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99 unique girl names with meaning and origin

 Whether you're looking for unique girl names with meaning, strong names, unique biblical names or baby girl names that are downright beautiful, this list will help. You won't find any of these names on the Social Security Administration's list of the top 500 baby names for girls, so you can let go of any worry that your daughter will share a name with her classmates.

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Photo credit: Katie Rain for BabyCenter

Short, unique girl names

Aya is a Japanese name that means "colorful" or "beautiful." It can also mean "miracle" in Arabic.

Dia is a Spanish name that means "day," though it's also an alternate spelling for the Hindi name Diya, which means "light."

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Esti (also spelled Este) is derived from the Hebrew name Esther and means "star."

Ever is super familiar, but wholly unexpected on a little girl. The word comes from Old English and invokes thoughts of eternal life.

Faye is derived from a Middle English word for "fairy," though it may also derive from an Old French word meaning "loyalty" or "belief."

Ida is a strong historical name ripe for a comeback. This German name means "industrious" or "prosperous."

Kit is typically a nickname for Katherine, though it stands strong on its own. Like its origin name, Kit derives from a Greek word meaning "pure."

Lee is a name of English origin meaning "meadow" or "clearing."

Rain is a nature-inspired name perfect for a little girl who will bring refreshment and joy.

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Rora is a shortened version of Aurora, the Roman goddess of the dawn (and the Latin word for dawn).

Rue brings Parisian charm. Its French meaning, "street," brings to mind wandering adventures with a dash of French sophistication.

Vail is an English name that means "valley," and also evokes the snowy peaks of this Colorado town.

Xyla is a Greek name that means "wood dweller" and conjures visions of the forest.

Zena is a variant of the Greek name Xena, which is derived from a word that means "hospitable."

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Beautiful unique girl names

Alina is a name of uncertain origin, but some say it may be a Slavic variation of Helen, meaning "beautiful."

Allegra is an Italian name that means "joyful" or "lively."

Bonnie is a Scottish name meaning "beautiful" or "cheerful."

Caius is an old Latin name that means "rejoice." It's typically used for boys, making it an especially unique choice for a girl.

Calliope means "beautiful voice" and is the name of the Greek muse of epic poetry.

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Esperanza is a Spanish name meaning "hope."

Ingrid is a Scandinavian name that means "beautiful" or "fair."

Jacinda is a name with Mediterranean (Greek and Spanish) origins. It's a variant of the word hyacinth, the flower.

Janna is a Hebrew name that means "God is gracious." It's a more unique spin on tried-and-true names like Jane, Jean, and Jenna.

Kiva is a more intuitive spelling (for English speakers) of the Irish name Caoimhe, which is pronounced the same way. Both versions mean "beautiful."

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Mirielle is a variation of the French name Mireille, which is thought to originate from an Occitan word meaning "to admire."

Rosalind is derived from Old German words meaning "horse" and "soft" or "tender," though its meaning has transformed over the years, thanks to the Latin phrase rosa linda, meaning "pretty rose."

Talita (also spelled Talitha) is an Aramaic name meaning "little girl."

Waverly is an English name that means "a meadow of quivering aspens."

Wendy is an English name with uncertain origin: Some speculate the author of Peter Pan made it up for a character in the book, though it may also be a variant of Gwendolyn, meaning "blessed ring."

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Strong, unique girl names

Adira is a Hebrew name meaning "strong" or "powerful."

Bridget derives from a Gaelic word meaning "power" or "strength."

Comfort now means "to cheer up" or "to console," but it derives from a Latin verb meaning "to strengthen much."

Cosima is a Greek name meaning "order" – it comes from the same root for the word cosmos.

Elfrieda derives from a Germanic name meaning "elf strength."

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Fallon grew out of an Irish last name meaning "leader."

Harriet is an English version of the French name Henriette, itself the feminine version of Henry. It means "ruler of the home."

Jaiyana is an Urdu name meaning "strength."

Minna on its own is a German name meaning "courtly love," though it's also a diminutive for Wilhelmina, which comes from an Old German word meaning "willing to protect."

Sander is a Dutch spin on Alexander, and means "defender."

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Simone is a Greek translation of a Hebrew name meaning "he has heard."

Val is a nickname for the name Valerie, which derives from a Latin family name meaning "brave" or "valiant."

Vida means "life" in Spanish and Portuguese.

Wednesday may be a day of the week, but it's also a name derived from the Anglo-Saxon god Woden, god of wisdom and war.

Unique biblical girl names

Abilene is a region of ancient Syria mentioned in the Bible. The name is thought to come from a Hebrew word meaning "grass."

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Adina was the mother of Rachel and Leah in Jewish tradition. It means "gentle" or "mild."

Atara (also spelled Atarah) is the wife of a minor character in the Old Testament. The name derives from the Hebrew word for "crown."

Bernice is a Greek name that means "bringer of victory." She was a queen of Chalcis in the Bible.

Candace is a royal title in the Bible deriving from the term for a queen in the ancient African kingdom of Kush. The name also has Latin origins meaning "pure."

Deborah is a Hebrew name derived from the word for "bee." In the Bible, she's a prophet of Israel.

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Dinah is a Hebrew name that means "judged" or "vindicated." In the Bible, she was the daughter of Jacob and Leah.

