Two Syllable Names for Girls

Jasmin doesn't have the grace of Jasmine (which in 2016 ranked at 122 in the US Top 1000), but it is far more preferable to the trendier versions doing the rounds like Jazmin or Jazzmyn. If you are looking for a more unusual variant try Yasmin or Jessamine.

A modern English variant of the Arabic name Aaliyah, Alayah was likely inspired by the names Amaia, Amaya and Alannah. It could also be an alternative spelling of the Basque name, Alaia, which means "joyful", and it coincides with Alaya, a type of consciousness in Buddhism.

Idun is a modern transcription of Iðunn, the name of the goddess of apples — possibly representing fertility — and youth in Norse mythology. The similarity in pronunciation to Eden could add some points in favor of Idun or perhaps add some confusion.

A potential nickname for Lake, or in professional surfer Lakey Peterson's case, Laura Louise.

This anagram of Agnes is not related to that name; rather it comes from the Gaelic word seang meaning "slender".

Is there anything more Australian than the beach and surfing? Tarni is the Kaurna word for wave/surf, and is sometimes used as a girls name in Australia. Other spellings that are sometimes seen include Tahnee and Tarney, but we prefer the more usual spelling.

The Biblical Terah was male, but the name feels like it could work for either gender. In the Bible, Terah was the father of Abram, later Abraham.

In the Bible, nardos is a perfume poured on Jesus. It is related to spikenard, an essential oil from a Himalayan flower, historically used for medicinal and religious purposes as well as perfume.

Porter is one clubby surname or occupational that was given to around 80 baby girls in the US last year -- and nearly 600 baby boys.

Repetitive Japanese name with a flittering meaning.

In the 21st century, Exa is best known as the given name of Grimes and Elon Musk's daughter Y, a sibling for X Æ A-XII. The celebrity parents were inspired by the supercomputer terms exaFLOPS, which is the "ability for a supercomputer to perform 1 quintillion floating-point operations per second."

Truly a cross-cultural name, with usage in Germany, Scandinavia, India, France, and Iceland.

In the Bible, Mahlah was one of five daughters of Zelophehad. The others were Noa, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. Noa is popular, Tirzah is sometimes used, and Mahlah has a much better chance of modern revival than Hoglah.

Muirgen in Irish mythology was turned into a mermaid and then brought back to land after 300 years and transformed back into a woman -- which must have been quite a shock. Muirgen's original name was Liban. Muirgen may also be spelled Muireann or Muirenn.

Faigy is notable as New York State's quirkiest favorite name, widely-used in the Hasidic community.