Two Syllable Names for Girls

Gertie has a certain homespun charm, summoning to mind butter-yellow braids and denim overalls, summoning mind the adorable character played by little Drew Barrymore in E.T. Is the world ready for the return of Gertie and Gertrude? Maybe?

The mother goddess Ishtar (also called, or identified with, Ashtoreth, Ashtoret, Astarte and Inanna) was worshipped by the Assyrians and Babylonians as the goddess of love, war, justice and fertility. While the original meaning is unknown, the name possibly derives from "Attar" meaning the morning star. She has been equated with the Greek Aphrodite.

More unusual than Tessa, this would make an interesting, meaningful and attractive choice for a third child.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Earthy but ethereal Spanish word name that sounds a lot fresher than its sister Sierra.

A sweet Cornish word name with a celestial meaning.

Sennen is a Cornish name derived from that of Saint Sinninus or Saint Senan. Today it's the name of a town on the westernmost tip of Cornwall and is also used as a baby girl name.

One of the cool new surname-names for girls, likely influenced by the stardom of Patrick Dempsey (aka McDreamy).

It may sound sweet smelling, but remember, it was the name of the little skunk in Bambi. Better to pick a single bloom from the bouquet, like Violet or Lily or Daisy.

Ixia is a botanical name referring to a genus of plants native to South Africa. The name actually refers to an unrelated plant; those in the ixia family are commonly known as corn lilies.

Viviane is one of a cluster of names that may or may not be related. They include the Latin Viviana, which means life, and its modern forms Vivian and the French form Vivienne. But Vivien, pronounced identically, may be a literary invention connected instead to Ninian. Some sources also connect the Viv variations to the Irish Bebinn, the name of the goddess of childbirth, or Bevin.

With Brooklyn, Trenton, and Camden on the rise, Harlem can't be far behind. It's already been picked by one celebrity, and it certainly has a strong historical and cultural identity -- not to mention its similarity to other popular choices like Harley and Harper.

Long before the Jennifer Era, Jennie was a fashionable pet form of several names, and was also used independently -- in 1875 it was in the Top 20. Jennie was replaced by the Jenny spelling in the 1960s, and is rarely seen today.