100 Beautiful Rare Girl Names and Their Meanings

Choosing a name for your baby girl is a meaningful part of preparing for her arrival. If you want something beautiful but less often heard, a rare name can feel personal without losing the sound or story you love.

This list brings together 100 rare girl names with familiar roots, mythological connections, or ties to the natural world. Each entry includes a short note about the name to help you understand what makes it memorable.

33 Rare Girl Names With Familiar Appeal

Some are vintage choices, while others are shortened forms or less familiar variations of names you may already know.

1. Annalise – This name combines the names Anna and Lise.

2. Arlo – A modern unisex name with a vintage sound.

3. Beatrix – A Latin name and a variant of Beatrice.

4. Bryn – A Welsh name meaning “hill.”

5. Cilla – An English short form of Priscilla.

6. Cindy – It has English and Greek roots and is an alternative to the name Cynthia.

7. Edna – This name comes from the biblical Garden of Eden and means “delight.”

8. Emmeline – A less familiar alternative to Emily or Emma, traditionally associated with the meaning “work.”

9. Filippa – The name Filippa is the feminine form of the name Philip.

10. Fiona – This Scottish name comes from the Gaelic word Fionn.

11. Gail – This Hebrew name is a shorter version of Abigail and means “independent.”

12. Gemma – An Italian name meaning “gem” or “precious stone.”

13. Gwenhwyfar – A Welsh name related to Guinevere and Jennifer.

14. Inez – This Spanish name means “pure” and is a spelling variation for Agnes.

15. Jacqueline – This name is the feminine variant of the French name Jacques. It means “may God shelter.”

16. Janice – This English name is the feminine form of John, meaning “God is kind.”

17. Jessa – A modern short form of Jessica.

18. Katja – A European form of Katherine.

19. Kay – A name associated with Sir Kay, one of Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table. It is also used as a short form of Katherine.

20. Lauren – An English feminine form of Laurence, a name traditionally connected to the ancient city of Laurentum.

21. Leanne – A modern English name formed from Lee and Anne.

22. Lucinda – Lucinda is an alternative to the name Lucille.

23. Odette – Odette is a French diminutive of the name Oda.

24. Olga – Olga comes from the Scandinavian name Helgi. It means “hale and hearty.”

25. Priscilla – This one is a diminutive of the Roman Prisca.

26. Romy – A short form of names such as Rosemarie or Romana.

27. Sari – A Finnish form of Sarah.

28. Sheba – A biblical place name associated with the Queen of Sheba.

29. Sidony – An English form of Sidonie, traditionally meaning “from Sidon.”

30. Talulla – Talulla has Gaelic origins and combines the words tuile and flaith.

31. Thora – This Norse name comes from the thunder god Thor.

32. Xoey – A modern spelling of Zoey, from a Greek name meaning “life.”

33. Zadie – A lively variation of Sadie.

32 Rare Girl Names From Mythology and Legends

Each name below is connected to a mythological figure, legendary character, or traditional story.

1. Aegle – According to Greek mythology, Aegle was the goddess of good health.

2. Aine – Aine was the Celtic goddess of summer and prosperity. You could use the variation Anya for this one, too.

3. Alethea – Alethea was the Greek goddess of truth and a popular name in the 16th century.

4. Anaisa – This name comes from the Puerto Rican, Dominican, and Haitian cultures. She was the goddess of love, money, and happiness.

5. Asteria – A Titan goddess associated with falling stars in Greek mythology.

6. Briseis – A woman in Greek mythology whose story appears in Homer’s “Iliad.”

7. Calliope – Calliope was the Greek muse of epic poetry. While it was popular a few years ago, it is due for a comeback.

