Two Syllable Names for Girls

This somewhat snobby-sounding surname popped onto the name map when Mariel Hemingway used it for one of her daughters.

Embroidered lace hankie of a name, used in a Thomas Hardy novel. That literary cred lends some gravitas.

A simplified spelling of the quirky European diminutive Anouk, used by the tiny Romansh-speaking population of Switzerland.

Howard? For a girl? In the woolly new world of baby naming, stranger things have happened. One or two, anyway.

Popular name in Israel, worth considering for a dark-haired daughter with a bit of a bohemian cast.

Depending on which characters you use, this Japanese name can have many meanings. The first part can mean "love, affection" or "indigo", while kanji for the second element include those meaning flower, perfume, include, sing, and praise. Whichever you choose, this is a distinctive Japanese name that travels easily into other languages.

An offbeat way to get to Gwen.

Charming French endearment, first used as a name by Goethe, that now makes an appealing choice -- though the proper feminine form is Mignonne. Note, though, that this is not actually used as a name in France, where Manon would be the closest choice.

The Old English word for a (male) wren, generally used as an elaboration of Wren.

This obscure but simple name is related to a Latinized form of an ancient Greek appellation that receives a mention in both Plato's Dialogues and the New Testament. Timmea and Timmia have also been found.

Interesting multi-cultural option.

Anneth was derived from the Cornish word annedh, meaning "home," but it may also be viewed as a variation of the French name Annette.

Wilda (or Wylda) has two widely divergent images. Pronounced vill-da, it feels like a cousin of Hilda: a sturdy and none-too-attractive prairie settler. But you can also think of her as wild-ah, as in the feminine of wild and wilder.

Short and catchy form of traditional Asian name.

Queen Jadis, also known as The White Witch, is the main villain in The Chronicles of Narnia. She is the force responsible for freezing Narnia and creating the Hundred Year Winter.

Used by the Puritans but off the US charts completely since the mid-1990s, Eartha is best known today as the name of American singer Eartha Kitt, as well as of the philanthropist and humanitarian Eartha M. M. White.

Will this old-fashioned nickname make a comeback, now that Jane has shed her "plain" image? Janie is cute and approachable, and would stand as well on the birth certificate as Josie and Jessie do now.

Samiya is a name used by parents of both Arabic and African ancestry. Spelling variations include Samiyah, Samiah, and Samia.