Two Syllable Names for Girls

Oakleigh broke into the Top 1000 in 2019, two years after Oaklee and six years after Oakley. Last year, about 600 baby girls were named Oakleigh in the US, almost exactly the same number as Oaklyn -- though three times as many were named Oakley and Oaklynn.

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.

Mittens is a common name for cats with mitten-like fur patterns on their paws. The word actually has feline origins — it shares a root with mite, an Old French pet name for a cat. It became linked with mittens because they were made of fur.

Cutesy pet form of Clementine.

Sounds incomplete, like a pet form of Miranda.

This extra-trendy -ee suffix helped Hadlee ride the wave of Hadley's popularity into the US Top 1000 in 2013.

More common in Slovenia than its mother name, Jerneja. Neja peaked in 2015 when it ranked at Number 15 on the Slovene Top 100.

In Turkish mythology, Umay was the mother goddess of the Earth, protecting women, children, and fertility. The name is derived from the Turkish root umāy, meaning "placenta." The placenta was considered to have incantatory properties, making Umay the ideal name for this goddess. Today, it's a well-used girl name in Turkey, along with Ece, another name for the goddess.

Appealingly boyish a decade ago, less so now.

This elaboration of the popular Ava likely took inspiration from other on-trend choices such as Amaya, Nevaeh, and Alayah. Given to nearly 140 girls each year, alternative spelling Avayah is twice as popular and currently in the US Top 1000.

Patricia Arquette and Nicole Richie named their daughters Harlow, so why not consider this other great early screen icon?

A modern spelling of a vintage nickname.