Two Syllable Names for Girls

Could be used to honor a Joel.

Did you really mean to name your child Channel, as in the body of water? Like, you know, the English Channel? Or were you going for the last name of the French designer Chanel, with a soft "sh" sound at the beginning and the emphasis on the last syllable? If so, we recommend sticking with the Chanel spelling.

Diminutive of Maxine, Maxima or Maximiliane

The double 'n's in this spelling variation of vintage Winifred aesthetically looks closer to the loveable nickname Winnie which is likely the appeal for many parents. Winnifred, along with several other Win names, from vintage revivals Winnie and Winona to modern Winter and Winslow, is on the rise.

Riko is a hugely popular name for baby girls in contemporary Japan, and one that easily translates to the West.

Winnet is a long-forgotten nickname for Winifred that was used in the US in the 18th and 19th centuries. These days, it's more often found in South Africa.

One-time girl next door -- and dream girl -- name has followed mama Jean down the ladder and out of the picture.

Also spelt Sebele, this soft-sounding name means "harvest" in the Amharic language of Ethiopia.

Feminine form of Adriel, a Biblical choice which has been really heating up in the US in recent years. Feels like a natural successor to Adrienne and Arielle.

Hilda with a stuffed nose.

Typhaine (sometimes spelled Tiphaine) is an extremely rare girls name used occasionally in France, Switzerland and Jersey. The name derives from the Greek root words for epiphany. Typhaine might be considered an alternative to the tired Tiffany.

Anthea would be simpler and prettier, though Panthea has possibilities.

Scarla is one of a raft of modern names that have been spun from established names -- in this case, it's part Scarlett, part Carla -- to make something new and "different." Uniqueness is the value that drives parents to invent names like Scarla, Skyla, and Saylah, but we think you'd do better to seek out a genuine name that's more unusual and has less connection to current trends.

Makes Jane anything but plain.

Hallel is derived from the Hebrew word halall, meaning "praise."

While we don't see many parents adopting Otter as a name for their own babies, Zooey Deschanel put this one in the lexicon when she used it as a middle name for her adorably-named daughter Elsie Otter. Even in the celebrisphere, Otter is one of the most unique baby names we've heard.

Superfans of auteur Wes Anderson may now consider Zissou as a baby name option, ever since Kieran Culkin and Jazz Charton used it for their daughter (birth name Kinsey Sioux). It's a clear homage to Anderson's film The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, chronicling the journey of a Jacques Cousteau-like oceanographer avenging his partner's death-by-jaguar-shark.

Brida, which may also be spelled Breda, is one of the many variations, Irish and otherwise, of the ancient saintly name Brighid. It's virtually unknown in the US, given to fewer than five baby girls in the most recent year counted.