While we might not necessarily think about it too much, our names are important. They are a part of our personal identity and have real weight in society. Many perceptions and stereotypes are formed about certain names and today, many parents take extra care when picking a name out for their child. While most people like to give their children common names, many people choose to go in the opposite direction and find something unique.
Since most baby name databases are based on statistics from the United States, we decided to cover the rarest girl names from the United States. This list is based on the most recent information from the Social Security Administration in 2017. Every year, the SSA puts out a list of the Top 1,000 Baby Names and we selected a variety of rare names from the bottom of the list.
- Yara
- Nathalia
- Yamileth
- Saanvi
- Samira
- Sylvie
- Miya
- Monserrat
- Zendaya
- Alora
Ranking on Top 1000 List: 987
Origin: Arabic or Aborigine
Meaning: “Small Butterfly” (Arabic) of “Seagull” (Aborigine)
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In 2017, Yara was popular enough to rank on the Top 1,000 Baby Names for the first time. Yara’s sudden popularity may have something to do with the fictional character Yara Greyjoy from the television show “Game of Thrones” or the actress Yara Shahidi from the show “Black-ish.” While the name Yara may become used more often, its still quite rare and only 262 girls were given the name.
Yara is either Arabic or Aborigine in origin. In Arabic, Yara means “Small Butterfly” and in Aborigine, Yara means “Seagull.”
Ranking on Top 1000 List: 989
Origin: Latin (primarily Italian, Russian, and Spanish)
Meaning: “Born on Christmas Day”
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Nathalia is such a rare variation on the name Natalia that there isn’t much about the origin of the name. It most likely has the same meaning and pronunciation as Natalia. Natalia comes from the Latin word “natalis”, which means birthday. Specifically it references the birth of Christ or Christmas.
Nathalia has been on the Top 1,000 Baby Name list a few times since 2006 and has only appeared in consecutive years since 2015. The rare girl name was most popular in 2006 when it ranked at No. 791. In 2017, Nathalia hit its lowest usage and only ranked at No. 989.
Ranking on Top 1000 List: 990
Origin: Spanish/Arabic
Meaning: “Beautiful”
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Yamileth is a unique and rare girl name that has appeared on the Top 1,000 Baby Names list since 2010. The popularity of Yamileth has fluctuated, but overall, the name tends to rank near the bottom third of the list. Yamileth was the most popular in 2014 when it ranked at No. 796. In 2017, Yamileth fell to its lowest spot ever at No. 990 with only 262 girls born with the name.
According to OhBabyNames.com, Yamileth is a newer name from Spain. Yamileth is derived from Yamila, the Spanish equivalent of the Arabic Jamila, which means “Beautiful.”
Ranking on Top 1000 List: 991
Origin: Sanskrit/Hindu
Meaning: “One Who Follows”
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Saanvi first showed up on the Top 1,000 U.S. Baby Names in 2011 at No. 847 when 312 girls were given that name. This rare list appeared on the list again the following year and fell out of popularity for the next few years. Saanvi returned to the list in 2017 at No. 991 with 260 girls born with the name.
The origin of the name Saanvi was a little hard to find as its mostly used by Hindu parents. Saanvi is Sanskrit and means “One Who Follows.” Although Saanvi is in general a rare name, it’s ranked at No. 176 in New Jersey.
Ranking on Top 1000 List: 992
Origin: Arabic
Meaning: “Entertaining Companion”
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Samira is a fairly rare name in the United States and was on the Top 1,000 baby names list from 2002 – 2005 before falling in popularity for over decade. Samira returned to the Top 1,000 list, near the bottom, in 2017. This resurgence in popularity is most likely because of actress Samira Wiley, who is known for her work on “Orange Is the New Black” and “The Handmaid’s Tale.”
The best year for the name Samira was in 2003, when it ranked at No. 792 in the Top 1,000 baby names list. Samira is a variation on the Arabic name Sameera and means “Entertaining Companion.”
Ranking on Top 1000 List: 993
Origin: French
Meaning: “Forest”
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Although Sylvia is an incredibly common and popular name, Sylvie, which is derived from Sylvia, is not nearly as popular. Sylvie has only appeared on the Top 1,000 Baby Names list in 2016 and 2017 near the bottom. In 2017, Sylvie was ranked at No. 993, which was down from the previous year’s rank at No. 959.
Sylvie is French in origin and means “Forest” – this is also the same meaning for Sylvia. According to BabyNameScience.com, Sylvie is quite popular in Massachusetts and very unpopular in Texas. Some notable women named Sylvie include: Dutch actress Sylvie van der Vaart, French singer and actress Sylvie Vartan, and Canadian Olympic gold medal synchronized swimmer Sylvie Fréchette.
Ranking on Top 1000 List: 997
Origin: Japanese
Meaning: “Sacred House”
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Although Miya has been on the Top 1,000 U.S. baby names list for nearly 20 years, it has always been quite rare. The name tends to rank near the very bottom of the list and 2017 was the second least popular year for Miya. In 2013, Miya ranked at No. 876 and accounted for 294 girls born that year
Miya is a Japanese name that means “Sacred House.” According to the Social Security Administration, there are a number of names that are similar to Miya that are much more popular, including Mia, Mila, Maya, and Mya.
Ranking on Top 1000 List: 998
Origin: Spanish/Latin
Meaning: “Jagged Mountain”
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Monserrat has been on the Top 1,000 baby names list since every years since 2000. Overall, Monserrat has been on the bottom half on the list and the popularity of the name varies greatly from year to year. In 2017, only 258 girls were named Monserrat, which is the lowest the name has ever been in the Top 1,000 list. Monserrat was the most popular in 2014 when it was ranked at No. 592.
Monserrat is Spanish in origin and from the Catalan region. The name comes from the Latin mons serratus, which means “Jagged Mountain.”
Ranking on Top 1000 List: 999
Origin: African
Meaning: “To Give Thanks”
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Interest in the name Zendaya in the past few years is largely due to the popularity of actress Zendaya Colemnan. In the past 114 years, the name Zendaya has been in the Top 1,000 U.S. baby names every year since 2014. From the most recent Social Security Administration’s records in 2017, about 258 girls were named Zendaya. The name reached its peak in 2015 when it ranked at No. 797 and 353 babies were dubbed Zendaya.
Zendaya originates from Africa and means “To Give Thanks.” This girl name comes from the Shona (chiShona) language of Zimbabwe/Southern Zambi.
Ranking on Top 1000 List: 1,000
Origin: African
Meaning: “My Dream”
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In 2017, only about 257 baby girls were named Alora in the United States and it ranked last on the Top 1,000 baby names list put out by the Social Security Administration. The name Alora has never been popular in the U.S. and 2017 was the first year that the name appeared on the Top 1,000 list. With very few people naming their babies Alora, it is the rarest girl name in the United States.
According to BabyNames.com, Alora is African in origin and means “My Dream.” More specifically, Alora is from the Bantu language of Botswana.
