Two Syllable Names for Girls

Despite its Irish sound, this commonly used word name has usually been confined to Jewish families.

Reddish dye that sounds as if it could be a real name — of the outdated, Old World, Yetta-Hedda variety.

The archetypal diminutive, in every sense of the word. Bitsy enjoyed some use as a nickname in the era when children were named after family members and then called by a cute pet name: Chip, Skip, Babe, Bitsy. As a full name, it has made the US list only three times: in 1943, 1958 and 1962.

Using the 'ie' ending makes Johnny slightly more feminine, which must have been what Melissa Etheridge was thinking when she named one of her twins Johnnie Rose.

Alluring place-name that could find its place here.

The açai palm is a tree native to Brazil that produces açai berries (the base of those trendy smoothie bowls). Since US birth certificates don't allow for diacritical marks, we are unsure if people are naming their children after the fruit (pronounce ah-sah-EE) or omitting the cedilla and pronouncing it a-KYE.

With Tillie a new favorite of avant-garde parents, the British music-hall Tessie might conceivably follow.

Though Embry became famous as the name of a boy werewolf in Twilight, we think its Em- beginning and -y ending make it perfectly appropriate for a girl. You might consider it as an alternative to Emma, Emily, or Aubrey. Embry or Embury is an established English surname. 

A striking French and Spanish short form of Veronica or Véronique.

Cute nickname of Angela and other angelic names, Angie is now being used on its own, although its popularity has fallen in recent years. That said, Angie is one of those surprising classics, hanging on in the girls' Top 1000 continuously since its inception in 1880.

This alternate spelling of Holly is still quite popular in the UK but hasn't seen use in the US since the end of the millennium.

The feminine version of the newly-stylish Roman -- and the longer form of the also-newly-stylish Romy -- would make a girls' choice that achieves that near-impossible balance of being both original and fashionable. This variation is far superior to Romaine, which is too lettuce-y.

Zippy is a cute nickname that livens up the Biblical Zipporah. Too cute? Your call.

Talk about pressure! Too much name for any little girl to bear.

This Hindi word which is used in prayer is one of the prime names that mean peace, always a nice message to impart to a child. Nick Nolte used it for his daughter.

Tied to the bluesy southern city and to the world heritage cite in Egypt after which it was named, Memphis is a modern choice with ancient history. Currently significantly more popular for boys in the US, as a place name with sounds reminiscent of Paris, Meredith and Emma, it has plenty of potential as a unisex choice.

Wrigley is a fast-rising name for boys and girls right now in the US. You're unlikely to hear it outside of Chicago, though, as most of these parents are huge fans of the Chicago Cubs, who play at Wrigley Field. For a more subtle Cubs-related baby name, try Addison or Clark—two streets that border the ballpark.

Technically a boy's name, but certainly one that would work in the Western culture for a girl, especially after the release of Black Panther, in which it was the name of Lupita Nyong'o's fiery character. Nakia lies outside the Top 1000 but is among the fastest-rising names for both girls and boys.