The Rarest Girl Names in the U.S. Right Now Are Also the Most Gorgeous — & Almost No One’s Using Them

Fayra

This is most likely a more-phonetic (read: easier for the general public to pronounce) spelling of Feyre, a name that was created for the Sarah J. Maas book series A Court of Thorns and Roses — which itself is rumored to stem from fayre, the old English spelling of “fair.” 

Enley

If you think about the name Emily, it’s probably one of the most popular girl names of all time; it stayed in the top 10 for 25 years, and was #1 from 1996 to 2007 (usurped only by the VERY similar Emma). But Enley? There were only five baby girls given this name in the last year. 

Zenara

Any name that starts with the word “zen” is sure to impart a chill vibe, but the “-ara” suffix gives it a bit of feminine mystique as well.

Marseille

Pronounced mar-SAY, this unique name was taken from the name of the ancient Greek settlement Massalia, whose exact origin remains unclear. Some theories suggest it comes from the Ligurian word mas, meaning “spring,” while others trace it to Greek roots implying a “city at the far reaches of the sea,” combining masson (“further”) and hals (“sea”). Today, it’s known as a historic city in southern France — and a rare girl name to boot!

Lyria

Sound- or music-based names like Lyric have risen in popularity over the last few years, and Lyria is a fresh and melodic feminine spin! 

Ridgley

This rare baby girl name could be just as easily used for a boy — and its gender-neutral quality is part of its appeal! Besides, “Ridge” is a super-cute nickname!

Keva

This may look like an invented name, but no — it’s actually an Anglicized version of the Irish name Caoimhe (pronounced the same way), which comes from the Irish word caomh, meaning “dear” or “beloved.”

Larsen

Surname names have been all the rage for years (think Riley, Quinn, Jackson, and the like). And this one is no exception — but the difference is, it hasn’t been given to a bunch of babies! It’s from the Swedish surname Larsen or Larson, which means “son of Lars.”

Alvie

Alvie has an adorable vintage quality, and an equally-adorable meaning: it’s derived from the male name Alvin, which is made up of the Old English elements ælf and wine, meaning … “elf friend!”

Mailea

This name is said to come from the male name Mael, meaning “prince” or “lord.” But this feminine version is ripe with possible pronunciations: My-lee, May-lee, My-leah, May-leah, My-lee-uh, May-lee-uh.

Valera

Valera is a place name — there are actually two Spanish cities called Valera! But as a name-name, it’s a beautiful modern alternative to Valerie. 

Zaray

Though sources seem to agree that this isn’t just a made-up name, they can’t pinpoint exactly where it came from. Some, however, suspect it’s an alternate pronunciation — perhaps Spanish — of Hebrew name Sarai, meaning “my princess.”

Kelyse

It’s not Elyse, and it’s not Kelsey — it’s a totally unique hybrid! Phonetically, it actually sounds a lot like Khaleesi: an invented name from Game of Thrones meaning “queen” that saw a surge in popularity after the HBO series aired. 

Jaiah

This gorgeous name is probably an alternate spelling of Jaya, from the Sanskrit word jaya meaning “victory.” It’s typically pronounced Jah-yah, but you could also pronounce it Jay-ah. 

Mabree

Another surname-name, this one comes to us from the Norman surname Mowbray, meaning “mud hill” in Old French. We love it because it combines the vintage-sounding element “may” (as in Mae or Mabel) with the peppy and adorable “-bree” suffix. 

Kaiore

This name comes to us from the Japanese kaori, meaning “fragrance.” An alternate spelling, Kaiori with an I at the end, was also only given to five baby girls last year!

Ivara

The beautiful Ivara is the feminine version of the male name Ivar — which is derived from the Old Norse name Ívarr, likely composed of the elements ýr, meaning “yew tree” or “bow,” and herr, meaning “army” or “warrior.”

Marija

This is actually the Croation, Serbian, and Macedonian form of Maria (whose meaning is debated; some sources say it means “bitter” while others argue that it means “wished-for child” or “beloved”). It’s pronounced the same way as Maria, but we think the addition of the J makes it look extra-beautiful.  

Ellany

This is a wonderful invented name that combines the ultra-feminine elle sound as in Eleanor (or Elle itself!) with the ending of Tiffany or Melanie to make a more modern-sounding name — a rare gem that’s barely been used!

Danara

This name may be a variant of the Greek name Deianeira, which means “slayer of man” (just try and think of a more alarmingly-powerful meaning … we’ll wait!). Or it could just be a name that was invented because it has a beautiful sound. Either way, it’s one your little girl won’t find everywhere she goes!

Hazy

If people can (and do!) name their kids things like Breezy and Stormy, why not Hazy? It could almost be considered a nature name! Plus, it has a little bit of the vintage appeal of the name Hazel, which is growing in popularity. 

Fina

Though it’s cute all by itself, Fina is usually found as a nickname for names with that ending — such as Josefina, Serafina, or Delfina.  

Breia

This could be an alternate spelling of Bria, which is a nickname for feminine names like Gabriella or Brianne. But we love it spelled this way! You could also pronounce this name Bray-ah. 

Eilen

Eileen sounds a little outdated, but take out an E, and you’ve got Eilen – which miraculously sounds fresher and more modern! It could also be a variation of the Nordic name Elin, meaning “torch.”

Bijou

This sparkling rare gem is quite literally a sparkling rare gem — because bijou means “jewel” in French! 

Capria

This name likely pays homage to Capri, a beautifully-picturesque island in Italy. 

Briari

Like Breia, Briari could be a spinoff of the nickname Bria — or it could just be a combination of harmonic sounds. Either way, it’s unique!

Sanaira

Sanaira seems to be an invented name inspired by the likes of Senora or Samara — though it could be a form of Senara, which itself comes from the name Senovara, a Celtic name whose meaning is unknown. 

Aviel

This is actually a masculine name — but in American culture, it sounds more feminine. It’s the modern form of the Hebrew name Abiel, meaning “God is my father.”

Daryn

This is a spelling variant of the male name Darren — which may have been invented by author Zane Grey for his 1922 novel, The Day of the Beast.

Adrie

There’s a place in Northern Italy called Adria — the Adriatic Sea is named after it — and that’s likely where the root of this name, Adrian, originates. 

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