Unique Girl Names with Meanings | The 500 Rarest Names for Your Baby

I’ve deciphered lots of data to find the most unique girl names!

All the super-rare names on this list were given to 100 or fewer baby girls last year! That means they’re very unique and you’re unlikely to meet anyone with that name in your lifetime! Especially in the same age range.

First, we’ll go through the top unique baby names and meanings. Then, we’ll learn about cool and strong unusual girl names.

And finally, I’ve put together a gigantic list of all the names!

Rare Baby Girl Names (463 Unique Ideas No One is Using)

Unique Baby Girl names with meanings

Agnes

Agnes is a fairly popular name during the Middle Ages because of Saint Agnes who was believed to survive persecutions and being thrown into fire because of her prayers. Agnes means chaste and is now considered a rare girl’s name.

Alaya

The gorgeous and rare girl’s name Alaya means “sublime” in Arabic.

Ambrielle

Ambrielle, a very unique girl’s name, may be a blend of Amber and Brielle, or it could be a feminine form of Ambriel. In Jewish and Christian mythology, Ambriel is an angel associated with Gemini and the month of May, and warding off evil.

Andromeda

The name Andromeda comes from an Ethiopian princess in Greek mythology. It’s also the name of a constellation and a galaxy.

Related post: Science baby names

Aoife

Aoife, pronounced ee-fah, means “beauty” in Irish. According to Irish legend, Aoife was a warrior princess.

Astoria

Astoria, the feminine version of Astor, means “hawk.”

Avella

Avella may come from the Breton word avel, which means wind.

Berenice

This vintage name is another form of the more recognizable name Veronica. Bernice means the bringer of victory and this was used as a girl’s name until the 1980s.

Bertha

Bertha means bright and famous. It was popular during the late Victorian period, but is now considered a unique name.

Beulah

Beulah is a Hebrew name that means married. It used to be a popular name in the early 1900s but is now unheard of, and will definitely make for a great unique and mysterious name idea.

Blanche

If you say the name Blanche, you’d probably recall one of the main characters in the classic TV series The Golden Girls. It is from a French nickname that means white or fair.

Brenda

Brenda is a feminine form of the names Brendan and Old Norse name Brandr meaning fire, torch and sword. Brenda was a fairly popular name until the 2010s, but is now rare.

Bronwyn

Many Welsh names like Bronwyn sound totally unique and intriguing!

Carlotta

Carlotta, the Italian form of Charlotte, means warrior.

Cassiopeia

The Greek name Cassiopeia comes from a legend where Andromeda’s mother was changed into a constellation.

Cersei

Cersei comes from the Greek word for “hawk.” It’s probably related to Circe, a mythological sorceress famous for turning Odysseous’s men into pigs.

Cindy

Cindy is a shorter form of the Greek name Cynthia meaning woman from Cynthus and Lucinda meaning light. Like Brenda, this name was common recently but has been given to fewer than 100 girls in the last 5 years.

Crystal

Crystal is traced to the Greek word krystallos meaning ice. The use of the name has been declining and could become rarer in the next few years.

Demetria

Another Greek name, Demetria comes from the name of the earth goddess, Demeter.

Druscilla

Druscilla comes from the Celtic word for “strong.”

Edna

The unique girl’s name Edna means “pleasure” in Hebrew.

Evita

This name is a form of Eve, which means “to live.”

Flossie

Flossie may be a nickname for Florence which means prosperous. The name is uncommon today.

Gayle

Gayle is a shorter form of the name Abigail which means joy of a father. This was fairly popular throughout the 1930s until the late 1970s.

Hermione

Hermione comes from the Greek messenger god, Hermes.

Ida

Ida is possibly from the German word that means work. It retains its popularity as a girl’s name in countries Poland, Denmark and Norway. However, Ida is seldom used in the US and has been considered rare since the 1980s.

Ignacia

This rare feminine form of Ignatius makes a gorgeous name!

Ines

Ines is the Spanish form of the name Agnes and means chaste. It has not been in the baby name charts since the early 1930s.

Iva

Iva means willow tree in Slavic and can also be another form of more common names Ivana and Ivy. It was a prominent name in the late Victorian era.

