An A – Z of under used names for girls
by Ruth Fitzpatrick
Yesterday we brought you an A to Z of underused and – in our opinion! – underappreciated boys names. Today? It's all about the girls!
A is for… Astrid – this is a really cool name with a huge amount of Viking sassiness. It means 'divinely beautiful' and we think it is too!
B is for… Briar – there's a tomboyish charm to this name, but also simplistically feminine. Your little princess will also share their name with one of the Disney princesses: Briar Rose.
C is for… Ciara – a popular name in Ireland, but it's dropped in popularity here in the States over the last decade. It means 'little dark one' and is traditionally pronounced KEER-a, but is occasionally pronounced see-AIR-a by Americans.
D is for… Dorothy – an old-fashioned name that stays whimsical and playful thanks to its Oz connections. We think Dorothy could really come back into fashion.
E is for… Emmeline – an elegant and romantic alternative to America's current #1, Emma. Emmeline is ranked 787 places behind its big sister, so it will definitely be something more unique.
F is for… Faye – this name is so simple and light. It means 'fairy', and we think it's a really magical choice.
G is for… Greta – Greta is the diminutive of Margarethe, and mixes Old World charm with Old Hollywood glam.
H is for… Heather – floral names are really in at the moment, so we think Heather needs to take advantage of current trends! Slightly wilder and freer than the highly cultivated Rose and Lily, we love this name to bits!
I is for… Ingrid – another Norse name we'd like to see used a little more in the States. It means 'fair, beautiful', and has the fair and beautiful Ingrid Bergman as a namesake.
J is for… Jewel – with the return of Emerald and Ruby, we think it might be time for Jewel to make a comeback! While it might once have sounded a little tacky, we think the current naming trends would make this an excellent choice.
K is for… Karter – quite an audacious choice for a little girl, but we think Karter – and the more popular, Carter – is super trendy and is beautifully bombastic.
L is for… Lexie – this diminutive of a number of Alex-names is delightful and a fantastic name in its own right.
M is for… Mavis – this name is pure old lady chic, and – yes! – we're saying that as a compliment! We love this new trend of reclaiming lost names, and think Mavis is an awesome and unique option.
N is for… Nancy – Nancy is in fact the diminutive of Ann and means 'grace'. It could be a great choice if you want to honor an Ann in your life, but want something individual for your daughter.
O is for… Ophelia – a name invented by Shakespeare for his tragic heroine might not seem like the natural choice for your daughter, but we love its rich, poetic sound and exoticism.
P is for… Poppy – Poppy is a flower name which is more playful than Rose and more preppy than Heather or Lily. And with less than 400 baby Poppys born last year, your daughter's name will really pop out!
Q is for… Quincy – we love Quincy. A classic case of surname-as-a-first-name, we think Quincy is quirky and cute, but also one with historical and cultural gravitas.
R is for… Rylan - this unisex name has been a bigger hit parent of little boys than of little girls, but we love it and think it is great alternative to the much more masculine Ryan.
S is for… Sylvie – Sylvie is a very sleek and sophisticated name with a wild touch: it means 'from the forest'.
T is for… Teagan – of all the "under-used" names on our list, this one is actually the most used! In fact, last year, it was #150 among American parents. Still, we see this Irish name – meaning 'beautiful' – rising even higher up the charts in the future.
U is for… Uma – a Sanskrit name which could easily make the transition into the US name lists. It means 'nation', and was introduced to the American masses by Hollywood star, Uma Thurman.
V is for… Valda – a superhero name for your super and strong little girl. Valda means 'battle heroine'.
W is for… Wendy – the name Wendy was invented by the author of Peter Pan. Its whimsical origins and its unique sound make us hope it will fly again in the charts!
X is for… Xia – pronounced ZEE-uh, this name is a really super exotic and unique alternative the top 10 hit, Mia.
Y is for… Yelena – this Slavic variant of Helen sounds a lot sleeker, sensuous and infinitely more exotic than the original.
Z is for… Zaria – They say a rose by any other name would smells as sweet, and that's certainly the case here with Zaria. This Arabic name means, of course, 'rose', and we think it is way too underused: last year only 348 Zarias were born in the whole USA!
