Two Syllable Names for Girls

Abbreviated form of Zahara that was used by Chris Rock for his daughter and as a middle name by both Eddie Murphy and David Bowie. Compared with the even-more-abbreviated Zara, Zahra may create more spelling problems but clarify pronunciation.

In the Top 25 in the unisex seventies, these days Tracy would more likely be Gracie.

Although Julien is traditionally the male French form of Julian, musician Julien Baker has taken this variation of the name to the female side of the ledger. Julien is derived from the Ancient Roman Julius which is in turn related to the God name Jupiter or Jove, The most popular forms of the name in modern times have been Julia and Julian, but many variations for both genders, including Juliet, Julianne, and Julius, have become more visible too.

X is undoubtedly one of the coolest initials to have, and more parents are agreeing — Xyla entered the Top 1000 for the first time in 2022. Xyla comes from the Greek xylon, meaning "wood" — the same root that makes up the word xylophone (literally meaning "wood sound"). The subtle musical connection in this name may be an additional appeal.

Hebrew name related to Ronit and Roni, also used in different cultures as Ronya, Ronja, and Roniya. Virtually unknown in the English-speaking world though certainly an easily-translatable choice.

The Halley version of this popular name family hit the Top 1000 only once, in 1986, inspired by Halley's Comet, named for astronomer Edmund Halley.

Caprice is a word name with an appealing sound and a light-hearted meaning. Caprice is a rare name, used for only ten baby girls in the US in 2023.

Gretel originated as a nickname for Margarete, the German form of Margaret. It’s a charming name, but most American parents prefer Greta, as Gretel is strongly tied to the fairy tale heroine.

Mason is a supertrendy name for boys that's starting to cross over -- Kelsey Grammer used it for his daughter. Creative speller's delight.

Bronagh, along with Anglicized form Brona, is a popular name in Ireland. It's the name of a sixth century mystic as well as a modern television character on Penny Dreadful.

Popular girls' name in Syria. In Yiddish, pronounced ZAE-dah, this is a term for grandfather.

A name that has many close, more familiar relatives, like Mira and Myra.

Most names that start with Cam- are on the upswing, so why not this obscure term for Wales as well as for a prehistoric time period.

Jenna is overheated, but Jemma is still cool. Jemma and Gemma are most heard in Australia but are increasingly used in other countries.

Long used as a masculine name, when you think about it there is no reason this word name can't be used on a daughter as well as a son. Only about 1 percent of the baby Christians born today are girls, but the name is not unknown for baby girls.

Mabli is the sweet Welsh form of Mabel; like its English cousin, it’s starting to make a modest comeback in Wales as part of the trend for vintage baby names from a century ago.

The spelling Loren turns Lauren or its male form Laurence into a gender-neutral name. Last year 75 baby girls were named Loren in the US vs. 60 baby boys, making this name a good nonbinary choice.

Swap two letters of Birdie and you get Bridie, a traditional diminutive of Bridget. Bridie fits perfectly with the trend for standalone vintage nicknames like Betty and Sadie, but is surprisingly rare.

Sumayyah was the first Muslim martyr. This name, with its mellifluous sounds, works well in the West.

This ancient Greek male name, well-used in Britain, also has an herbal quality that may explain its increasing use for girls. While as a name it rhymes with dazzle, the herb has a long a, making the pronunciation BAY-zel.