Two Syllable Names for Girls

Spelling variation of Ava, perhaps influenced by the biblical-style, ends-in-H names currently trending: Delilah, Alayah, Aniyah, et al. It entered the US Top 1000 in 2008 where it remained for 14 years, peaking in 2018 when it was given to nearly 680 girls. Now in decline, it was given to around 230 girls in 2023.

A rare Icelandic name with a lovely ethereal sound.

Together with the more common (in France) Jeannine spelling, this feminine form of Jean was most popular in the 1930s in its home country, and in the 1960s in the US. It's fallen off the Top 1000 list since, but perhaps cute retro nickname Jeannie could tempt some vintage-loving parents back.

Baby is rarely seen as a given name — or even nickname — these days, although it did rank in the Top 1000 from 1989 to 2003. These instances can be accounted for in two ways. Firstly, infants whose birth certificates are not filled out on time are given generic placeholders for registration, such as Infant, Unknown, or Baby. But more influential during this decade was the 1987 movie Dirty Dancing, starring Jennifer Grey as Frances "Baby" Houseman. It's the origin of the famed line, "Nobody puts Baby in a corner."

Diminutive of Imogen, rarely given as a standalone even in the UK, where Imogen is a Top 50 pick.

Shula is a short form often used on its own in Israel. Sula is another, related, option. As an Arabic name, it has a bright, fiery meaning.

This phonetic spelling of a traditional Scottish male name wasn't seen until used by Vince Vaughn for his daughter. As Lachlan becomes more of an established boy's name in the US, more parents are turning to the Locklyn spelling on the girl's side.

A cute but rare feminine variation of the Norse thunder god (and Marvel superhero) name Thor.

French spelling of Celia that is more popular in France today than traditional Célie.

Laisha made the US Top 1000 list for a few years in the early 21st century, thanks to its role on a Spanish soap opera. The name is a variation of the popular Arabic and Muslim name Aisha, which has many spellings and forms.

Unique baby name featured in the New Testament.

Yinuo is a Chinese female name meaning "promise." It is part of an idiomatic expression "Yinuo Qianjin" (一诺千金), which means "one promise; one thousand gold" or "keep your word." This Chinese name has the advantage of being relatively easy to pronounce for non-Chinese speakers. People called Yinuo include Yinuo Mu, principle harpist in the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Yinuo Chen, a Chinese actress who starred in Empresses in the Palace.

Transferred use of the surname Vianney, in reference French saint Jean-Marie Vianney. It is generally masculine in France, Belgium and French-speaking Africa, but in Latin America it is mainly feminine and sometimes spelt Vianey.

A paramour of Alexander the Great and the heroine of a Massenet opera, this name is nothing if not dramatic.

Appropriate for a girl born between late September and late October, Libra suggests both balance and freedom.

Jianna was one of the fastest-rising names of 2020 after the deaths of Kobe and Gianna Bryant. It continued to rise in 2021.

Victoria's Secret model Devon Windsor welcomed a daughter named Enzo Elodie Barbara in 2021. It hasn't yet inspired many parents to use Enzo for their baby girls — there were only 6 in 2022 — but we could see this becoming as unisex as Ezra someday.

Saina is related to many other international princess-related names, such as the Arabic Sana and the Hebrew Sarah. It was introduced to the wider world by the Indian Olympic badminton player Saina Nehwal.

A male name occasionally borrowed by the girls, as in Dorian Cramer, a long-running female character on the soap One Life to Live and famous midcentury model Dorian Leigh.

A warm and simple alternative to Luna, derived from Latin lumen "light".