Katrina

Katrina is traced to Katherine meaning “pure”. Its popularity among girls’ names quickly declined after the devastating Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Kerenza

The melodic name Kerenza means “love” in Cornish.

Liviana

If you love the name Olivia but are looking for something more uncommon, Liviana may be for you!

Lovisa

Did you know Lovisa is the Swedish form of Louis? It means “famous battle.”

Magda

Magda is one of the rarest girl names in the US. It comes from the name Magdalene, which means “tower.”

Mona

This vintage name was popularized by Leonardo da Vinci’s painting Mona Lisa. It bears a couple of meanings including “noble little one” and “lady”. Apart from its rarity nowadays, Mona can also be a good base for double-barrel name ideas such as Mona Jean or Mona Leigh.

Pauline

Pauline is a French and feminine form of Paulinus meaning small or humble. Pauline remains a common name for girls in France and Belgium, but is rarely given as a girl’s name in the US.

Rhoda

This old-fashioned name means rose. Rhoda was common during the Victorian era, making it a great vintage name idea.

Sedona

Sedona is a city in Arizona. It got its name from Sedona Arabella Schnebly, the wife of the first postmaster in the town. Her name may have been invented. Or it could be a variation of Sidonia or Sidony.

Terra

In Latin, Terra means “earth.” And Tara comes from the Gaelic word meaning “elevated place.”

Zariella

Our final unique girl’s name, Zariella, is of unknown origin. It feels similar to Sara, Ariel, and Ella. But the Z at the beginning makes it a one-of-a-kind!

Related post: Coolest Names in the World!

Cool Rare Names For Girls

Adria

This short, cool version of Adriana means “from Hadria” or “from Adria,” which are two towns in northern and central Italy. They also share their name with the Adriatic Sea. I do feel that Adria invokes a pleasant Mediterranean vibe while still sounding normal and being totally unique! What a perfect combination!

Ala

This short and sweet name could be short for Alice and mean “noble.” Ala is also a boy’s name in Arabic and means “excellence,” and “elevation.”

Ambrose

Although Ambrose is traditionally a boy’s name, it makes a wonderful, cool, rare name for girls. It comes from the Latin word for “immortal.”

Bethel

I love this unique version of Elizabeth! Like Elizabeth, Bethel comes from the Bible and means “house of God” in Hebrew. In this town north of Jerusalem, Jacob had a vision of a stairway.

Carmina

A modern, hip take on Carmen, Carmina is used in Italian and Spanish-speaking countries. This name comes from the Hebrew word for “garden,” and carmen also means “song” in Latin.

Cipriana

Italian names like Cipriana often sound cool and foreign to English-speakers. And this one is very unique too! It comes from a Roman family name that means “from the island of Cyprus.”

Cosette

This rare French name means “little thing.” You may know it from Les Miserables too.

Darcy

Darcy is a gender-neutral name although it was more popular as a girl’s name some time in the 1950s to 1990s. Darcy is now considered a unique and rare name.

Delphine

Delphine is another place name, meaning “of Delphi.” In ancient Greece, oracles gave their prophecies at Delphi.

Effie

This shortened form of the name Euphemia is gaining popularity in the UK. However, it has not been used in the US since 1960 and still remains as an obsolete name for Americans.

Eula

Eula is the diminutive form of Eulalia meaning sweetly-speaking. It was a favorite during the late Victorian era but has been rarely used since the 1960s. This short but sweet sounding name will make a baby girl stand out.

Fanny

Fanny can be a short form of the names Frances, Francoise or Stephanie. The use of the name quickly declined in the mid 1940s when the same word was used as a derogatory slang.

Fleur

Fleur is French for “flower.” Although it is unique, it sounds classic and has a nature theme.

Graciella

This more elaborate form of Gracia used to be common in Spain, but now has fallen out of use there. It means “grace.”

Irena

Take the classic name Irene and change the ending to an -a. You now have Irena, a well-known but little used name common in the Slovak region. It means “peace.”

Janet

Janet is a medieval diminutive form of the more common name Jane. Janet was popular around the 1930s to the 1960s. Its use has declined since.

