Unique, but classic girl names

[alexwm]

I'm a big history-lover, but I'm not drawn to popular names like Elizabeth, Margaret, Catherine, Mary, etc.

I tend to lean towards names like Clare or Elle.

Any more suggestions?

I also love that name

Do you mean traditional but not many people (old or young) with that name currently? Or do you like the fact that Clare and Elle are short and simple?

I like (but might not be brave enough to use all of these!)

Daphne
Louisa
Hope
April
Cordelia
Winifred
Marigold
Lavinia
Isadora
Cassia
Cecilia
Primrose nn Posy
Verity
Petra
Leonora
Lilac
Henrietta
Bryony
Jemima

If you are a big history-lover, why don't you pick the name of an historical woman you admire?
Some suggestions;
100 Most Important Women in World History (thoughtco.com)

I really like the name April. I had thought about it for DD1. But she was born in May and whilst I don’t think you need to be born in April to be called April, there was something odd in my view in calling a baby April who was born in May!

April is a classic name. Also Frances, Jane, Anne, Freda.

I am not convinced you can really combine unique with classic though I’m afraid.

Jocelyn

Annie
Joan
June
Cara
Susan
Jennifer
Heather
Talitha
Alice
Carol

Clare/Claire is pretty nice actually!

And may be due a comeback?

I think what op is looking for is the sort of names that people know and won't struggle over. Yet also are unusual and not top 100 list.

What I call unusual but not weird.

My suggestions
Bronte
Eloisa
Marnie
Sadie

Or Greek mythology
Gaia
Athena
Hera
Persephone
Hestia
Rhea
Theia
Arete

Catriona
Deborah/Debra
Elaine
Esther
Frances
Harriet
Henriette/Henrietta
Imogen
Jennifer
Julia
Kirsten
Kirsty
Kristen
Linsay
Lorna
Madeline
Paula
Pamela
Rhiannon
Samantha
Susan/Suzann
Therese
Verity
Yvonne
Zoe

Dorothea

It sounds as though you are going for single-syllable names with a slightly middle-aged vibe. So:
Beth
Jill
Fay
Faith
Dawn
Kate
Ruth
Fleur
Jane
Jade
Hope
Liv
Fern
Anne
Niamh

Also Lucy, Abby, Julia, Sarah, Emma, Gemma, Zoë, Ellen, Helen, Lisa, Judith, Fiona...

Sadie

Clare/ Claire is definitely due a comeback.

I assumed you meant classic but underused rather than unique. Clare definitely fits that category. Also

Helen
Mabel
Agnes
Jane
Rachel
Caroline
Maude
Edith
Julia
Colette
Nina
Annie
May
Louise/ Louisa
Frances
Rosa
Ethel
Fern
Sylvia

Classic and unique are the opposite of each other.

My favourites are
Martha
Dorothy
Constance
Honor
Love all those names

Fleur
Pearl
Fern
Jennet
Annis

By unique I’m guessing you mean not as popular?

Blythe as mentioned above is gorgeous!
I also love Dorothy, nickname Dotty. Penny is very sweet and Betsy.

Underused classics that fit with Elle/Clare-

Viola

Elise

Cecily

Verity

Hazel

Aveline

Elena

Fleur
Flora/ Florrie
Erica
Grace
Iris

'Elle' just means 'She'. It doesn't seem like a proper name to me.

I like Ella, though.

Unpopular and unique are very different words

Tbf tho op Clare is nice. You should use that if you like it

Emma
Katie
Emily
Anna

I like Clare but Elle just seems like a less nice/unfinished Ella, Eleanor, Eloise etc.

I agree with others about the impossibility of having a name that is both unique and classic but less popular classics you might like could be:
Anastasia
Antonia
Adelaide
Bridget
Belinda
Caroline
Cordelia
Clarice
Delphine
Emmeline
Esther
Frances
Gloria
Henrietta
Honor
Hester
Ida
Jacqueline
Judith
Kathleen
Lucinda
Lillian
Lettice
Miranda
Melisande
Millicent
Nell
Odette
Patricia
Pamela
Queenie
Ruth
Rita
Rachel
Sorrell
Stephanie
Sybil
Theresa
Ursula
Vanessa

Damaris
Iseult
Yolanda
Rosalind
Miranda
Alexandra
Linnet
Rosalba
Loveday
Rowan
Jonquil
Hebe
Alethea
Mara
Constance
Diana
Ismay