Two Syllable Names for Girls

Raylan may be on the rise as a baby name thanks to (male) TV lawman Raylan Givens, but the name is also occasionally used for girls: the statistical gender split is 15 to 1. The -lan ending might be thought of as Lynn-like, with Raylan an updated spin on such midcentury concoctions as Rae-Lynn.

Poet Jorie Graham is the best-known (okay: only known) bearer of this fresh, spirited spin on the Cory-Tory-Rory group. The boys' Jory is a Cornish nickname for George.

Siya is a sweet and simple looking choice with a variety of origins. In South Africa, it derives from the Zulu and Ndebele Siyabonga, meaning "we thank you", and is predominantly used as a masculine name. In Sanskrit, it is associated with the the Hindu Goddess Sita, whose name means "furrow", while as an American name it is likely a spelling variation of Sia, which can mean "victory" in relation to the Old Norse element sigr. Alternatively, it is a diminutive of any names including the substring -iya, such as Siyana meaning "shining" or Anastasiya meaning "resurrection".

Lozen is the name of a female Apache warrior and medicine woman who fought with Geronimo in the 19th century. The sister of the warrior called Victorio, Lozen was the name chosen by soccer star Hope Solo and football player Jerramy Stevens for their daughter, Lozen Orianna Judith, twin of Vittorio Genghis.

Softer version of hot Harley or Marley.

This rare sixth-century saint's name has a modern, merry feel.

This alternative spelling of Harriet has always ranked in the England top 1000, reaching as high as the top 50 in the late 1800s. The extra T changes nothing about the pronunciation but adds a little flair and balances out the double R's in the middle of the name.

This spelling twist on the word name Story could make it lean less whimsical and literary and more trendy and Kardashian, a la Storm vs. Stormi. Equally, it could make it feel like less of a word name and more like a nickname as given name, along the lines of Rori, Tori and Lori.

Botanical Hebrew choice that leads to the sweet vintage nickname Nettie.

This variation adds a second n to the more popular Finley, presumably to provide a more direct link to nickname Finn. Both spellings create a distinctly unisex name. However, while Finley is slightly more popular for girls, the Finnley spelling currently only ranks for boys.

An ancient Roman name, lost to time.

A modern version of the dated Betty. You might want to consider varying Elizabeth, too, to the Italian Elisabetta.