Two Syllable Names for Girls

Gabriel is given to a small but consistent number of girls each year. Whether it’s used as an equivalent to the masculine Gabriel or as a variant of Gabrielle is up to the parents’ discretion.

Candace, an ancient title of a dynasty of Ethiopian queens mentioned in the New Testament, is associated both with actress Candice Bergen and Sex and the City writer Candace Bushnell.

Once a macho biker name, Harley is now showing its softer side. In the UK, Harley is predominantly masculine, but it's currently more popular for girls than boys in the US.

Long a nickname for all the Em-names, as well as an annual award, Emmy is now being given on its own, as are soundalikes Emme and Emmi. Might be too identified with the TV awards--though that doesn't seem to have hurt Oscar or Tony. We think Emmy is a little too cutesey, and is probably best kept as a nickname for something that ages a little better.

Related to Nia and Naia, Naya was new to the US Top 1000 in 2014 and benefits from the short and simple pronunciation that many parents are seeking in fresh names. It also has obvious similarities to popular Mia and Maya.

Lori, with this sleek modern spelling, was an extremely popular name in the middle of the 20th century, ranking among the Top 100 girls' names from the early 1950s until the early 1980s.

A more modern nickname for Victoria than Vicky, Tori is used fairly frequently on its own, kept in the public eye by singer Tori Amos and actress Tori Spelling. Still, it's far from fashionable, sinking in the polls significantly since reaching a peak of Number 142 in 1994.

Indie — as in indie films — is the more girlish version of the name, but earthy, gender-neutral Indy is catching up slowly and steadily. Indy entered the Top 1000 for girls for the first time in 2023 after rising over 100 places. For a longer full name, vibrant Indigo remains more and more stylish each year.

A sweet name with many cross-cultural ties: it's an equivalent of Jane in languages including Czech, Slovak, Dutch, German, Slovene, Catalan, Estonian, and Latvian.

Connor is an ancient Irish mythological name in the US Top 100 for boys but also used in increasing numbers for baby girls.

A Scottish place and surname that was once adrogynous but now leans about 20 to 1 toward the girls' side, Leslie has a pleasant, heathery feel that kept it in or near the Top 100 for several decades; the Lesly and Lesley spellings are also frequently used, especially in Britain. While Leslie may not be the freshest name in the bunch, it's become a modern classic and is one of the surprising names always to have ranked among the US Top 1000 for girls.

Through all the years when Betty, Betsy, Beth, Liz, and Lizzie were the Elizabethan nicknames of choice, the bubblier Libby was set aside, but today it may be the most modern of all—it has already made a strong comeback in England and Wales, where it ranks Number 139.

Tempest is one of those names that could go either way. Cool, evocative modern word name? Or asking for trouble? Your call, but if you decide the former image is dominant, be warned that some people will see it as the latter.

Posey is fashionable in England, a country of gardeners, but this pretty bouquet-of-flowers name is only starting to be heard here.

This highly unusual name -- the Halycyone was a mythic bird who could calm the seas -- conjures up images of utter peace and tranquility because of the phrase "Halycon days"...and the sleeping pill.

Yesterday's hottie, today's mom name. It derives from several English place names and may mean "Cenel's island", from the Old English name Cenel "fierce".

In Greek mythology, Hecate is associated with witchcraft and magic. The name may mean "willpower" or "far-reaching".

Jireh is a spiritual name that has been rising significantly for both sexes in recent years, although still remains quite rare. Jehoveh-Jireh was the location of the binding of Isaac, where Jehovah told Abraham to offer his son Isaac as a burnt offering.

This streamlined Italian and Spanish spelling of Louisa is currently very popular in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Portugal, where it's usually spelt Luísa.

Anja is one of the most internatioanl of several versions of Ann/Anna now being imported, also including Anya and Annika.