Two Syllable Names for Girls
- Tiana
Origin:
SlavicMeaning:
"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.
- Quincy
Origin:
French from LatinMeaning:
"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.
- Calanthe
Origin:
botanical nameMeaning:
"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.
- Naira
Origin:
AymaraMeaning:
"beauty of Saraswati"Description:
Naira has several possible origins. It could be an alternative spelling of the Indian name Nyra, or from nayra, meaning "early" or "eye" in the Aymara language of South America. It can also be short for names like Aneria and Zunairah — or an invention by parents looking for a fresh twist on Nora and Lyra. In any case, it's a breezy, modern-sounding name with lots of potential.
- Klara
Origin:
German, Russian, Polish, ScandinavianMeaning:
"light"Description:
German, Slavic and Scandinavian form of Clara, which is a Top 100 girl name in multiple European countries, including Austria, Croatia, Iceland and Poland.
- Muriel
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"of the bright sea"Description:
Once a poetic Celtic name, that of the angel who governs the month of June, Muriel became the mom or grandma on TV sitcoms. She does have literary cred via Edinburgh-born author Muriel Spark, author of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and also appears as a character in Anne of Green Gables. Muriel was a Top 200 name from 1912 to 1933.
- Stanley
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"near the stony meadow"Description:
Perfect example of how your perception of a name can change when you apply it to the opposite gender: when used for a girl, Stanley suddenly becomes an attractive, upper-crusty name ala Ansley or Finley.
- Sheila
Origin:
Irish variation of CeciliaMeaning:
"blind"Description:
Sheila peaked in popularity from the 1930s to the 1960s (she reached Number 49 in 1965), along with Maureen and Colleen; parents today would probably go back to the original Cecilia or forward to Shea.
- Charis
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"grace"Description:
Reference to the mythological Three Graces of womanly charm, this one representing charity. Pronounced in Greek as starting with a back-of-the-throat H sound, most English-speakers would translate that to something closer to KAR-is. It's also the name of a girl who lived in Atlantis in the novel Taliesin, and appears in the Margaret Atwood novel The Robber Bride.
- Azar
Origin:
IranianMeaning:
"fire"Description:
Simple yet unusual (to non-Iranians) is an excellent combination for a name, which the fiery Azar embodies perfectly.
- Bowie
Origin:
ScottishMeaning:
"blond"Description:
Music legend David Bowie lends his adopted surname considerable charisma to this stylish Scottish name for girls and boys. Born David Robert Jones, he changed his name to avoid confusion with The Monkees' Davy Jones.
- Selma
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"godly helmet"Description:
Selma has recently been given a more youthful spin via actresses Selma Blair and Salma Hayek. But while Selma has not yet become popular again in the US, it is widely used in both Sweden and Norway.
- Runa
Origin:
Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, JapaneseMeaning:
"secret lore; moon"Description:
A strong and stylish alternative to the super-fashionable Luna, with a double background as a Scandinavian and Japanese name. It's the female form of the Nordic male name Rune, meaning "secret lore", and also a Japanese name meaning "moon" – making this an undiscovered celestial choice.
- Payton
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"fighting man's estate"Description:
Rarely used until the 90s, Payton rose up the charts when it was popularized by the football star, Peyton Manning, and, interestingly, by the character of "Peyton Flanders", the villainess of the 1992 film, The Hand That Rocks The Cradle.
- Lexi
Origin:
Diminutive of Alexandra, GreekMeaning:
"defending men"Description:
Lexi and Lexie, pixieish offshoots of the prolific Alex family, have come into their own. While it's on a gentle downslope, Lexi still ranks in the US Top 500.
- Henley
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"high meadow"Description:
The name of a British town on the Thames that hosts a famous regatta. Henley is one of the English baby names soaring in popularity for both boys and girls in the US, but is now much more popular for girls. In the UK, however, it is almost unused for girls, with just 3 female babies named Henley as recently as 2014.
- Devi
Origin:
SanskritMeaning:
"divine"Description:
This Hindu goddess name has a powerful heritage plus lively sound with a devilish edge. If you're enchanted by goddess names but want to set your little girl apart from all the Lunas and Athenas in the playground, consider Devi.
- Jana
Origin:
International feminine variation of JanDescription:
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.
- Mali
Origin:
Welsh form of Molly or ThaiMeaning:
"jasmine flower"Description:
Seems unfamiliar, till you realize everyone will just hear it as Molly. In Wales, Mali is a Top 100 name.
- Rudy
Origin:
German, short form of RudolphMeaning:
"famous wolf"Description:
Rudy hasn't yet enjoyed the comeback of cousin name Ruby, despite having been chosen by hip couple Sadie Frost and Jude Law, but it still could happen.