Every year, the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) unveils the top 1000 most popular names — one list for girls and a separate one for boys — based on their collected data from the previous year. If you’re not concerned with how popular a name is, or whether it’s in the top five (for girls, that’s Olivia, Emma, Charlotte, Amelia, and Sophia, in case you were wondering), then this article isn’t for you. And as we always say — no matter how popular (or unpopular!) a name is, if you love it, you should absolutely use it.
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But if you’re looking for the rarest girl names of the past year, you’ve come to the right place. We dug deep into the SSA’s latest data to unearth 22 rare gems that were used no more than five times. That’s right: there were nearly 3.6 million babies born in the U.S. last year, of which we can assume roughly half were girls. And these name on the list you’re about to read were given to only five of those — an astoundingly small amount in the grand scheme of things. Which mean these are definitely among the rarest girl names you can find these days.
One caveat: If you’ve got your heart set on a name with meaning, these might not fit the bill. Since most of them are either recently-invented names or combinations of two names, they don’t really have a meaning — although some might argue that’s just reason to make them mean whatever you want them to!RELATED STORYPrepare To Be Astounded (& Offended?) by What Kids Think Are ‘Old People Names’
While there are a few on the list that admittedly made us raise an eyebrow (Moo and Greatness, for starters), the ones we’ve chosen for our roundup feel familiar enough to more conventional names so they wouldn’t classify as “weird.” But they’re definitely still special and distinctive — so if you’re looking for the perfect moniker that’s unique but not strange, these rare girl names are our top picks.
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Adelay
There’s Adele, Adeline, Addison, Adelaide, and Adalyn … so why not Adelay? It’s a different iteration of a classically-popular sound.Report ad
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Alvie
In the up-and-coming trend of “grandpa” names for girls — Johnnie, Frankie, and Charlie, for example — Alvie is a name that would fit in perfectly, yet it’s also a name you don’t hear often.Report ad
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Alizette
Elizabeth is a tried-and-true classic … but you can find it everywhere. How about switching it up with the uber-feminine sounding Alizette? Just like Elizabeth, you could use Liz as a nickname — or spice it up by using Zettie!Report ad
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Anacelia
Another graceful and feminine choice, this one sounds like a hybrid blend of Anastasia and Cecelia (though we think the first part is prettiest when pronounced AH-na).Report ad
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Anneke
If you want a rare girl name with meaning, this import from the Netherlands is a beautiful choice! It’s the Dutch equivalent of Anna, which means “favor” or “grace,” and is pronounced AH-nuh-kuh.Report ad
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Burke
This one also has an actual meaning — it’s from the Old English burg, meaning “fortress.” And like popular names such as Parker, Delaney, and Blair, Burke is a surname transferred to first-name use. But it’s one you don’t hear nearly as often!Report ad
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Cambrey
This name likely stems from Cambria, which is actually the Latin word for the Welsh Cymru — what the Welsh call the country of Wales. Cambria itself is not widely used, but we like Cambrey because it somehow feels more contemporary.Report ad
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Capria
The Italian island of Capri is known for its stunning natural beauty and glamorous culture — so one might surmise that Capria is inspired by this gorgeous island. Although while Capri is typically pronounced cuh-PREE, we imagine this name is pronounced as CAP-ree-uh.Report ad
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Coralai
This mashup of Cora (or Coraline!) and Lorelai is a beautiful-but-rare gem that sounds vintage with a modern flavor.Report ad
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Ellara
E names have been wildly popular in the last couple of decades, and this one is a fresh take on names like Ellen and Eleanor. We think it gives a medieval princess vibe! Report ad
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Emyra
Other E names that are popular? Anything that starts with “Em.” Emily, Emma, Emerson, Emeline. But we haven’t heard Emyra yet — and it’s gorgeous and distinctive!Report ad
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Everson
Speaking of the name Emerson, it skyrocketed in popularity between 2004-05, when it went from #833 on the SSA’s popularity chart to #443 — and it has continued to rise (at last count, it was all the way up to #161). Similarly, the name Everly had a huge jump (#902 to #379 within the span of one year, and now standing at #69). So it’s no wonder Everson is such a beautiful choice; it’s a hybrid of two iconic names.Report ad
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Faria
From Arabic, this name — written as فاريا — translates to Faria, which means “kind and loving.” What a perfect meaning for a sweet baby girl (and later on, a wonderful woman)!Report ad
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Haddon
Like Burke, Haddon is also a transferred surname; it’s an English habitational name (meaning a name used to indicate where a person lived) that likely means “the heather-covered hill.” It’s a change of pace from Hadley, which has enjoyed increasing popularity as a girl name over the last few years.Report ad
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Jenora
This one’s another invented name, but isn’t it pretty?! The “Jen-” prefix is a much-loved staple of baby naming and has been for decades (think of all the Jennifers of the 70s and 80s!), while the “-nora” ending gives it a unique and feminine flair.Report ad
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Kirsi
There are a few possibilites as to the origin of this Nordic sweetheart: it’s the Finnish form of Christina (meaning “a Christian”), or it could be a diminutive of Kirsikka, which means “cherry” in Finnish, and it’s also the Finnish word for “frost.” So you can pick your own meaning!Report ad
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Lilias
Though Lilias sounds fairly contemporary thanks to the popularity of names like Elias, it’s actually found as early as the 16th century in Scotland as a form of Lillian (which likely comes from the Latin lilium, meaning “lily”).Report ad
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Luli
With cute and vintage-leaning names like Lola, Louie, and Lulu on the rise, why not the equally-adorable Luli?! It’s actually a diminutive of the Spanish Lucía, meaning “light.”Report ad
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Maebri
Maebri is also a transferred surname, though it’s spelled differently when used as a last name: Mabry. (It’s commonly thought to be a spelling variation of Mayberry.) As a first name, it sounds energetic and friendly!Report ad
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Marlett
Take Marley (or Marlow!) and combine it with the ever-popular Charlotte and you’ve got a rare girl name used only five times last year! Theoretically, you could use Mar or Marley as a nickname — and of course the adorable Lettie!Report ad
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Solaire
This sunny name is a different and pretty twist on the popular Soleil (or, if you’re Beyoncé’s sister, Solange!).Report ad
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Sula
We love the vintage charm of Tula and Lula — so why not Sula?! If you want to assign a meaning to this name, you could say it’s a diminutive of Ursula, which means “little bear.”Report ad
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Tavi
The bright and cheerful-sounding Tavi is said to be a diminutive of Octavia, which means “eighth.” It would be especially meaningful for a baby born on the eighth day — or in the eighth month — or for the eighth child! Although it’s adorable for any ol’ number.Report ad
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Vylah
There’s Myla. There’s Violet. And then there’s Vylah! It has the potential for the cute nickname Vy, and your little Vylah definitely won’t meet other Vylahs everywhere she goes, since it’s such a rare name!Report ad
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Zura
Z names are just automatically cooler, right? Starting with such a distinctive letter gives a name a unique advantage right from the beginning. So what makes Zura even cooler, besides its sound? It comes from the Persian word زور (zur), meaning “strength” or “power.”
