If unique and exotic are two important features for the potential name of your baby, then you've come to the right place. Even seemingly simple names sometimes hold a secret pronunciation that adds to the name's allure and mystique. If you are on the hunt for the perfect baby name and are hoping to find something exclusive yet enticing with an air of mystery,take a look at 40 baby names pronounced differently than you'd think at first glance.

40 Aisling

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This Gaelic girl's name is extremely popular in Ireland right now. Meaning "dream" or "vision",Aisling is typically pronounced as Ash-Ling, Ash-Lin or Ash-Leen. In order to spare future confusion, many North American parents are opting to spell this elegant name phonetically.

39 Anaïs

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Pronounced A-na-ees, the girl's name Anaïs is most often associated with American novelist Anaïs Nin. Meaning "gracious" or "merciful", this particular name definitely has an exotic and European ring to it. While this name ranks highly in France as well as in Chile and Belgium, it is relatively unused in North America.

38 André

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This moniker gives the boy's name Andrew a slight European twist by simply dropping the "w". In some Eastern European countries, a "j" is added to the name's end. Pronounced Awn-Dray, the name means "brave" or "manly". Currently ranked at #29 in Portugal, André sits down at #279 for popular boys names in the U.S.A.

37 Anuxa

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This very original girl's name is pronounced A-noo-sha and is a variant of the Russian name Anushka. While the name Anushka has Hebrew origins and means "grace" or "favor", it also has Hindi associations meaning "lightning". As for the name Anuxa itself, there is virtually nothing to be found on it which tells you it's the perfect choice for new parents seeking an extremely unusual girl's name.

36 Aoife

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This Gaelic girl's name features prominently in many Irish legends about strong female heroines and warriors. Meaning "beautiful" and "radiant", Aoife is pronounced EE-fa. If you like Aoife's style, similar Irish girls names are Eabha (pronounced Eva) and Aoibhe (pronounced Ai-vah).

35 Ayn

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This interesting girl's name was made popular by Russian-born American writer Ayn Rand famous for her novels "The Fountainhead" and "Atlas Shrugged". Originally born Alissa, she changed her name to Ayn, a Finnish name she had once heard but had never seen spelled.

Pronounced like Ryan without the "R", it is believed that Ayn has Hebrew roots and is a variant of Anna.

34 Chloe

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Pronounced Klo-ee, this girl's name with Greek origins is extremely popular worldwide and very high on the trendy name lists in Canada, France, Australia and the U.S.A. Meaning "fresh blooming" or "green shoot", this name is sometimes spelled Khloe or Cloe.

33 Caoimhe

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Sometimes considered a feminine form of Kevin, this girl's name has Irish and Scottish origins. Most often pronounced as either Kee-va or Kwee-va, in Scotland, it is sometimes pronounced as Koy-vah.

Caoimhe means "beautiful", "precious" and "gentle" and typically resides within the top 20 girls names of Ireland. That said, many parents who choose this moniker prefer to spell it phonetically to save their daughters from a lifetime of aggravation.

32 Cathal

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This Irish boy's name with Celtic ties is most often pronounced as Ka-hill (basically, the "t" remains silent). Cathal as a boy's name was very popular in Ireland during the Middle Ages as it was the name of an Irish saint. Meaning "strong in battle", the name is currently making a resurgence in today's society. The name Charles is often used as an alternative Anglicized version of Cathal.

31 Dáithí

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Often considered as a Gaelic form of the boy's name David, Dáithí is pronounced Dah-hee. The meanings for this Irish boy's name vary from "believer" to "swift and agile".

30 Famke

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This Dutch girl's name is pronounced Fawm-ka and is the name of Dutch-born American actor Famke Janssen of "X-Men" fame. Meaning "peace", this name is sometimes spelled Femke.

29 Gráinne

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Associated with love as well as grain or corn, the Irish girl's name Gráinne is pronounced Grawn-ya. In Irish legends, Gráinne is the name of the goddess of grain as well as other royalty. In order to avoid future confusion, some parents opt to spell it Grania or Granya.

28 Isla

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This pretty girl's name is pronounced Eye-la and has been making the rounds throughout the U.S.A. as of late thanks to actor Isla Fisher. Meaning island, Isla is also the name of a river in Scotland. Presently, Isla is one of the top five girl's names in England, Wales, and Scotland.

27 Iwona

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Pronounced Ee-vone-ah, this girl's name has both Polish and Scandinavian roots. Meaning "bow of yew" or "archer", the name Iwona has many variants including Ivana, Ivanka, and Yvonne.

26 Joaquin

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This Spanish boy's name with Hebrew origins is pronounced Wah-keen and means "God will judge" or "raised by God". While currently very trendy in Argentina and Chile, Joaquin is making the rounds in the U.S.A. thanks to actor Joaquin Phoenix as well as Kelly Ripa whose 12-year-old son has the name. Another lesser-used variant of the name is Joaquim.

25 Jorge

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Considered the Spanish and Portuguese version of the boy's name George, Jorge has two distinct pronunciations. The Spanish pronunciation is Hor-hay and the Portuguese pronunciation is Zsar-zsee (the "zs" sound is in between a hard "j" and a softer "z" sound) or Zsar-zsa.

Jorge means "farmer" and while wildly popular in Spanish-speaking countries, it is slowly gaining traction in North America as a trendy choice for a boy's name.

24 José

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This biblical boy's name is pronounced Ho-say in Spanish and Zsu-seh in Portuguese. A variant of Joseph, José is a very popular boy's name in both Spain and Portugal and sits high at #9 in Chile.

23 Margot

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Sometimes used as a nickname for Margaret or Marguerite, Margot is also a stand-alone first name. Pronounced Mar-go (with the "t" silent), this French girl's name means "pearl". It's becoming more mainstream in North America thanks to Australian actor Margot Robbie. It is also sometimes spelled as Margaux or Margo.

22 Mireille

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This simple and beautiful girl's name is often butchered due to its unusual spelling. Pronounced Meer-ay, this French name means "to admire". ActorMireille Enos has brought the name to the forefront of popular culture. Similar names include Mirella, Miriam, and Mary.

21 Neve

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Typically, Neve is considered the slightly altered version of Irish girl's name Niamh (see next name) and is usually pronounced Nev (as in rhymes with Bev) although sometimes as Neev. Both actor Neve Campbell,as well as the daughter of late night comedian Conan O'Brien, pronounce their respective names as Nev.

However, Neve also has Italian and Portuguese connotations as it is the word for "snow". In this case, it would be pronounced as Nee-a-vee.