Four Syllable Names for Girls
- Orabella
Origin:
Latin variation of ArabellaMeaning:
"beautiful altar"Description:
Lacks the vintage charm of the original Arabella, but with the love for all names Bella, it might appeal to some.
- Delphinium
Origin:
Flower name, from GreekMeaning:
"larkspur; dolphin"Description:
Delphinium is the proper name for larkspur. It's also related to names like Delphine, which are connected to dolphins (the flowers were thought to resemble a dolphin's back).
- Primavera
Origin:
ItalianMeaning:
"spring"Description:
A bit syllable-heavy, but a pretty name for a springtime baby.
- Calamity
Origin:
English word nameDescription:
Although this name literally means disaster, the use of Calamity as a descriptor of Martha Jane Cannery, aka Calamity Jane, was meant to signal that she was a good person to have in troubled times. Calamity Jane was well regarded as a frontierswoman and nurse, someone who was said to be extremely generous and compassionate to the sick and troubled.. Calamity's connection to the American West gives this a roguish name a sort of windswept charm about it. Indeed, the most controversial aspect of this name is its connection to the frontier wars that led to the dispossession of Native American peoples.
- Dianella
Origin:
Botanical nameDescription:
Dianella is the botanical name of a small plant which grows across Australia. It flowers in spring with a star-like purple flower which develops into a blue berry. Dianella feels wearable as an elaboration of Diana.
- Gloriana
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"glory"Description:
Originally the name of the titular faerie queene of Spenser's epic poem "The Faerie Queene," published in 1590. Gloriana was, along with Belphoebe, an allegory for Queen Elizabeth.
- Amapola
Origin:
Arabic, SpanishMeaning:
"poppy"Description:
A rarely heard name that was the title of a hugely popular Big Band song in the forties. Amapola, with the emphasis on the third syllable, is one flower name that has not been widely discovered.
- Artemesia
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"gift from Artemis"Description:
Derived from Artemis, the name of the Greek mythological goddess of the moon and hunting, Artemesia has a couple of notable associations, among them a fourth century Queen of Caria who was responsible for the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World..
- Calpurnia
Origin:
Latin "chalice; cup"Meaning:
"chalice; cup"Description:
Calpurnia is a name with a massive history. As the third and final wife of Julius Caesar, Calpurnia has been forever depicted in literature (Shakespeare) and film (Cleopatra; Rome) as a modest and sweet woman, utterly devoted to Caesar. She is said to have foretold his death and to have tried (and failed) to have warned him of the treachery of his trusted allies. Following Caesar's assassination, Calpurnia never remarried.
- Rosalita
Origin:
SpanishMeaning:
"little rose"Description:
A pretty and lively diminutive form of Rosalia.
- Remilia
Origin:
Variation of Emilia, LatinMeaning:
"rival"Description:
Remilia was invented for the character Remilia Scarlet of the video game series The Touhou Project.
- Exupery
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"excel, surpass"Description:
Antoine Marie Jean-Baptiste Roger, comte de Saint-Exupéry was a French writer and aviator, most famous for the children's classic novella The Little Prince.
- Pantaleon
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"lion of all"Description:
This was the name of a 2nd-century BC king of Bactria. It was also borne by Saint Pantaleon – also called Panteleimon, as in Lyra's daemon in the His Dark Materials trilogy – who was a doctor martyred during the persecutions of the Roman emperor Diocletian in the early 4th century. He is a patron saint of doctors and midwives.
- Elysian
Origin:
Latin from GreekMeaning:
"of Elysium; blissful"Description:
In Greek mythology, the Elysian Fields was the final resting place of righteous souls. Elysian falls under two current trends — spiritual names and mythological names — and could easily be a hit in years to come.
- Amaranta
Origin:
Spanish and Italian form of AmaranthaMeaning:
"unfading"Description:
Amaranta is the unusual and intriguing Latinate form of the Greek botanical name Amarantha, which connects to an eternal mythical figure. An excellent choice for the parent who wants an A name but wishes to move beyond the usual complement of names from Amelia to Annabel.
- Astraia
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"star"Description:
Astraia -- or Astraea or Asteria -- is the Greek goddess of justice and innocence who became the constellation Virgo. While largely unknown today, this is one of the Greek goddess namesthat may be rediscovered.
- Izabella
Origin:
Variation of IsabellaMeaning:
"pledged to God"Description:
Parents seeking a way to differentiate their Isabella from all the others could consider this zippier spelling. It does have the jazzy nickname Izzy.
- Orithyia
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"woman raging in the mountains"Description:
As elaborate O names such as Olympia and Ophelia gain popularity, Orithyia seems more and more usable. It's the name of several women in Greek mythology, including Orithyia, Queen of the Amazon, who co-ruled with her sister Antiope.
- Mehitabel
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"God rejoices"Description:
Most famously, the name of a 1920s alley cat.
- Penthesilea
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"mournful grip"Description:
An interesting figure from Greek mythology -- an Amazon queen who fought for Troy in the Trojan War -- but no figure could be interesting enough to make that five-syllable mouthful usable today. Stick with Penelope or, if that's too popular for your taste, try Thessaly.