Two Syllable Names for Girls

The young male star Shia LaBeouf has given this name a male image, but many would consider its sound soft and feminine.

Marcy is about as hip as bobby sox and saddle shoes – which is to say, it's probably due a revival in the not-too-distant future! It was a typical Peanuts character name, which peaked in the seventies, but is starting to attract attention again across the pond, where soundalikes like Macy, Marnie, Maisy, Darcy and Lacey are already popular.

A subtle virtue name, a name that can be shortened to two popular nicknames (Izzy and Ella) and a rare Cornish name - what isn't to love about this modest appellation? It has been used as a name in Cornwall since the 1970s.

Letty is a sweet vintage gem, playful and cosy and more unexpected than Lottie, the popular pet form of popular Charlotte. Originally used as a nickname for Letitia or Lettice, it could also work for Scarlett, Juliet, Violet, Leighton, Arlette, Loretta, Colette, or Liberty.

In India, Shiva is an unambiguously male name; but in the middle east, Shiva derives from the Persian words for charm and eloquence, and is usually used as a female name.

Prettier than Joy and just beginning to be used here.

Arbor is an original unisex tree-related choice we're sure to hear more of. Highly unusual now, Arbor takes its place alongside other new arborial names ranging from the mighty Oak (or Oakley) to the more delicate Birch to the more flowery Juniper, Acacia, and Hazel.

Romy and co. are more fashionable than ever, as evidenced by this recent addition to the UK Top 1000.

We give Briar Rose its own page thanks to the down-to-earth name of Princess Aurora, aka Sleeping Beauty. Rachel Bilson and Hayden Christensen named their newborn daughter Briar Rose, but we like Briar and Rose better when used separately. Read more about Briar Rose and other Disney Princess Names in our featured blog.

Astarte is the ancient goddess of sexuality, fertility, and war, associated with Ishtar as well as Venus.

Angliziced spelling of Muirne, the name of the mother of Finn mac Cool in Irish legend. Actress Myrna Loy was a notable bearer.

A French-ified smoosh of Vietnamese Thuy and Lan, borne by French model Thylane Blondeau.

Mythological princess who killed her kids. Eternal no-no.

A sleek, smooth, understated name off the grid in the US but among the Top 100 girl names in Germany.

Too tightly tied to the acronym for the activist group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

Pretty Victorian-feeling cousin of Ariel; also, more prosaically, a kind of bay window.

Souline was unknown in the US until 2019, when YouTubers Landon McBroom and Shyla Walker chose it for their baby daughter. The following year it debuted on the charts with 36 parents following suit. It's as soulful as it sounds, with meanings that embrace both the sunny and somber sides of life.

Very rarely used, could provide a distinctive alternative to Lydia.

Symbolic name given to girls born on TuB'Shevat, the New Year of the Trees.

One of the warm and earthy Russian nickname names now coming into style. Denzel Washington is the father of a Katia.