Rare Girl Names
A rare girl name is one your daughter probably won’t share with anyone in her class, yet people can still spell and pronounce it after hearing it once. That balance is the hard part. Every name below is a real name with a documented meaning, and most were given to fewer than a few hundred US girls a year in recent Social Security data — some to almost none.
We’ve grouped more than 110 finds by style: forgotten vintage names, heroines from myth and literature, nature words, and names borrowed from Welsh, Scandinavian, Slavic and other traditions. If you like the idea of rarity but want something a little more familiar, browse our unique girl names; for the brothers’ side, see rare boy names, or go back to the full rare names collection.
Rare vintage girl names ready for a comeback
These names were ordinary a century ago and then vanished. They feel familiar enough to be wearable, but you’ll rarely meet a child with one. More ideas live in our vintage girl names list.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Ottilie | Prosperous in battle | German, from Odilia |
| Winifred | Blessed peace-making (from Gwenfrewi, “white, blessed”) | Welsh |
| Philippa | Lover of horses | Greek |
| Clementine | Merciful, gentle | Latin |
| Theodora | Gift of God | Greek |
| Mabel | Lovable | Latin, from Amabel |
| Agatha | Good, honorable | Greek |
| Beatrix | She who brings happiness | Latin |
| Henrietta | Ruler of the home | German |
| Imogen | Maiden (possibly from a misprint of Innogen) | Celtic, via Shakespeare |
| Rosamund | Horse protection; later read as “rose of the world” | Germanic |
| Cordelia | Possibly “heart” (Latin cor) | Latin / Shakespearean |
| Lavinia | Of Latium | Latin |
| Euphemia | Well-spoken | Greek |
| Harriet | Ruler of the home | English, from Henry |
| Dorothea | Gift of God | Greek |
| Ida | Work, labor | Germanic |
| Edith | Prosperous in war | Old English |
Rare girl names from myth and legend
Old stories are full of heroines whose names never went mainstream. For the full cast of goddesses, see our mythology girl names and goddess names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Isolde | Possibly “ice ruler”; heroine of Tristan and Isolde | Celtic / Germanic |
| Rhiannon | Great queen | Welsh |
| Andromeda | Ruler of men | Greek |
| Thisbe | Tragic lover in Ovid’s Metamorphoses | Greek |
| Niamh | Bright, radiant (NEEV) | Irish |
| Branwen | White raven | Welsh |
| Eurydice | Wide justice | Greek |
| Idun | The Norse goddess who guards the apples of youth | Norse |
| Guinevere | White phantom or fair one | Welsh |
| Deirdre | Possibly “sorrowful” | Irish |
| Ariadne | Most holy | Greek |
| Signy | New victory | Norse |
| Enid | Soul, life | Welsh |
| Leda | Possibly “woman”; queen of Sparta | Greek |
| Elaine | Bright, shining (form of Helen) | Arthurian / Greek |
Rare nature names for girls
Flower, tree and bird names are popular, but these specific picks remain unusual. Pair them with our nature names for girls and flower names for girls.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Marigold | The golden flower, “Mary’s gold” | English |
| Zinnia | Flower named for botanist J. G. Zinn | Botanical |
| Briar | Thorny wild rose | English |
| Wrenna | Little wren (songbird) | English |
| Linnea | The twinflower, named for Linnaeus | Swedish |
| Clover | The three-leafed meadow plant | English |
| Bryony | A climbing hedgerow plant | Greek |
| Sorrel | A lemony herb; reddish-brown | English |
| Primrose | First rose | English |
| Larkin | Little lark; also an Irish surname | English / Irish |
| Tamsin | Twin (feminine of Thomas) | Cornish |
| Yarrow | The feathery wildflower | English |
| Oriel | Possibly from Aurelia, “golden”; also a bay window | Latin / English |
| Laurel | The bay tree, symbol of victory | Latin |
| Fern | The leafy green plant | English |
| Juniper | The evergreen shrub | Latin |
Literary rare girl names
Bookish parents can borrow from novels, poems and plays. Each of these names is tied to a memorable character but is rarely heard on the playground.
| Name | Where it comes from | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Ophelia | Shakespeare’s Hamlet | Help (Greek) |
| Portia | Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice | From the Roman family Porcius |
| Marianne | Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility | Combination of Marie and Anne |
| Anouk | French actress Anouk Aimée; Dutch novels | Grace (Dutch/French form of Anna) |
| Jessamy | Old English form of jasmine; Georgette Heyer | Jasmine flower |
| Elspeth | Scottish novels and ballads | Pledged to God (form of Elizabeth) |
| Hermione | Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale | Messenger (from Hermes) |
| Pippa | Robert Browning’s Pippa Passes | Lover of horses (from Philippa) |
| Titania | Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream | Of the Titans |
| Coraline | Neil Gaiman’s Coraline | Coined, blending Caroline and coral |
| Dagny | Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged; Norse | New day |
| Estella | Dickens’s Great Expectations | Star |
| Perdita | Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale | Lost (Latin) |
| Zuleika | Persian poetry; Max Beerbohm’s novel | Possibly “brilliant beauty” |
Rare international girl names
Names that are ordinary somewhere else can sound fresh in the US. Explore more in our Welsh names and Swedish names pages.
