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Best Unusual Girl Names: Twyla, Thora, and Lake
Best Unusual Girl Names: Twyla, Thora, and Lake
Jul 17, 2025 1:37 AM

  By Abby Sandel

  If you’re expecting a daughter soon, the new most popular baby names stats for the US might be getting a lot of your attention lately.

  Every year, it seems like more rarities are discovered. Calliope, Mavis, and Poppy joined the US Top 1,000. Once uncommon choices like Ophelia, Thea, and Wren all climbed more than 100 places in the rankings. Plenty of reliable traditional names, from Charlotte to Margaret, also gained in use.

  Does that mean they’re unwearable? Not at all! But for parents seeking something truly unexpected, finding a great name will take some digging. We’ve got the rarest of the rare names here. But plenty of choices are slightly more familiar, while still remaining uncommon.

  If you’re determined to find a name shared by only a handful of children, this list of 50 unusual girl names is a great starting point.

  Every one of these names was given to fewer than 100 – and often, many less – girls born in the US last year. It took 263 births for a name to make the Top 1,000 in 2016. These names don’t even rank in the Top 2,000.

  

Best Unusual Girl Names: Unexpected Imports

Abra, 12

  Adira, 69

  Elspeth, 18

  Gioia, 25

  Liesel, 51

  Olga, 46

  Zosia, 19

  

Best Unusual Girl Names: Word & Nature Names

Alaska, 51

  Amaryllis, 47

  Azure, 26

  Cassia, 62

  Gala, 55

  Harbor, 67

  Lake, 43

  Maris, 60

  Prairie, 16

  Primrose, 59

  Story, 68

  Twyla, 27

  Vesper, 55

  

Best Unusual Girl Names: Vintage Gems

Cecile, 24

  Clarice, 43

  Dinah, 54

  Emmylou, 73

  Marguerite, 76

  Tilda, 13

  Verity, 72

  

Best Unusual Girl Names: Tailored Types

Adair, 20

  Camber, 25

  Delphine, 45

  Linden, 65

  Linley, 74

  Monet, 45

  

Best Unusual Girl Names: Short and Sweet

Coco, 60

  Josette, 57

  Joss, 17

  Io, 16

  Leda, 24

  Lilou, 41

  Nell, 69

  Polly, 51

  Posey, 36

  Rue, 35

  Thora, 21

  Vail, 47

  

Best Unusual Girl Names: Elaborate Options

Amorette, 17

  Arietta, 21

  Cosima, 35

  Elizabella, 42

  Emmanuelle, 52

  Evolet, 75

  Isabeau, 19

  Isolde, 19

  Keturah, 48

  Mirabel, 54

  Nicola, 21

  Novella, 39

  Saskia, 27

  Talitha, 43

  Vivica, 16

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