Two Syllable Names for Girls

Familiar-but-new and ultra-rare (for girls anyway), Zealand has a lot going for it with its spunky Z initial and globe-trotting vibes. Sparingly used for boys since the 2000s and even more occasionally used for girls since 2010, YouTube family The Labrants brought this name into the spotlight when they called their son Zealand in 2019.

At first glance, Alson appears to be a streamlined version of Alison, however, the names are unrelated. Alison is a variation of Alice, not derived from a surname, while Alson would have originally been bestowed upon sons of men named Allen, Alexander, or the like.

Katayun derives from the Persian elements kata "house, city" and bânu "wife". In Iranian mythology, Katay(o)un is the wife of Goshtāsb and the mother of Esfandiār.

Sanai is a name of Arabic origin, most likely a variation of Thana, meaning "praise", though it is sometimes recorded as a variant of both Sana and Sanaa too.

A variant of the more common Sylvaine, which shortens to the stylish nickname Sylvie.

The Akan people of Ghana and the Ivory Coast frequently name their children after the day of the week they were born and the order in which they were born. Most Ghanaians have a name using this system (think Kofi Annan, whose name means born on a Friday).

That er sound -- as in Myrna, Myrtle, and Bernice -- sounds terminally dated.

Viney (and Viny) is an antiquated nickname for names with the "vin" component, such as Lavinia and Melvina.

Similar in look to Reverie, Revere is far-less dreamy. Connoting both the meaning (to admire or esteem) and the US Revoluntionary War patriot, Revere could make an interesting choice for a boy or a girl, and will likely appeal especially to those with Massachusetts connections.

Gülce is derived from the Turkish word for "rose," gül.

Faunia is more often rendered as Fauna, who was a Roman goddess of fertility, women and healing. Faunia was the downtrodden yet loving heroine of Philip Roth's Human Stain. Faunia and Fauna have more gravitas than the doe-like Fawn.