Two Syllable Names for Girls

One of the earliest of the relaxed, unisex names, now relegated to oldies rock stations.

Ever since Little Egypt practically invented the belly dance in the 1890s, this name has had a suggestive aura. Astonishingly, Egypt is now among the Top 1000 names for girls in the US. Cairo is a related option.

More modern nickname for Victoria than Vicky. Better known as Tori spelling.

Unique and unusual as a nickname and a stand-alone name, Loie is a vintage choice worth reviving. It is traditionally used as a short form of Lois and Louise but would work as a nickname for any Lo- starting name, or even names such as Laura, Eloise, and Charlotte.

The energetic Brody is a name that claims different meanings and origins depending on whether you're looking at its Irish, Scottish, or English history -- and Eastern Europeans claim a version too. This spelling is much more popular for boys, but has seen some use for girls in recent years, including volleyball player Gabrielle Reese's daughter. An alternate spelling is Brodie.

Lleucu is often considered the Welsh equivalent of Lucy, as it shares the same meaning of "light", and a similar sound. (Lwsi and Liwsi are the phonetic Welsh spellings of Lucy.) It's a statement choice even within Wales, and the spelling/pronunciation would make it extremely bold in other countries.

The capital of Peru makes a rare but attractive girl name.

The British love nickname-names, and Jorgie is one of those cute baby names for girls among the Top 1000 in the UK but rarely found in the US. It's cute in a retro way -- think the song and movie Georgie Girl -- but perhaps a bit too nouveau given the sultry classic beauty of longer forms Georgia, Georgina, and Georgiana.

A Zulu name given to a child who is planned be the last born, literally meaning "enough, sufficient".

Emry is a shortened form of the popular Emery, which now ranks in the Top 100 girl names in the US. Emry has not yet hit the Top 1000 but was given to about 200 babies in the US last year, about 80 percent of those girls.

Braxton has been a major hit of the 21st century for boys, and now parents are looking at it with fresh eyes for their daughters.

Short form used in Israel; the v makes it more vivid and unusual.

It feels like a slenderized modern version, but Jennet actually has deep roots. Could this plucky name rescue Janet and Jenny from their datedness?

A once very common Irish diminutive of Bridget that has unfortunately been associated since the 18th century with a pejorative slang term for an old or fussy woman.