Two Syllable Names for Girls

Likely boosted by its similarity to fast-rising names Rhea, Raya, and Freya, enough parents chose this sweet and simple name in 2023 to push it into the US Top 1000 for the first time.

Zayah is more famous in the US in its Zaya spelling, thanks to the elder daughter of basketball great Dwyane Wade. Either way you spell it, Zayah is a name that's both unique and simple, a great combination.

This pretty multicultural name makes a pleasant update to Sarah.

Mayuri is the feminine version of the name Mayur, which means peacock. The name has a mellifluous sound to it, which makes it well placed to make the transition to the West. Dancer and chorerographer Mayuri Upadhya is a notable bearer of this name.

Rona ranked in the US Top 1000 in the mid-20th century but holds new meaning in the 2020s. "Rona" has become slang for coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, which gives the name a dark and somber edge. In 2020, Rona was given to 17 baby girls (a fall from 26 the previous year). In 2021, it dropped to just 5 — we expect it to drop off the list entirely in the years to come.

Nele originated as a German nickname for Cornelia, but it superseded its mother name and has been a Top 30 name in Germany since 2000.

Mysterious.

A character name in George R. R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series, featured in the GOT prequel House of the Dragon. A creative spin on Reign or Rayna.

Unusual floral name which would be perfect for a spring baby girl, if you can pronounce the Welsh double L correctly. It's a tricky sound for non-native Welsh speakers, kind of halfway between an H and an L.

On trend for boys but with plenty of unisex appeal too, the place name Cairo was put on the map for girls when model Beverly Peele chose it for her daughter. Given to around 50 girls each year, it hasn't caught on just yet but with its similar sounds to Kaia and Skyler, it might do in the future.

An ancient German saint's name – and most famously the name of Harry Potter's snowy owl – but the combination of "head" plus "wig" feels a little too literal in English.

For a minute or two this sounded more modern than Janet, now equally outmoded.

Quirky and charming flower name. Thistle is Scotland's national symbol.

This Cameron variation was popularized by actress Camryn Manheim and Twitches character Camryn. But why choose Camryn over Cameron? In most cases, the classic spelling is preferable.

This was a 100 percent boys' name till the willowy Mischa Barton of TV's "The OC" made it unisex, a la Sascha.

Suzette has a kind of clunky retro charm – so kitsch it's almost cool again.

Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon chose this unusual diminutive for their daughter.

Huxley is an increasingly popular surname-name for baby boys in the US and now is beginning to be used for girls as well. The -ley suffix, usually denoting a place, is common in names for both genders but more often for girls.

Laurie morphed into the more streamlined Lori in the sixties but now feels dated for a girl in either spelling. Update Lauren has been renovated as Laurel or Laura itself.

The name of an affluent suburb of Columbus, Ohio and a section of Greater London, Bexley is increasingly being coopted by parents looking for a novel name in the Kinsley/AInsley/Paisley family. Bexley debuted on the US Top 1000 in 2016 and is definitely one of the trendiest girl names starting with B. Think of it as a 21st century Becky.