1798 Four Letter Girl Names

Most parents today would prefer the softer-sell Stella. But Star has symbolic power related to Christmas, so this could make one of the perfect names for December babies.

Though the most famous Elia, screenwriter Kazan, was male, this name sounds like a spin on many popular girls' names, from Ella to Ellie to Isla and Leah. While the Italian pronunciation has the middle syllable as LEE, making it closer to the original Elijah would give the middle syllable a long I sound -- eh-LYE-ah.

Today Show anchor Savannah Guthrie put this name of a geographical feature on the baby name map when she chose it for her newborn daughter, Vale Guthrie Feldman. Vale might be considered part nature name, part place name: A vale is a kind of valley, often used in poetry. This truly unique choice doesn't even register on the US extended list of names given to five babies or more, but we expect Vale to register as parents are inspired by Guthrie and husband Mike Feldman's creative choice. More prosaicly, Vale might be a short form of Valerie or Valentina.

This body of water runs deep; the best of a group of new possibilities that includes Bay, Ocean, River, and the more established Brook. It has received attention via the actress Lake Bell. Lake would make a particularly cool and refreshing middle name, as Gisele Bundchen and Tom Brady did for daughter Vivian.

Caia Caecilia was the Roman Goddess of fire and women. The name Caia would make a truly fresh alternative to the flagging Maya, with which it rhymes.

This lovely Top 100 Turkish name is related to the Arabic Asra or Isra.

British-born novelist Plum Sykes has taken this rich, fruity name out of the produce section and put it into the baby name basket. It's more appealing than Apple, more presentable than Peaches. The French equivalent, Prune, is very fashionable there but would not fly with English speakers.

Maud, lacy and mauve-tinted, was wildly popular a hundred years ago but has been rarely heard in the past fifty. Some stylish parents are starting to choose Maud again, especially as a middle. Maude is another spelling, associated with actress Maude Apatow.

A simple but unusual name with roots in disparate cultures, Neri appears in the Bible as a male name and is still sometimes used for boys as well as girls. The appeal of Neri are its deep roots combined with its simple, upbeat, modern feel, ala Peri and Rory.

Alea is a genuine girls' name as a sleeker variation of Aleah, a name with both Arabic and Persian roots that means exalted or God's being. But in Italian, Alea means risk or hazard, so it can also be considered an Italian word name...but a risky one.

The Nixi were a tribe of childbirth goddesses in ancient Rome. The similar Nixie is a girls' name associated with German water nymphs. Whichever variation you choose, this is a unique name with a modern feel and evocative ancient roots.

Aira is a light and airy name that is currently on the rise. Playful but concise, Aira made its debut in the England and Wales Top 1000 in 2022.

While Arla has a literal meaning in Swedish, its roots as a name are probably more closely related to such names as Arlene or Orla. Arla is among the girls' Top 1000 names in the UK.

A simple, unusual word name with an evocative meaning, Ever feels similar enough to Eva, Evelyn, and Everly that it shifts easily into name territory. Actor Robert Carradine was ahead of the trends when he named his now grown-up actress daughter Ever back in the 70s, while more recently, it was used by both Milla Jovovich and Owain Yeoman.

Jara is a name with roots in several different cultures and languages, with different meanings and associations. She's the Hindu goddess of the household, happiness, and prosperity. In Spanish, where the name is pronounced with an H sound at the beginning ala Jose, Jara is a flower name meaning "rock-rose". In Arabic, the meaning of "earthen water jug" relates it to both the earth and to water.

This lovely name -- Eyre sounds just like air -- is best-known as the surname of eponymous Bronte heroine Jane, and would make an appealing and distinctive middle name for the child of fans of that book. While the surname Eyre is found mainly in England, its origins are Norse and it's thought to derive from Norse settlers. Still, the status of the classic books means Eyre deserves to stand proudly among English baby names.

An appealing Asian name with a nickname feel.

Simple and pretty and user-friendly, the Welsh Sian was used by U2's Dave "the Edge" Evans for his daughter. In Welsh, it is also spelled Siân.

Khloe : Chloe :: Kleo : Cleo

Has been used on its own since the 1920s, but still seems like only part of a name. Was very much tied to mid-century Italian sexpot Gina Lollobrigida.