Janice

Janice was coined by Paul Leicester Ford for the main character of his novel Janice Meredith in 1899. The success of the novel also made Janice a favorite name choice for girls. Its popularity peaked around the 1940s to late 60s. In recent years, Janice has been given to fewer than 100 babies each year and is now considered rare.

Jolina

This elaboration of Jolene or Joan, which means “God is gracious.” And in French, “jolie” means “beautiful.”

Kieran

Kieran sounds similar to popular names like Kira or Karen, but actually comes from the Irish boy’s name Ciaran. It’s becoming popular for boys in the US but makes a wonderful, uncommon girls name too!

Related post: How to choose a middle name

Kristina

Kristina was a fairly common name in the 1980s and then slowly faded away. In the most recent years, it has not been used as a name for more than 100 girls per year.

Laurana

Laurana is an elaborate form of the name Laura, which means “laurel” or “crowned with laurels.”

Lindsay

Lindsay is a gender-neutral name but maybe because of its similarities to other feminine names like Linda, it became more popular as a girl’s name in the US. Lindsay was a favorite name choice in the 1980s but is now uncommon.

Lucinda

Lucinda was first used in the famous novel Don Quixote in 1605. Author Cervantes coined Lucinda from Lucia for his novel. The name has been rarely used since the 1980s.

Lula

Lula is possibly a nickname or a shorter form for names that have “lu” sounds in it such as Louise, Luella and Lucinda. The name is no longer used nowadays.

Mamie

Possibly a coined endearment or nickname for Mary, Margaret and other similar sounding names. Before the end of the 1960s, Mamie had not been used as a girl’s name.

Marge

Marge is another shorter version of Margaret or Margareeta. It was occasionally used around 1900 to 1950, making it a unique name choice for girls.

Marietta

This beautiful and uncommon name comes from Mary, Marie, and Maria, which means “beloved.”

Mattie

Mattie is possibly a nickname or a shorter form for Matilda meaning strength in battle. It was fairly popular at the start of the 20th century but has faded since.

Meridian

The unisex name Meridian comes from a Latin word that means “of middday, of noon, southerly.” This would make a wonderful name for any girl, but especially one born in the summer or middle of the day!

Nettie

People were very fond of giving shorter and more endearing forms of names to children in the early 1900s. Nettie is possibly coined from names that end in -nette such as Annette, Jeanette and Bernadeth. The name was used until the end of the 1950s.

Noriella

Noriella might be a variation or combination of Nora and Ella. This gorgeous name means “honor.”

Olivette

Do you love the name Olivia, but want something less common? Olivette is a French form that is very unique!

Ollie

Ollie is most possibly a shorter form of names Olive and Olivia. It was fairly common in the late Victorian period but is no longer used as a girl’s name nowadays.

Orianna

The name Orianna may come from the Latin word for gold. In medieval legend, Orianna was the daughter of a king of England.

Patricia

Patricia has a long history of being among the top 10 baby girl names in the US from the 1930s up to the mid-1960s. Its use has slowly declined over the years, and although it is not entirely unfamiliar, Patricia has been given to fewer than 100 baby girls each year in the past four years.

Ravenna

The unique girl’s name Ravenna may be a variation on the name Raven, or it could come from the name of the city Ravenna in Italy.

Roma

Roma also shares its name with a city in Italy- Rome. I love this easy to pronounce, short and sweet name, and the fact that it’s very rare makes it even more appealing!

Sabriel

You may be familiar with the name Sabriel from the heroine in Garth Nix’s 1995 fantasy novel also called Sabriel. While it’s very unique, it feels familiar since it sounds similar to Gabriel.

Sandra

Sandra was a favorite name choice in the 1940s to the 1960s partly thanks to the then famous actress Sandra Dee. Though it is still a familiar girl’s name, its popularity has declined over the years.

Sharon

The name Sharon peaked in popularity in the 1940s and sustained being in the top 20 name choice for girls for two decades. However, this classic name was seldom used in recent years and is now considered dated.

Sheila

Sheila is coined from the Latin name Cecilia. Although still a recognizable name, Sheila has been given to fewer than 100 girls each year since 2008, and may be considered a unique girl’s name at the present.

