15,000+ Two-Syllable Girl Names
- Mckenzie
Origin:
Spelling variation of Mackenzie, ScottishMeaning:
"son of Kenneth"Description:
Used quietly on boys in the US since the early 20th century, Mckenzie was abruptly overtaken by the Mackenzie spelling back in 1973 when actress Mackenzie Phillips introduced the name as a possibility for girls. While Mckenzie has never matched its sibling spelling in popularity, it nevertheless climbed the charts in its wake, peaking in 2000 at #133.
- Tilden
Origin:
English place nameMeaning:
"fertile valley"Description:
Tilden is mostly seen as a male name, but we love it just as much for a girl. It's an androgynous answer to Tilda, and still gets you the super-sweet nickname Tilly (or Tildy).
- Venla
Origin:
FinnishMeaning:
"to travel, to proceed"Description:
This elegant Finnish feminization of Wendell is one of those rare names that has never appeared on the US official charts, but is straightforward to spell and say. It has been among the most popular girl names in Finland for at least 15 years, and would be a lovely, unique way to honor Finnish culture.
- Dymphna
Origin:
Anglicized form of Irish DamhnaitMeaning:
"fawn"Description:
Dymphna, also spelled Dympna, is the name of an Irish virgin martyr. The story goes that she was a Celtic princess who fled to Belgium to escape the abusive attentions of her father, and his mad actions led to her becoming the patron saint of the insane.
- Clelia
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"famous"Description:
The obscure yet not unappealing name of a legendary heroine of Rome. The ancient Clelia escaped an Etruscan invader by swimming across the Tiber River.
- Miri
- Zooey
Origin:
Literary name or variation of Zoe, GreekMeaning:
"life"Description:
Readers who remember J. D. Salinger's Franny and Zooey have probably forgotten that the character was male (nee Zachary). Nowadays the somewhat loopy spin on Zoe is associated with actress Zooey Deschanel.
- Gary
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"spear man"Description:
While not generally thought of as unisex, this is a male name that, like Perry and Barry, has occasionally been used for girls over the years.
- Shula
Origin:
Arabic or diminutive of Shulamit, HebrewMeaning:
"flame; peace"Description:
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.
- Saylah
Origin:
Modern invented nameDescription:
Saylah is a name manufactured from elements of Sailor (or Saylor) and Kaylah (or Kayla) to make one of those unique baby names that's not quite genuine. Still, it has a pretty sound and is superior to such inventions as, say, Scarla.
- Tobin
Origin:
English surname derived from TobiasMeaning:
"God is good"Description:
While Tobin is technically a variation of the Biblical Tobias and so a male name, it's a newfangled version that's been drafted for the girls' team by Olympic soccer star Tobin Heath, who plays for the U.S. women's national professional soccer team.
- Taffy
Origin:
WelshMeaning:
"beloved friend"Description:
A diminutive of the (male) name Dafydd, the Welsh form of David. In the US, it's strongly associated with the candy.
- Caylee
Origin:
Modern invented nameDescription:
Caylee was the third fastest-rising name in 2009 and peaked then at Number 263, but has since dropped in the charts, perhaps due to the Caylee Anthony association.
- Swati
Origin:
SanskritMeaning:
"unknown"Description:
Swati is the Indian name for Arcturus, the third-brightest star in the sky. Actress, comedian and writer Mindy Kaling gave her daughter (born in 2017) the middle name Swati, after her mother.
- Zelma
Origin:
German, diminutive of AnselmaMeaning:
"God helmet"Description:
The Selma-Thelma-Velma connection dates it.
- Wendell
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"to travel, to proceed"Description:
Old man's name just conceivable for a girl--makes a new spin on Wendy.
- Elska
Origin:
NorseMeaning:
"love"Description:
This name looks like a sister to the names Elsa and the Czech name for girls Eliška, a popular diminutive of Elizabeth — and sometimes it is (in German, for example). But it is also a word in Old Norse and some modern Nordic languages, meaning "love" or "to love".
- Khari
Origin:
West AfricanMeaning:
"kingly"Description:
Traditionally a West African boys' name, Khari is used quite often for girls in the U.S. as well, thanks to its similarity to the more familiar Carrie. Khari is one of the African names that easily bridges cultures.
- Joella
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"the Lord is God"Description:
Most modern parents would drop the Jo, leaving the superpopular Ella.
- Keelin
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"slender and fair"Description:
Keelin is a form of Keelan, the Anglicized phonetic form of Caelan or Caoilinn, said to be a unisex name but in practice used almost exclusively for boys. Girls would more often be called Keela, Keeley, or Keely.