Unusual and cool names (some not so unusual)

Abyssinia is the ancient name of the Ethiopian Empire, no longer found on any map but with a possible future as a melodic girls' name in the ever-expanding place-name category. Among African names for girls, this one is undiscovered.

A hyperkinetic name, might be more kid-friendly without the second a.

Perfect name for a Virgo or an Aries baby. It is also the name of a character in the fantasy Belgariad series.

Adira is one of those rare names that's both little-used and simple, and crosses languages easily. Pronounced ah-DEER-ah, Adira is given to only a handful of girls in the US each year and could make a worthy substitute for such overexposed favorites as Ava and Ariana.

Alexander has been in a Top 25 boys' name in the US for 30 years now. But namers are still attracted to its imposing historic pedigree.

Also seen as Alyenor and Eleonore, this is an old French name dating back to the Arthurian romances and still heard today.

A common Middle Eastern name, the general title for an elevated official. Amir has rising in use since the late 70s, and is now in the Top 200. The feminine variation Amira is also on the rise. Amir is in the Top 100 in France, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Belgium. The widespread popularity of the name Amir around the world has led to a large number of notable Amirs in history and present. The name Amir was chosen for his son by actor Omar Epps. Amir is also the name of the young narrator and protagonist in the award-winning novel Kite Runner.

Quirky cool Arlo is now well and truly back. Last year it broke into the US Top 200 boy names and consistently ranks among the most popular boy names on Nameberry.

Subtract the last two letters of Arnold, and you're left with a much more modern-sounding name. Arno is also the name of the main river in Florence, upon which sits the famed Ponte Vecchio. The Italian river name means "flowing water".