Keziah was a daughter of Job in the Bible. In Hebrew tradition, the name means "restored to the heart of God," referencing the trials Job overcame.

Melea is mentioned in Jesus' genealogy in the Bible. The name means "full" or "complete" in Hebrew.

Reba was a Midianite king in the Bible, though in modern times it's considered a diminutive for Rebecca, which is derived from a Hebrew name meaning "to join."

Sheba was a kingdom in modern-day Yemen, made famous by the Queen of Sheba, who visited Israel with an abundance of riches and gifts for King Solomon in the Bible.

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Tamar is a Hebrew name meaning "date palm." In the Bible, Tamar is the mother of two of Judah's sons.

Terah comes from an Aramaic word meaning "to breathe." In the Bible, Terah was Abraham's father.

Vashti is a Persian name that now means "goodness," though in ancient times likely came from an Old Persian word meaning "best of women." In the Bible, Vashti was a queen of Persia who the king exiles for disobeying him.

Zillah means "shade" or "protection" in Hebrew. She's also the third woman mentioned in the Bible and an ancestor of the Israelites.

Unique flower names for girls

Azalea is a flowering shrub. Its name comes from a Greek word meaning "dry," because the plant thrives in dry soil.

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Blossom comes from Old English and means "to bloom."

Calla is a type of flower native to southern Africa. Its name comes from a Greek word meaning "beautiful."

Camellia is a bush with large, eye-catching flowers native to tropical areas of Asia. The name could also be considered a variant of Camilla, which derives from a Latin term for a servant to a priest.

Flora means "flower" in Latin (as you might guess).

Hyacinth is a popular, brightly colored flower native to the Mediterranean. Its name comes from a hero in Greek mythology who was the god Apollo's lover.

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Marigold flowers are so called because a similar flower was often placed at shrines to St. Mary, the mother of Jesus, and became known as "Mary's gold," for their bright yellow color.

Myrtle is a type of tree. In Victorian times, myrtle flowers symbolized love and were often used in wedding bouquets.

Nutmeg is an aromatic spice that comes from the seed of the nutmeg tree. Its name derives from a Latin phrase meaning "musky nut."

Peony is a flower symbolic in Chinese culture, where it's called "king of the flowers."

Sequoia is a type of giant redwood tree famous in California. The origins of its name aren't certain – it could be named after Sequoyah, a Cherokee man who created Cherokee syllabary; it could also derive from a Latin word meaning "to follow."

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Tansy is a flowering herb. Its name derives from the Greek word for immortality.

Tulip comes from the French word for the flower, which itself is derived from the Persian word for "turban," since the flowers look like turbans.

Zinnia flowers symbolized everlasting friendship in Victorian times, since they're so easy to grow and care for.

Cute unique girl names

Allegra is an Italian name meaning "happy" or "lively."

Aviva is a Hebrew name meaning "spring."

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Calista derives from a Greek word meaning "most beautiful."

Danica is a Slavic name that means "morning star."

Enya is the anglicized version of the Irish name Eithne, which means "kernel" or "grain."

Everlee, also spelled Everly or Everleigh, is an old English name meaning "boar meadow."

Fern derives from an Old English word for the plant. In Victorian flower language, ferns represented magic and secrecy.

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Philippa is the feminine version of Philip, a Greek name that means "lover of horses."

Galene is an ancient Greek goddess who presided over calm seas. The name means "calm."

Katya is a nickname for Yekaterina, the Russian version of Katherine. It means "pure."

Kylie has a couple of potential origins: It could come from the Noongar, an indigenous Australian tribe, word for "boomerang"; or it could derive from an Irish surname meaning "graceful."

Liesl is a German diminutive form of Elizabeth, which means "God is an oath," and its variants, including Lieselotte.

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Sarai is an alternate version of Sarah, a Hebrew name meaning "princess."

Tabitha is an Aramaic name that means "gazelle."

Wallis is a variant spelling of the Scottish surname Wallace, which means "from Wales."

Rare, unique girl names

If you're looking for an even rarer name, these picks didn't appear in the top 1,000 baby names in 2021. 

Avalon is a place in Arthurian legend; it's a Celtic name that means "island of apples."

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Aoife is an Irish name that means "beautiful" or "radiant."

Cambria is the Latinized version of the Welsh name for Wales.

Claudette is the feminine version of the French name Claude, which derives from a Latin name meaning "strong-willed."

Devika is a Hindu name meaning "little goddess."

Erina is a Japanese name with several meanings, depending on which characters are used to spell it. One common meaning is "blessing."

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Odette is a French name that derives from an Old German word meaning "wealthy."

Philomena is a Greek name with dual meanings: "beloved" and "friend of strength."

Solange is a French name derived from a Latin name meaning "solemn" or "religious."

Sybil is ancient an Greek name that means "prophet" or "oracle."

Valor derives from the Latin word valere, which means "to be strong."

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Yael is a Hebrew name that means "mountain goat."

Check out our list of unique boy names, too!

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Kelly Burch

Kelly Burch is a freelance journalist covering health, entrepreneurship, family, and more. She's passionate about bringing complex topics to life through stories that are easy to read and informative. Burch lives in New Hampshire with her husband and two young daughters. When she's not at her desk, you'll find her kayaking or hiking in the wilderness around her home. Burch is currently writing a book about traveling around the United States in an RV with her family for seven months.

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