Stacy

Did you know that Stacy is a gender-neutral name? It may be a shorter form for Anastasia or Eustace. Apparently, Stacy is more common as a feminine name and was fairly popular in the 1950s. This modern-sounding name has declined in use since the 2000s, and is now rare.

Tamara

This classic and unique name has such a strong impression on me. It is short, simple and you can easily coin nicknames or endearments like Ara, Mara and Tammy. Tamara is a Russian name which refers to date palm trees. This was moderately popular in the 1960s and 1970s.

Tansy

This rare name comes from the tansy flower.

Twyla

The unique name Twyla could come from the word twilight, or the French word etoile, which means “star.”

Uma

While actress Uma Thurman is well-known, this name is not used often in the US. Uma means “flax” in Sanskrit, and it’s another name for the Hindu goddess Parvati.

Viona

While the name Viona feels rare and unique, it also seems familiar since it sounds like Fiona and Viola. It may mean “fair” or “violet.”

Yvette

Yvette was a common name in the 1960s, but has been rarely used in the last decade. It is of French origin and means yew tree.

Yvonne

Yvonne, same as Yvette, means the yew tree. The names shared similar history too. The use of the name Yvonne has declined over the last two decades and may be considered old-fashioned.

Related post: Cool rare names for boys

Strong Unusual Names For Girls

Here are the top 20 strong, unusual names for girls. Each name was only given to 100 or fewer baby girls in the US last year.

Agata, Agatha

Both Agata and Agatha are rarely used in the US. They are derived from the Greek word that means “good.” However, they definitely feel like strong names- personally, I connect them with the agate stone. And any connection to the earth builds a feeling of strength.

Astra

This name comes from the Greek word aster, which means “star.” The strong “st” sound gives Astra a solid feeling.

Related post: Discover more strong names in this post- Names that mean earth

Aviendha

In Robert Jordan’s epic fantasy series, The Wheel of Time, Aviendha is a beautiful and strong warrior. Even if you aren’t familiar with the series, this name invokes strength!

Related post: The Wheel of Time series has plenty of unusual names– read thousands of them here!

Bernice

The name Bernice feels sturdy yet feminine! It has its roots in the Greek words for “bringing victory.”

Beryl

Another earth-based name, Beryl refers to the clear green precious stone. It used to be common in the US in the late 1800s, but is almost unheard of today!

Caledonia

Did you know that Caledonia is the Latin name for Scotland? This name may actually mean “tough person.” This is the perfect unique, strong girl’s name!

Cordelia

In French, Cordelia means “heart of a lion.” And in literature, Cordelia is one of King Lear’s daughters in Sharespeare’s famous play, as well as a character in the epic poem “The Faerie Queene.”

Cordelia has plenty of nickname potential too, such as Cor, Cory, Delia, Leah.

Eowyn

On its own, Eowyn sounds like a strong name. And when you pair it up with the character from Lord of the Rings, you get the perfect namesake!

Georgette

Did you know that Georgette comes from the word meaning earth or farmer? These names inspire strong and steady confidence.

Gwyneth

In Welsh, Gwyneth means “fair, blessed.” The unusual letters in this name give it a unique feeling though it can be difficult to spell!

Helia

This feminine form of Helios comes from Greek mythology. Helia was a daughter of the sun god Helios.

Hester, Hestia

Hester comes from the latin form of Ester, which means “star.” And Hestia comes from the Greek word for “hearth” or “fireside.”

You might enjoy these Star Wars baby names!

Liesl

Liesl is a strong-sounding German form of Elisabeth. It’s quite uncommon!

Leoni, Leora

Names like Leoni and Leora come from the word leo, which means lion. They’re perfect for someone with a strong, fierce personality.

Luthien

In JRR Tolkien’s novels, Luthien means “enchantress.” It was the true name of the elf Tinuviel.

Marchesa

This invented name comes from the Italian word for “marchioness” or “wife of a marquis.” While it isn’t used as a name in Italy, it makes a great feminine form of Marquis, Mark, or Marcus.

Moira

The Irish and Scottish name Moira means “fate” or “destiny” in Greek. And in Irish, it’s a form of Mary, which means “beloved.”

