Two Syllable Names for Girls

Inas is one of those simple but rare names that's worth a look, whether you're trying to bridge Arabic and English cultures or are looking for a meaningful, unusual choice. No baby girls were named Inas in the US last year. For English speakers, the second syllable rhymes with has or jazz.

Abbey might sound exactly like the popular Abigail nickname Abby or Abbie, but spelled this way it is also a churchy word name with a Gothic feel. But hearing it, no one will know the difference.

Eisheth is thought to be the personification of sin, said to eat the souls of the damned in Jewish mythology.

The Finnish word for "mint" is a popular name in Finland, comparable to the Danish Mynte.

This Amy/Mia combination debuted on the US Top 1000 in 2013. It could also be seen as a variant of Amaya.

Tetsu is a female name with an unusually strong and powerful meaning. It sounds spunky and cute too.

In Greek mythology, Arachne was a woman who bested Athena in a weaving competition. She later killed herself from the shame, but Athena reincarnated Arachne as a spider.

I'm sure the parents of the six little girls named Sundae in the US last year were thinking, "well, if Nicole Kidman can use Sunday..." In this case, we think the day of the week spelling is preferable to the dessert spelling.

Wonder is a lovely quality for a modern virtue name. With ethereal word names like Dream and Love rising fast in the charts, Wonder feels right at home.

Very rarely used for girls, but New York socialite Kelly Bensimon and photographer Gilles Bensimon gave it to their youngest daughter in 2000.

This feminine name, pleasingly reminiscent of Kismet, has a similarly lovely meaning: Rainbow.

As Sophia gets more popular, parents search out more unusual spins, and the Z makes this qualify.

A variation of an old Irish saint’s name, Liadin, and the name of a lovelorn poetess in Irish folk legend. Be prepared for some clumsy pronunciation outside Ireland, however.

This Basque name also has a variation: Aintzane.

Many virtue names have long been in style or have seen a resurgence in recent years. Happy, however joyous, seems unlikely to join this trend. This could be because it doesn't have a solid history of being popularly used (in comparison to Joy or Hope) and because it's such a familiarly used word in day to day life (unlike Verity or Felicity).

Variant of Marise