One Syllable Names for Girls

Cai, as distinguished from the boys' name Kai, is international, simple, unusual.

Joss is more fashionable than Jocelyn or Josslyn. This is a short form that could be used independently, a la the singer Joss Stone. One of a troupe of adorable boyish nicknames newly fashionable for girls a la Lou and Charlie.

Doe is a soft and gentle-eyed middle name possibility and, like Fawn, one of the few animal names open to girls.

Chance feels like a mainstream pick for boys thanks to Chance the Rapper and several starbabies with the name. It hasn't caught on in the same way for girls, but it makes a strong alternative to the rather slight Lucky.

One of the sweet simple unisex names balanced enough to stand on its own.

Chris is one of the longest-running and still most appealing unisex short forms, still used nearly equally for boys and girls. Though no longer fashionable, Chris still feels crisp and appropriate for both sexes.

Notable Wolfs like Blitzer, Mankowitz, and Kahn give this name a masculine bent, but nature names are inherently unisex, so we see no reason why Wolf can't be used on a baby girl.

Historically Wolf has been more common among German (where it's pronounced Vulf) and Jewish families, occasionally as a nickname for Wolfgang.

The nickname Wolfie softens and feminizes Wolf, while Wolfe turns it into a surname.

A pretty plant with pink or lilac flowers.

The Koi is a variety of carp especially popular in ornamental gardens in Japan, where they are a symbol of good fortune. In Buddhist culture, the koi is associated with courage. Being one letter away from trendy Kai boosts its prospects as one of the new unique unisex names.

Author Toni Morrison is an acknowledged master of naming, and Sethe, the name of one of the main characters of Beloved, which can be pronounced as Seth or Seth-eh, relates to the male biblical name Seth but is also the name of the Egyptian god of confusion.

Ethne is one of the many Irish Gaelic names whose spelling and pronunciation -- it's en-ya -- will prove endlessly confusing to English speakers.

Lior connects with several factors stylish for Israeli names: It's short, it's unisex, and it has an uplifting nature theme. Lior might make a more modern spin on Leah.

Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik chose the stylish and meaningful name Khai for their daughter, born in September 2020. It honors Gigi's paternal grandmother Khairiah Daher Hadid, whose name is a variation of Khairiya, which is found in the Quran.

Lynn was a Top 100 girls' name in the US from the 1940s through the 60s, and shortened form Lyn's popularity followed the same trajectory. Today, Lyn is far more often found as a name suffix, in popular names such as Evelyn and Brooklyn down to hundreds of invented choice from Timberlyn to Summerlyn. Big sister Lynn was given to only about 50 baby girls in one recent year, and Lyn to only six. While we don't foresee an imminent comeback, Lyn and Lynn could definitely rise in the coming decades via the Hundred Year Rule.

The original Greek spelling of Rhoda, derived from the name of the goddess Rhodos. Variation Rhodé frequently comes and goes from the Netherlands' Top 500. This is pronounced like RO-dee, rather than like road or Rhoda.

Shreya is an Indian name with several positive meanings--beautiful, fortunate, auspicious, favorable--and ties to the goddess Lakshmi.

Many popular Dutch short forms are drawn from the middle or end of their proper name: Sanne from Susanne, Bas from Sebastian. Jette could be from a name like Henriette or Mariette.

This short and sweet French name is rising rapidly in its native country. Ysée is the most popular spelling, but variants include Isée, Isé and Ysé — the latter two are technically unisex, but only girls are receiving the name today.

Actor Pierce Brosnan made his sharp-sounding name famous, and now it's given to a couple dozen baby girls per year too.