Nicolina

Nicolina is a variation on the classic Italian name Nicola. It means “victory of the people.”

Reggie

While Reggie is often a nickname for Regina (or Reginald or Reynold for boys), it can be used as a name on its own too. It means “queen” or “wise ruler.”

Related post: Exotic Boy Names

Sabah

The gorgeous Arabic and Turkish name Sabah means “morning.”

Sebastiana

Sebastiana, a female form of Sebastian, means “venerable.” It has quite a few options for nicknames, including Seb, Tiana, Tina, and Tia.

Sequoia

Does the quiet strength and peace of California’s redwood trees inspire you? Sequoia comes from the Latin word meaning to follow, which relates to the seeds of the tree. And, it pays homage to the Cherokee polymath Sequoyah who created the Native American writing system.

Sigourney

While everyone knows actress Sigourney Weaver, her name is extremely rare! It actually comes from a minor character in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby.

Theodosia

The ancient Greek name Theodosia means “giving to god.”

Ursula

Did you know the name Ursula means “little bear?” You might know it from the constellations Ursa Major, and Ursa Minor. And, Saint Ursula was a legendary princess of the 4th century.

Vincenza

This Italian, feminine form of Vincent means “to conquer.” It’s beautiful, foreign, unique, sounds strong, yet easily pronounced!

Zeta

Zita or Zeta means “happiness” in Hungarian. It’s also the last letter of the Greek alphabet.

Related post: Nerdy Baby Names!

Even More Unique Girl Names

All of the names below were given to 100 or fewer baby girls in the US last year.

The names in bold were given to 50 or fewer girls.

And the names with bold italics were given to 10 or fewer girls.

If you choose a name from this list, it’s unlikely that there’s another child with that name in your entire state! And it’s unlikely your child will meet someone with the same name in their lifetime.

If you’re looking for the most unique and rare girl names, you’ll definitely find a few you’ll like here!

Unique girl names A-C

Abra
Acacia
Adaia
Adria
Adrita
Adriel
Agata
Agatha
Agnessa
Aine
Aiofe
Aisling
Akara
Ala
Alaya
Albara
Alberta
Aleda
Ambrielle
Ambrose
Andromeda
Angelita
Aniken
Apollonia
Araminta
Aramis
Arista
Arla
Arlena
Artemisia
Artiona
Arvella
Ashara
Ashna
Astra
Astoria
Auburn
Avella
Aviendha
Aviva
Baleria
Balsam
Bambi
Basma
Beck
Belladonna
Bena
Benedicta
Bernice
Berta
Beryl
Besan
Bess
Betina
Bethel
Betsy
Beverly
Bia
Bisma
Bloom
Blossom
Brandy
Brigid
Bronte
Bronwyn
Brucha
Bryla
Cabella
Cabrini
Caitriona
Calanda
Caledonia
Carisa
Carlisle
Carlotta
Carmina
Cassiana
Cassiopeia
Catalia
Cereza
Cersei
Chandra
Chania
Channing
Cherise
Cheryl
Chessa
Chrysanthemum
Cipriana
Circe
Citrene
Clarice
Clarissa
Clementina
Cleopatra
Claudette
Clove
Colleen
Colette
Connie
Cordelia
Cornelia
Cosette
Credence
Cressida
Curie

Rare girl names D-K

Dacia
Daphney
Dawn
Dayton
Deirdre
Delana
Delma
Delphine
Demelza
Demetria
Dharma
Diane
Dima
Diora
Dolly
Dolores
Donatella
Dorcas
Doreen
Dory
Dottie
Drusilla
Dulcinea
Echo
Eda
Edelweiss
Edna
Ellaria
Elmyra
Eloa
Elyria
Embry
Eniola
Eowyn
Erie
Eris
Erma
Ernestina
Esmeralda
Essa
Ethel
Eugene
Eurydice
Evita
Fabiana
Felicia
Fiorella
Fleur
Florencia
Floriana
Francis
Gail
Galadriel
Galena
Galilee
Gamora
Gardenia
Genevera
Georgette
Gertrude
Gigi
Gilda
Ginger
Gisella
Gladys
Graciella
Gretchen
Gretel
Griselda
Gwyneth
Hedy
Helia
Heloisa
Heloise
Henrietta
Hera
Hermione
Hester
Hestia
Hilde
Hildegard
Hylia
Hypatia
Iara
Ignacia
Iliya
Io
Irena
Iria
Isidra
Isioma
Iskra
Isra
Jalina
January
Jasa
Jay
Jean
Jeanette
Jehan
Jelissa
Jemima
Jinora
Jody
Jolette
Joliet, Joliette
Jolina
Josephina
Josie
Justine
Karielle
Karuna
Kathy
Katniss
Katori
Katrin
Kay
Kemora
Kenai
Kenari
Kenise
Kenneth
Kerenza
Kerielle
Kerissa
Keza
Kiani
Kieran
Kiki
Kingston
Kiomara
Kiva
Kylene

