BABY NAMES

These girl names that start with Q are just darling.
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Quirky, Quaint, & UniQue Girl Names That Start With Q

This list is quintessential.

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Maybe it’s because you’re creative. Or quirky. Maybe you’re having quadruplets and want to lean into the theme. Maybe it’s because you’re someone who’s up for a challenge. Whatever the reason, you have decided to look into girl names that start with “Q” for your upcoming baby (or babies) and, honestly, I’m super here for it. Since the letter Q isn’t a terribly common starter (at least not in English) for boy or girl names, it’s a surefire way to find a unique name for your little one. (If there’s another Quinevra in her class, I will eat my hat.)

While many of the names on this list of girl names that start with “Q” are quite traditional, others are either invented (which, if you think about it, all names are at some point) or twists on more traditional (but still often unique) names. But I’m thinking that if you're up for a girl name that starts with “Q,” you're going to be down for at least considering a whole bunch of unusual options. So I’ve gathered a cadre of names from the Americas to Europe to Asia and more to help you choose the perfect unique “Q” name for your girl, or at least give you some ideas. Let’s get quaint and quirky and uniQue.

1

Quinn

Popular without being too popular...Shutterstock

This gender neutral Irish name of Quinn cracked the Top 100 baby names in the U.S. back in 2015 and has remained popular without being too popular. It is a spin on surnames like McQuinn and Ó Cuinn, but could also come from the Irish word for “wise” or “head.”

2

Queen

Let her know who she is straight away with this unique, sweet girl’s name of Queen. I also like the diminutive version, Queenie.

3

Quincy

A gender neutral name that may bring to mind Quincy Market in Boston or legendary record producer Quincy Jones, the name of Quincy, like so many on our list, comes from the Latin word for “five” and means “the fifth.”

4

Quinta

Made famous by comedian/actress/writer Quinta Brunson of Abbott Elementary, the name Quinta also means “fifth.” Perfect for your fifth child or daughter, or if you find that the number five speaks to you.

5

Quiana

Pronounced “key-ANA”, the name Quiana does not appear to have a clear source of origin, but rather came up in America as something that people liked the sound of. The word quiana, however, was coined in 1962 — it is a nylon derived silk-like fabric.

6

Qadira

This Arabic girl’s name of Qadira means “capable.”

7

Quinlyn

A spin on Quinn that follows the trend of adding “lyn(n)” to names that gives a little extra femininity/panache, Quinlyn is a pretty darling girl name that starts with Q.

8

Qira

What’s wrong with a kreeativv spelling...?Shutterstock

I love Qira as a quirky twist on the more popular (but not tremendously popular) Keira or Kira, which is itself a spin on the Irish name Ciara (“little dark one”).

9

Queeva

A variation on the Irish name Caiomhe (which is pronounced “KWEE-va because the Irish language does its own thing and well it should) is Queeva. This version is more readily understood by non-Irish speakers, so it might be a good answer to people who love Caiomhe (which means “dear” or “noble”), but not the spelling.

10

Quilla

This apparently invented name of Quilla appears to have been inspired by the word “quill” (as in an old timey pen made from a feather) — perfect for the child of a writer!

11

Quitterie

Quitterie — pronounced “KEY-tuh-ree” — is an off-beat French name meaning “the red one.” It is associated with Quiteria, a second century Catholic saint.

12

Quetzalli

In Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs, the name Quetzalli means “quetzal feather.” A quetzal is a resplendent green bird native to Central America that figures prominently into the mythology and folklore of the region.

13

Queue

I like the off-beat quirkiness of this invented girl name of Queue. Pronounced just like the letter, it doesn’t mean anything in particular (though spelled this way, it’s another word for a line of people), but if you’re proudly nerdy, it could be a reference to the chaotic powerful being from Star Trek, who shares the same name.

14

Qing

Simple and sweet.Shutterstock

The Mandarin name Qing is pronounced “ching.” The meaning can change depending on what characters are used to spell it in Mandarain, but it often means “aqua green” or “green grass.”

15

Quinley

Another unique spin on Quinn that lends itself to several cute nicknames is Quinley. You could even play around with the spelling of this girl name that starts with Q.

16

Quintana

This Spanish name of Quintana is sometimes a surname and means “country house.”

17

Qianqian

Qianquian is a sweet, uncommon Chinese name pronounced “chi-ehn-chin,” and means “diligent.”

18

Quora

I’m a big fan of Quora and its spin on “Cora,” a name that pops up in a number of different languages. In Greek it means “maiden,” and in Gaelic lanaguges it can mean “good,” “virtuous,” or “honest.”

19

Quitarah

Quitarah is a unique spelling of the similarly unique name “Kitara/Katara” which is itself of unknown origin (as far as I can tell). It’s also the name of a character in Avatar: The Last Airbender.

20

Querida

For your little dear...Shutterstock

Querida is a Spanish term of endearment meaning “dear” or “darling one.” (Be careful, though: while it has a cute meaning throughout much of the Spanish speaking world, in the Phillipines, when spelled different, it has a less wholesome meaning.)

21

Quvenzhané

This truly unique Q name of Quvenzhané was made famous by child actress Quvenzhané Wallis. The origin is unclear, and in Wallis’ case, her parents named her by combining the first syllables of her parents' first names in "Quven", and a twist on the Swahili word “jini” meaning “sprite” or “fairy.”

22

Queralt

The name Queralt comes to us from Catalan — a unique language spoken in eastern Spain, parts of the south of France, and the micro-nation of Andorra — and is pronounced “ca-RAHL” (like Carol, but fancy), meaning “high rock.”

23

Quasheba

Quasheba is a unique Q name for girls that has its roots in America, specifically among enslaved people. It is thought to be a spin on the West African name “Kwasi” which means “born on a Sunday.”

24

Quỳnh

The beautiful Vietnamese name Quynh may look difficult to pronounce if you don’t speak the language, but it’s quite simple — it’s the same as Quinn — and it means “deep red” and is the name of a flowering plant in the country.

25

Qadeisha

A spin on a true classic.Shutterstock

An alternate spelling of “Khadijah,” this Arabic name of Qadeisha means “early baby” (perfect for a preemie!) and also “trustworthy.” In the Koran, Khadijah is the first wife of Mohammed.

Hopefully I’ve given you some good Q girl names to quonsider... erm... consider. (Sorry, that was way more Qs than I’m used to and it might take a while to shake them.)

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