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Looking for unique girl names that are still easy to live with? This guide groups rare, pretty and short choices, with an origin or meaning where it is well documented. It also shows you how to check any name on the Social Security Administration site, and how to test its spelling and pronunciation.
Few children around your daughter share it. No list can promise that, so treat “unique” as a guide. Check your favorites on the Social Security Administration site before you decide.
Want more options, or a name story? These guides go deeper.
Companion guide
Companion guide
Name trend
Name meaning
This is not a ranking. None of the names in our tables appear in the SSA top 200 girl names for 2020 to 2025. That is the only popularity check we make. A name can be outside that list and still be common in your town. Origins and meanings in every table on this page come from Behind the Name. Where that source hedges, the table hedges too.
Rare girl names here means names most people do not meet every day. No list can promise that no one else has a name. Several come from other languages, so they may feel more familiar abroad than in the US.
| Name | Origin or meaning |
|---|---|
| Isolde | German form of Iseult, from the medieval Tristan story. The etymology is uncertain |
| Ottilie | German form of Odilia |
| Finella | Scottish form of Fenella |
| Nerys | Welsh, probably a feminine form of the word nêr, “lord” |
| Aveline | Norman French form of Germanic Avelina, a pet form of Avila |
If the story behind a name matters most, start here. These unique girl names with meaning have a clear origin in our source. Each one gives you something to tell your daughter when she asks why you chose it.
| Name | Origin or meaning |
|---|---|
| Sunniva | Scandinavian form of Old English Sunngifu, from words for “sun” and “gift” |
| Xanthe | From a Greek word for “yellow, blond, fair-haired” |
| Thandiwe | Xhosa, Zulu and Ndebele, roughly “one who loves” |
| Mirabelle | From Old French mirable, “wonderful,” from Latin mirabilis |
| Niamh | Irish, “bright” |
| Rosamund | Old German words for “horse” and “protection.” Later linked to Latin for “pure rose” |
Unique baby girl names do not have to be strange to the ear. These use sounds or words people already know, so they tend to be easier to pick up. All of them are still outside the SSA top 200 we checked.
| Name | Origin or meaning |
|---|---|
| Marigold | From the flower, whose name blends Mary and gold |
| Odette | French diminutive of Oda or Odilia. It is also a character in Swan Lake |
| Sylvie | French and Czech form of Silvia |
| Wilhelmina | Feminine form of Wilhelm, from elements for “will” and “helmet” |
| Winifred | Possibly linked to the Welsh name Gwenfrewi, and perhaps shaped by Old English Winfred |
Uncommon girl names in the US may be everyday names elsewhere. Philippa and Imogen are mainly British in English use, and Tamsin has Cornish roots. Check how people say a name in its home country before you decide.
| Name | Origin or meaning |
|---|---|
| Cosima | Italian feminine form of Cosimo |
| Philippa | Feminine, Latin-style form of Philip |
| Tamsin | Short form of Thomasina, traditional in Cornwall |
| Delphine | French form of Delphina, linked to the place name Delphi |
| Imogen | From Shakespeare’s Cymbeline, based on a misprint of Innogen. Probably from Gaelic for “maiden” |
| Theodosia | Feminine form of Theodosius |
Short unique girl names are quick to write and can balance a long last name. Several began as pet forms of longer names. Bryn is used for boys and girls, and in Wales it is almost always masculine.
| Name | Origin or meaning |
|---|---|
| Romy | Short form of Rosemarie, Rosemary and similar names |
| Elke | Low German and Frisian pet form of Adelheid |
| Anouk | Dutch and French pet form of Anna |
| Tove | Modern form of the Old Norse name Tófa |
| Yara | Arabic, from Persian yār, “friend, helper” |
| Bryn | Welsh, “hill, mound” |
Pretty unique girl names are a matter of taste, so this group is our editorial pick. Most have soft sounds and more than one syllable. Try each with your last name, since long names can run together.
| Name | Origin or meaning |
|---|---|
| Seraphina | Feminine form of Seraphinus, linked to a Hebrew word for “fiery ones” |
| Ophelia | From a Greek word for “help, advantage.” It is used in Shakespeare’s Hamlet |
| Calliope | Latinized form of Kalliope, from Greek mythology |
| Elowen | Cornish for “elm tree.” It is a recent coinage |
| Liora | Hebrew, feminine form of Lior |
| Vesper | Latin equivalent of Hesperos. It is used for boys and girls |
Unusual girl names can feel new to your friends and still be very old. These come from Greek myth, early Christian history and the ancient world. Read the story behind each one, because not every story is a gentle one.
| Name | Origin or meaning |
|---|---|
| Persephone | From Greek mythology. The meaning is uncertain, and the name is probably pre-Greek |
| Perpetua | From a Latin word for “continuous” |
| Zenobia | Greek, “life of Zeus” |
| Eulalia | Greek, roughly “sweet-spoken” |
| If you want | Start with | Names to try |
|---|---|---|
| A name few people meet every day | Rare girl names | Isolde, Ottilie, Nerys |
| A clear story behind the name | Unique girl names with meaning | Sunniva, Mirabelle, Niamh |
| A name that still feels familiar | Unique baby girl names | Marigold, Odette, Sylvie |
| A short name for a long last name | Short unique girl names | Romy, Anouk, Yara |
| A soft sound | Pretty unique girl names | Seraphina, Elowen, Liora |
| An old name that feels new | Unusual girl names | Perpetua, Zenobia, Eulalia |
Check the meaning yourself: Name meanings are often debated, and some are simply unknown. Isolde and Persephone are two examples on this page. Look up the name in a reliable reference before you order anything engraved.
Unique baby names can be less rare than they feel. A name you found on your own may be on many other shortlists too. These checks take a few minutes, using public data and a little common sense.
A name that looks unique on paper can trip people up out loud. Irish names in particular do not follow English spelling rules. The guides below are our plain-English versions of the pronunciations on Behind the Name.
| Name | How to say it in English | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Saoirse | SEER-shuh | Irish for “liberty.” Expect to spell it often |
| Niamh | NEEV or NEE-uhv | The listed Irish forms vary, so choose one |
| Caoimhe | KEE-vuh | From Irish caomh, “dear, beloved, gentle” |
| Thandiwe | tan-DEE-weh | Learn how Xhosa, Zulu or Ndebele speakers say it |
| Isolde | ih-SOHL-duh or ih-ZOHL-duh | Several English versions are listed, some with a silent final “e” |
| Tamsin | TAM-zin | The “s” sounds like a “z” |
Pick a spelling and stick to it on every form. For a hospital or birth certificate form, write the name in block capitals and check it before you sign. A short note on your birth announcement can also teach the pronunciation early.
Still deciding? See our girl names guide for familiar choices, compare our unique boy names, or browse more family advice in our Parents section.
No. The groups are our editorial choices, not rankings. We only checked that each name is outside the SSA top 200 girl names for 2020 to 2025.
Use the Popularity of a Name tool on the SSA baby names site. Check every likely spelling, because SSA counts each spelling separately. Then ask around your own community.
SSA offers only the top 1000 names through its forms. It also leaves out names with fewer than 5 occurrences in any geographic area, to protect privacy.
Marigold, Sylvie and Romy are simple for most English speakers. Say each one out loud and spell it for a friend to test it.
From Behind the Name, a reference site on name origins. Some meanings are uncertain, and our tables say so when the source does.
Written by Olivia Mercer. Edited by Abdullah Muneef. Sources: Social Security Administration. Corrections: info@elitsmedia.com.
