15,000+ Two-Syllable Girl Names

  1. Maelys
    • Origin:

      French or Breton
    • Meaning:

      "chief or prince"
    • Description:

      Another feminine form of the old saint's name Mael. Spelled Maëlys, it is a very popular name in France today.
  2. Phyllis
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "green bough"
    • Description:

      Phyllis has been used by classical poets for the idealized pastoral maiden. A Greek mythological name of a woman who was turned into an almond tree, Phyllis was in the Top 100 from 1916 to 1958, reaching #24 in 1929, and has the (remote) possibility of joining other revived s-ending names like Iris. In the 'St Clare' book series by Enid Blyton Phyllis is nicknamed Fizz. Just a thought. Phyllida is a variation that sounds at once more old-fashioned and more stylish.
  3. Arla
    • Origin:

      Swedish
    • Meaning:

      "early"
    • Description:

      While Arla has a literal meaning in Swedish, its roots as a name are probably more closely related to such names as Arlene or Orla. Arla is among the girls' Top 1000 names in the UK.
  4. Kaitlyn
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Caitlin
    • Meaning:

      "pure"
    • Description:

      A huge name in the late 90's and most of the 00's, Kaitlyn's been on a downward trend in recent years. Kaitlyn and its soundalikes have been so well used in the US that they can no longer be seen as fresh, but it's still relatively popular in Canada.
  5. Giada
    • Origin:

      Italian
    • Meaning:

      "jade"
    • Description:

      Popular in its native Italy, Giada has been quietly and stylishly used in English-speaking countries for several years now. Television cook Giada De Laurentiis made this a possibility — then semi-subtly self-referenced when she named her daughter Jade.
  6. Whitney
    • Origin:

      English surname
    • Meaning:

      "white island"
    • Description:

      Yesterday's sensation that rose with the popularity of Whitney Houston. Whitney may have lost some of its style value, but it still sounds like one of the quintessential English names for girls. Today, you might want to shorten it to cool nickname Whit.
  7. Spencer
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "keeper of provisions"
    • Description:

      Yes, Spencer makes a plausible and powerful female choice these days, though still thought of as primarily for boys. Kelsey Grammer used it for his daughter in the 1980's. Spencer made its first appearance on the girls' Top 1000 in 2017.
  8. Scarlet
    • Origin:

      Color name
    • Description:

      The Scarlet spelling makes it less a name, less Gone With The Wind and Scarlett Johansson, and more the bright red color that inspired it in the first place.
  9. Lindsay
    • Origin:

      English surname
    • Meaning:

      "marshlands of Lincolnshire"
    • Description:

      In the early eighties, Lindsay, in tandem with Courtney, approached the Top 10.
  10. Ever
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Meaning:

      "always, eternally, constantly"
    • Description:

      A simple, unusual word name with an evocative meaning, Ever feels similar enough to Eva, Evelyn, and Everly that it shifts easily into name territory. Actor Robert Carradine was ahead of the trends when he named his now grown-up actress daughter Ever back in the 70s, while more recently, it was used by both Milla Jovovich and Owain Yeoman.
  11. Suzanne
    • Origin:

      French variation of Susan
    • Meaning:

      "lily"
    • Description:

      Suzanne became popular along with Susan but has just dropped out of the Top 1,000. Wait a generation (or two) in the US, though in France Suzanne is once again tres chic.
  12. Quincy
    • Origin:

      French from Latin
    • Meaning:

      "estate of the fifth son"
    • Description:

      Quincy is a Presidential surname name that actually sounds both cute and strong when used for a girl. For the first time ever, Quincy joined the Top 1000 roster for girls in 2023, given to over 250 baby girls that year.
  13. Calanthe
    • Origin:

      botanical name
    • Meaning:

      "Christmas orchid"
    • Description:

      If you love Calliope and Callista, you'll love Calanthe, which combines the trendiness of the Greek 'cal' names with the equally fashionable "the" ending (like Xanthe and Evanthe) and a connection to the beautiful Christmas Orchid. Color Calantha one of the more unusual and captivating names for Christmas babies.
  14. Rahma
    • Origin:

      Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "mercy, grace, compassion"
    • Description:

      A warm-sounding Arabic name with a gentle meaning, mentioned frequently in the Quran.
  15. Claudette
    • Origin:

      French, feminine variation of Claude
    • Meaning:

      "lame; enclosure"
    • Description:

      Once seen as a dated French Claudette-Colbert feminization, along with Annette and Paulette, we can see Claudette moving into a more plausible Colette-Cosette arena. While some may be put off by the common "lame" meaning, some etymologists theorize that the name may relate to the word for enclosure or clause, an alternate meaning that may appeal to a child with a form of this otherwise-appealing name.
  16. Morag
    • Origin:

      Scottish
    • Meaning:

      "great"
    • Description:

      Morag is one of the quintessential Scottish names for girls. Actually a diminutive of Mor, it has always been used more than the original. Commonly heard in Scotland, but could lead to pronunciation problems elsewhere, and the second syllable could prove very confusing. Morag is sometimes used as the Gaelic equivalent of Sarah. In the Harry Potter books, Morag MacDougal was a witch who attended Hogwarts in the same year as Harry.
  17. Tiana
    • Origin:

      Slavic
    • Meaning:

      "fairy queen"
    • Description:

      Tiana gained a lot of popularity after Disney bestowed this pretty name upon its first African-American princess. Although it has declined in usage over recent years, Tiana’s connections to dainty Tatiana, Christiana and Bastiana should see it in continued usage for a while to come. Read more about Tiana and other Disney Princess Names in our featured blog.
  18. Gina
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Regina, Angelina, etc
    • Description:

      Has been used on its own since the 1920s, but still seems like only part of a name. Was very much tied to mid-century Italian sexpot Gina Lollobrigida.
  19. Nyssa
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "goal"
    • Description:

      A fairly common Greek name that would fit in well here.
  20. Yuki
    • Origin:

      Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "snow"
    • Description:

      An appealing Asian name with a nickname feel.