| Name | Meaning | Origin / pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Sunniva | Sun gift | Norwegian (soo-NEE-vah) |
| Elowen | Elm tree | Cornish (el-OH-en) |
| Seren | Star | Welsh (SEH-ren) |
| Mireille | To admire | French (mee-RAY) |
| Ilse | Pledged to God | German / Dutch |
| Liesl | Pledged to God | German (LEE-zul) |
| Oona | Lamb or unity | Irish / Finnish |
| Zofia | Wisdom | Polish (ZOF-ya) |
| Sanne | Lily | Dutch (SAH-nuh) |
| Solveig | Strong house or sun strength | Norwegian (SOL-vay) |
| Yuki | Snow or happiness | Japanese |
| Noor | Light | Arabic |
| Leilani | Heavenly flower | Hawaiian |
| Anneliese | Grace plus pledged to God | German |
| Paloma | Dove | Spanish |
| Rosalind | Pretty rose (popular reading); Germanic “gentle horse” | Germanic / Spanish |
| Ingrid | Beautiful, beloved of Ing | Norse |
| Dagmar | Day maiden or glory | Danish |
| Maren | Of the sea | Danish / Norwegian |
| Teodora | Gift of God | Spanish / Slavic |
Short rare girl names
Four letters or fewer, but not the usual Ava or Mia. These are crisp, easy to spell and genuinely uncommon.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Isla | Island | Scottish |
| Esme | Esteemed, loved | French |
| Lark | The songbird | English |
| Wynn | Fair, white; or joy | Welsh / Old English |
| Ione | Violet flower | Greek |
| Tove | Beautiful Thor | Scandinavian |
| Nell | Bright, shining one (from Helen/Eleanor) | English |
| Juno | Queen of the Roman gods | Latin |
| Vida | Life | Spanish |
| Blythe | Cheerful, carefree | English |
| Faye | Fairy | English |
| Maeve | She who intoxicates | Irish |
| Rue | The herb; regret | English |
| Eden | Delight; the garden in Genesis | Hebrew |
| Ada | Noble | Germanic |
Rare virtue and word names
Puritans named daughters after virtues; a few are overdue for a return.
| Name | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Verity | Truth | Puritan virtue name |
| Honor | Integrity, respect | Classic English word name |
| Clemency | Mercy | Puritan revival |
| Mercy | Compassion, forgiveness | Biblical virtue |
| Temperance | Moderation, self-control | One of the four cardinal virtues |
| Constance | Steadfast | Latin constantia |
| Amity | Friendship | Latin via French |
| Felicity | Happiness, good fortune | Latin felicitas |
| Prudence | Good judgment | Nickname Prue |
| Serenity | Calm, peaceful | Modern virtue name |
| Patience | Endurance | Puritan staple |
| Charity | Love, generosity | Latin caritas; nickname Cherry |
How to choose a rare girl name she’ll love
- Test spelling and sound. Say the name to three friends and ask them to write it down. If most get it right, it’s rare without being a burden.
- Check the numbers. The Social Security Administration publishes how many babies got each name. Under about 200 a year is genuinely rare.
- Offer a nickname exit. Long rare names like Philippa (Pippa), Ottilie (Tilly) or Henrietta (Hettie) give her an easy everyday option.
- Balance with the surname. A striking first name often pairs best with a simple last name, and vice versa. A classic middle name also helps — try our middle names for girls.
- Look up the meaning. Rare names sometimes carry surprising meanings; we’ve listed the real etymology for each one so you won’t be caught out.
Frequently asked questions
What is the rarest girl name?
There’s no single answer, because thousands of names are given to just a handful of babies each year. Names like Thisbe, Perdita, Zuleika or Eurydice are among the rarest real names on this page.
What counts as a rare girl name?
A practical rule is a name given to fewer than about 200 US girls a year in Social Security data and outside the top 1,000. That keeps it uncommon but still recognizable.
Are rare names hard for kids?
Not if the name is easy to spell and say. Most difficulty comes from confusing spellings, not rarity itself, so favor names like Esme, Wren or Mabel over invented spellings.
What are rare but pretty girl names?
Elowen, Seren, Sunniva, Marigold, Isolde, Oriel and Rosamund are rare but widely considered beautiful.
Where can I find rare names with meaning?
Look to Welsh, Cornish, Scandinavian and classical sources, as well as virtue names. Our lists of names that mean light and names that mean star are good places to start.