An alphabet of still-undiscovered names across the style spectrum
It’s the ultimate baby name treasure: an undiscovered name. As name styles shift and expand, these hidden gems become harder and harder to find. But we’ve uncovered a trove.
Each of these 78 girls’ names is genuinely rare. None appear in the current list of the top 1000 names for American girls. Some are antiques that have yet to return to style, like Harriet. Others are brand-new like Sparrow, or imports that have yet to catch on here like Elowen. And a few are genuine mysteries, names that continue to fly under the style radar despite seemingly classic appeal. (I’ll let you find those for yourself.)
For a balanced selection, I’ve included three names starting with each letter of the alphabet: one with retro style, one that fits current trends, and one wildcard. (Check out the boys’ list, too!)
| Throwback | Contemporary | Wildcard | |
| A | Althea | Amethyst | Ariadne |
| B | Betty | Breeze | Blythe |
| C | Cecily | Cassia | Clarity |
| D | Delia | Dove | Dulcie |
| E | Evelina | Ellery | Elowen |
| F | Fern | Fiorella | Fiadh |
| G | Geneva | Gaia | Greer |
| H | Harriet | Hartley | Honor |
| I | Iva | Ilaria | Imogen |
| J | Jewel | Juno | Jessamine |
| K | Kay | Kit | Keziah |
| L | Lavinia | Lane | Lilias |
| M | Minerva | Mika | Merritt |
| N | Nell | Noelani | Nandi |
| O | Olympia | Oriana | Orly |
| P | Polly | Perry | Petra |
| Q | Queenie | Quinley | Quinney |
| R | Ruthie | Ripley | Rue |
| S | Sibyl | Senna | Sparrow |
| T | Tilly | Tova | Tamsin |
| U | Una | Unity | Ursa |
| V | Viola | Verena | Verity |
| W | Winifred | Winry | Wallis |
| X | Xenia | Xena | Xolani |
| Y | Yvonne | Yuna | Yael |
| Z | Zora | Zia | Zinnia |
Read More: An Alphabet of Buried Treasure Boys’ Names
5 Comments
Nandi, Quinney and Winry are totally new to me! I’d especially love to see Althea, Una and WInifred catch on.
Not a criticism aimed at you, Laura: It kills me that in our culture boys get names like Hawk, Wolf, Tiger and Bear, while girls get names like Sparrow, Wren and Dove.
I met a baby girl named Starling a few months ago, so of course I looked it up. Turns out to be very rare but not unheard-of (like, a handful per million babies in the early 1900s) — for boys. Even in the more recent blips of usage, it appears to be perceived as masculine.
That was a good thought! I bet the use on boys is because it’s so similar to Sterling.
Some great names here! I’m especially drawn to Polly, which is a name I’ve always liked on fictional characters but very rarely see on people, as well as Imogen. (My soon-to-be new married name ends in an -a, so I’ve started stockpiling good names that don’t end in -a…)
My first association for Unity is Unity Mitford, which is a shame, as it has a lovely meaning in itself. Maybe a few more famous Unitys would overcome the association.
I named my miscarried baby Sparrow. I didn’t know if it was a boy or a girl and my baby didn’t need a name for earth. I thought of the hymn “God sees the little sparrow fall, it meets his tender eye.”