The big appeal of Rare Girl Names

If you’re getting ready to have a sweet baby girl in the next few months, you’ll be looking for the perfect name to set her apart from the crowd. Rare girl names are one way you can give your daughter something unique that she can be proud of growing up. It’s a way to show her that you were thinking about her even before she was born. Keep on reading to find the Top 50 Rare Names for Girls List at the end of this page.

Why You Should Consider Rare Girl Names

It’s easy to see why you might be a little antsy about rare girl names, because some of them seem outdated or over-the-top. But, if you dig deep enough, there are a ton of fantastic names that no one really thinks about anymore. These names will set your little girl apart and allow her to make her mark in a sea of similar, popular names.

A lot of parents choose rare names in order to honor relatives from their family tree. Names like Willodean, Ferne, Roxy, Tory, Valentine, Veola, Georgianne, Blossom, Avery, and Zetta had their share of popularity nearly a century ago, but they never came back. Chances are you might have an ancestor with a rare name, and you can honor them by passing on a family name to your daughter.

The Historic Significance of Rare Girl Names

Rare names for girls aren’t only older names of potential ancestors; they are sometimes derived from ancient languages or passed down through hundreds or thousands of years in similar form. Names like Rasheeda, Erie, Theola, Maurita, Ka, and Dakota all have roots in old societies and ancient cultures. Older, historical names that still exist today tend to hold a certain air of maturity and wisdom that makes them attractive choices for your baby girl.

Besides the more historical ancient names, many of the rare names on our list are actually place names or names derived from place names. Texie, Cuba, Dakota, and Maryland are not common names, particularly because of their use in well-known places, but they share the rich history of the states, countries, or towns that they represent.

Rare Baby Girl Names Trending in 2016

Many parents in 2016 searched around desperately to find new and unique names for their baby girls. As it turns out, this can be quite a challenge when everyone else is also trying to find a special name! Some names from the past made new appearances in the popularity lists, while other parents chose to redefine a popular name by spelling it differently. Different spellings can change a name, which is why you may see the same or similar names that share popularity from 2016.

It was also a trend for parents to find names that were at some point unisex and give them to their girls. Or, some parents chose to take a masculine name and give it to their baby girl as a feminine name. This trend has led to unique names for girls, even though the names themselves may not be new or out of the ordinary at all.

You won’t be the only parent searching for rare names for girl babies, but you might be able to pull something out that few others have found before if you look in the right places. Be careful, though, because some parents choose names that sound unique without looking at what they mean. You don’t want to accidentally give your baby girl a name with an awful meaning!

Celebrities Who Chose Rare Girl Names for Baby Girls

It may not always be wise to follow celebrity baby naming trends, but a few of them really get it right. Here are some rare girl names used by celebrities for their little bundles of joy:

Angie Harmon and her husband, NY Giants football player Jason Sehorn chose the name Avery Grace for one of their daughters and Emery Hope for their third one. Definitely two of the most rare girl names.

Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan-Tatum gave their daughter the name Everly.

Pastry chef Tania Peterson and husband Philip named their daughter Zuzu.

Ethan Hawke and Ryan Shawhughe named their daughter Clementine.

Erica Rose and Galen Gentry named their daughter Holland Rose in memory of her late aunt, Holly, who died of cancer.

Audrina Patridge and Corey Bohan named their daughter Kirra Max.

Kevin Jonas and his wife Danielle chose the name of Valentina Angelina for their daughter.

A post shared by Kevin Jonas (@kevinjonas) on Oct 30, 2016 at 1:14pm PDT

Wale and Claudia Alexis Jourdan named their daughter Zyla Moon.

Paris Bennett named her daughter Egypt.

Blac Chyna and Rob Kardashian shocked the world when they decided to name their dughter Dream. A close associate revealed that Rob chose the name because he always has a dream of having a child.

Your Baby Girl’s Name is Your Choice

Whatever name you choose to gift your daughter with once she is finally there in your arms, make sure it comes from your heart to hers. Choose a name that will fill each of you with a sense of belonging and togetherness when you grow up with one another over the years. And finally, pick a name that bestows everything you want for your daughter in her wonderful life to come.

[Read: The 50 Most Unique Girl Names 2017 ]

Top 50 Rare Names for Girl List

Texie (Derived from the name “Texas”) Cuba (Borrowed from the namesake island country) Wava (Slavic name meaning “Stranger”) Ova (Latin word meaning “Egg”) Erie (Celtic name meaning “From Ireland”) Lavada (Old Scottish name meaning “High Place”) Almeta (Danish name meaning “Pearl”) Willodean (Unknown meaning, possibly a female variant of “Willard”) Jettie (Derived from name “Jetta”) Ferne (Derived from plant type “fern”) Alessia (Greek & Italian name meaning “Defender”) Anika (Hebrew name meaning “Grace”) Veola (From “Viola”, Latin for “Flower”) Mika (Japanese name meaning “A New Moon”) Rasheeda (Arabic name meaning “Conscious, Pious, Wise, or Mature”) Theola (Greek name meaning “Divine”) Kelle (Gaelic name meaning “Slender, Fair”) Erminia (Feminine form of “Herminius”, a Roman God) Tamisha (Old American name meaning “Ram”) Roxy (Persian name meaning “Dawn, Bright”) Rhona (Welsh name meaning “Fair, Slender”) Ka (Egyptian name meaning “Spark of Life”) Amberly (Derived from color amber) Jacinda (Greek name meaning “Beautiful”) Minda (Hindu name meaning “Light and Knowledge”) Roselle (Swedish name meaning “Rose”) Sharri (Hebrew name meaning “Plains”) Emerald (A type of deep green gemstone) Arianne (Latin name from Ariadne, a mythical figure) Lala (Hawaiian name meaning “Cheerful” or “Famous”) Blossom (English name meaning “Fresh”) Argelia (Latin name meaning “Full of Treasures”) Kenda (English name meaning “Child of Clear, Cool Water”) Avery (Old English name meaning “Elf” or “Counsel”) Valentine (Borrowed from St. Valentine) Tory (English name meaning “From the Craggy Hills”) Viki (Latin name meaning “Conqueror”) Leena (Irish name meaning “Wed Meadow”) Maryland (Place name from namesake US state) Eliz (Hebrew name meaning “God is My Oath”) Zetta (Hebrew name meaning “Olive”) Kendal (English name meaning “Valley of the River Kent”) Annelle (English variant of the Hebrew name Hannah, meaning “God Has Favored Me”) Divina (Latin name meaning “Divine One”) Keira (Gaelic name meaning “Dusky, Dark-Haired”) Maurita (Latin name meaning “Dark”) Buena (Spanish word meaning “Good”) Edra (Hebrew name meaning “Powerful”) Dakota (Native American name meaning “Friend”) Georgianne (Greek name meaning “Farmer”, feminine form of “George”)

Click to see our Full List of Rare Names and Meanings.

See our List of Unusual Names and Meanings.

If you’re not sure yet, check our Baby Name Categories.

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