Find more unique names here- Names that mean dream

Rarest girl names L-P

Lace
Lacy
Laika
Lamara
Lan
Lane
Laritza
Lark
Larkin
Latisha
Latonya
Laurana
Laure
Liesl
Lelani
Lenore
Leoni
Leora
Leta
Lilac
Linden
Lisbet
Lise
Liviana
Lorien
Louella
Louelle
Louetta
Lovisa
Lulu
Lumi
Lunara
Lunella
Luthien
Lynn
Lynette
Mabel
Macaria
Magda
Mahogany
Maja
Marcy
Marielle
Marietta
Mairead
Mariona
Malon
Marchesa
Margery
Marianela
Marilla
Marika
Marisabelle
Marjory
Marlena
Marlin
Marsha
Matisse
Maude
Maureen
Medora
Melia
Melinda
Melrose
Melvina
Merida
Meridian
Merry
Micha
Michella
Midori
Mildred
Mina
Mindy
Minerva
Minette
Minnie
Mirabelle, Mirabella
Miri
Mitzi
Moana
Morelia
Moria
Muriel
Mylena
Myrtle
Nacari
Nadira
Namia
Namira
Naviana
Nicolina
Nefertiti
Nehemiah
Nelda
Nelia
Nissi
Noriella
Norma
November
Nymeria
Olani
Olenna
Olga
Olivette
Omina
Orabella
Ornella
Orchid
Orianna
Osmara
Ozella
Padma
Pari
Pearla
Pera
Percy
Peregrine
Philomena
Phillipa
Phyllis
Polaris
Pria
Primrose
Prisca
Priscilla

Related post: “Help! I can’t find any baby names I like!” Read our guide!

Rare girl names Q-Z

Quinley
Rafaela
Rahma
Ramia
Randa
Ravenna
Reggie
Remas
Renley
Reva
Rhodes
Rhonda
Riata
Rika
Rishika
Riviera
Roberta
Rochelle
Roma
Romana
Rosette
Runa
Ryelle
Sabah
Sabela
Sabina
Sabriel
Sagan
Sandy
Sarelle
Saria
Savianna
Scylla
Sebastiana
Sedona
Selma
Sequoia
Shazia
Sigourney
Simona
Siomara
Socorro
Solara
Sonora
Sparrow
Stellar
Sunday
Svetlana
Sylvanas
Tabria
Talina
Tallulah
Tansy
Tasia
Tavi
Terra
Thelma
Theodosia
Thera
Tracy
Tricia
Trista
Trudy
Tully
Twyla
Uma
Ursula
Vale
Valena
Valentine
Vega
Velma
Verona
Versailles
Vesper
Vincenza
Viona
Viridian
Wanda
Wednesday
Wilhelmina
Wilma
Windsor
Wisteria
Wynn
Yancy
Yarrow
Yennifer
Yessia
Yolanda
Zafira
Zariella
Zenith
Zeta
Zikora
Ziomara
Zipporah
Ziqi

You might also enjoy our list of Unique Boy Names!

Wrap up

These unique girl names range from normal to totally out there. I hope you’ve found lots of ideas that suit your naming style and preferences.

Resources for finding unique girl names

The US Social Security Administration shares data on baby names each year going all the way back to the 1800s!
I use Behind the Name for researching name meanings and popularity
Reddit’s r/ namenerds provided facinsting feedback on these names!