Two Syllable Names for Girls

Bani is a beautiful Punjabi name used in India — an alias of the goddess Saraswati. Bani or Saraswati is the Hindu goddess of knowledge, music, art, speech, wisdom, and learning.

A musical name without much rhythm or harmony.

Gentler and much less frequently heard than Tamar.

Literature and poetry lovers might use Epic as a word name — an epic is a long narrative poem, typically the story of a hero. But epic has taken on a contemporary meaning of "impressive," which makes it somewhat of a virtue name as well.

Related to the better-known Arabic name Noor.

Curran is a curry-flavored Irish surname-y name that could work as well for girls as boys. Curran can be a fresher spin on the Twilight-inflected Cullen.

Kenia debuted on the US Top 1000 list in 1992. Even though it currently ranks higher than original spelling Kenya, this is a hard sell as it alters the spelling of the African nation.

Variant of Maëlys or Maëlie, a feminine form of the popular Breton name Maël.

Slovene Mia cognate, rarely seen in the US.

The Irish Brecken is traditionally masculine, but has potential to cross over to the girls' side as Riley, Kennedy, Reagan, and many others have before.

In Greek mythology, Sterope is the name of one of the seven Pleiads. It is sometimes used interchangeably with Asterope, from the same root.

Icelandic form of Christine or Christina, a popular classic in Iceland.

Loyalty is one of the Modern Virtue Names rising precipitously for babies in recent years, used last year for nearly 200 children, about 85 percent of them girls. Loyalty may also owe some of its popularity to trendy sister name Royalty.