsh Cerys.
- Cia
Origin:
Diminutive of CynthiaDescription:
What's Cia short for? Cynthia or most any other C-name. Stylish in its sleek Mia-Nia minimalist feel, but may remind some of the Central Intelligence Agency.
- Ottoline
Origin:
French and English, diminutive of OttolieMeaning:
"prospers in battle"Description:
Curiously appealing, in a hoop-skirted, wasp-waisted way, Ottoline has recently entered the realm of modern possibility, especially since Sienna Miller chose it as the middle name of her daughter Marlowe.