8. Cassiopeia – This name comes from Greek mythology and is the name of a constellation.

9. Clio – The Greek muse of history.

10. Cybele – An ancient Anatolian mother goddess later worshiped by the Greeks and Romans.

11. Demetria – This Greek name alludes to Demeter, the goddess of fruitfulness.

12. Diana – The Roman goddess of the hunt, the moon, and childbirth.

13. Eos – The Greek goddess of dawn.

14. Flora – Flora was the Roman goddess of flowers and spring.

15. Idunn – A Norse goddess who guards the fruit that keeps the gods young.

16. Juno – A Roman goddess associated with marriage and women.

17. Minerva – This strong name comes from the Roman goddess of martial strength, the arts, and wisdom.

18. Nephele – A cloud nymph in Greek mythology.

19. Nerida – Nerida is a Spanish name meaning “sea nymph.”

20. Nixie – Nixie is a German name that means “water sprite.”

21. Ostara – This German name refers to the goddess of sunrise, spring, and fertility.

22. Persephone – According to Greek mythology, Persephone was the queen of the underworld and the goddess of regrowth.

23. Rhea – A Titan goddess and mother of several Olympian gods in Greek mythology.

24. Sabrina – A legendary figure associated with the River Severn in Britain.

25. Saranya – Saranya is a name of Hindu origin that means “protector.” She was also the goddess of the dawn and clouds.

26. Selene – According to Greek mythology, Selene was the Greek goddess of the moon.

27. Thalia – This name, which means “to flourish,” comes from Greek mythology. Thalia was the muse of pastoral poetry and comedy.

28. Theia – Theia was the Greek goddess of sight.

29. Tyche – According to Greek mythology, she was the goddess of chance, fate, and fortune.

30. Uma – A name associated with the Hindu goddess Parvati.

31. Venus – The Roman goddess of love and beauty.

32. Ziva – A Hebrew name meaning “bright” or “radiant.” The similar Slavic name Živa is associated with life and fertility.

35 Rare Girl Names Inspired by Nature and Places

These names draw from flowers, trees, weather, water, gemstones, and meaningful places.

1. Aneira – A Welsh name meaning “much snow.”

2. Arden – An English place and surname associated with the Forest of Arden.

3. Arista – This Greek name means “harvest.”

4. Azura – A modern name inspired by azure, the deep blue color.

5. Clover – An English nature name taken from the flowering plant.

6. Emerald – An English gemstone name taken from the deep green stone.

7. Elodie – The French form of Alodia, a name with Germanic roots.

8. Elowen – If you like tree-related names, this Cornish name means “elm.”

9. Fleur – This French name means “flower.”

10. Florence – This Latin name means “flowering or in bloom.”

11. Geneva – An English place name taken from the Swiss city.

12. Hadleigh – A modern spelling of Hadley, an English place name meaning “heather field.”

13. Haisley – A modern English name probably influenced by Hayley, Hazel, and Paisley.

14. Ianthe – A Greek name meaning “violet flower.”

15. Ione – A Greek name meaning “violet flower.”

16. Kataleya – A modern spelling inspired by Cattleya, a genus of orchids.

17. Marigold – An English flower name taken from the golden bloom.

18. Nyala – A nature name taken from an antelope native to southeastern Africa.

19. Oceane – A French name inspired by the ocean.

20. Oliviane – This Latin name means “olive tree.”

21. Oriana – An Italian and Spanish name possibly derived from a word for “gold.”

22. Palesa – A Sotho name meaning “flower.”

23. Peony – This Greek name came from the flower.

24. Rain – An English word name inspired by the weather.

25. Star – An English word name inspired by the night sky.

26. Tansy – An English flower name taken from the flowering plant.

27. Tierra – Tierra is a Spanish name that means “Earth.”

28. Ula – This Celtic name means “gem of the sea.”

29. Vienna – A place name taken from Austria’s capital.

30. Waverly – This English name means a “meadow of quivering aspens.”

31. Xylia – This Greek name means “from the woods.”

32. Yarrow – An English plant name.

33. Yolanda – This Spanish name means “violet flower.”

34. Zinnia – An English flower name taken from the colorful bloom.

35. Zora – This Slavic name means “dawn.”

A rare name can stand out because of its sound, its story, or the connection it holds for your family. Once you have a shortlist, say each name with your last name and consider the nicknames you might use.

If you want a broader set of unconventional choices, browse our unique girl names. You can also visit our baby names hub for more ideas.