1798 Four Letter Girl Names

The popularity of Maya clarifies the pronunciation of Raya, which makes that the better spelling of this name.

The name of the Greek goddess of youth, daughter of Zeus and Hera, is rarely used today but may be ripe for revival considering the rejuvenation of the rhyming Phoebe. We'd call it one of the Greek goddess names ripe for modern use.

Breton cognate of Angela, from Breton ael "angel".

One of the most feminine of surname names, calling to mind dresses and doilies.

Short form of Adebayo

French version of Leah, currently popular with French-speaking parents. In this spelling, it looks pleasingly like the female equivalent of Leo (or Léo), and sounds like Leia.

A Slavic classic, as common as Jane or Joan here.

Although a bold male figure in Scandinavian legend, this is more appropriate for a girl.

Intriguing derivation, though people will assume it's a simplified form of Maura.

Familiar through the similarly pronounced TV Warrior Princess, but the original Xena spelling is cooler.

Though it's used far more often for boys, Lyle has a lot in common with today's trending girl names that share the double L sound: Lila, Layla, and Lola.

A short form that is given on its own to a good number of baby girls each year — Cali has been on trend in recent years along with sister names Callie and Kali, as the popular 90s and early 2000s nickname Allie has felt less fresh. The Cali spelling in particular also brings to mind the sunny state of California and all of the beachy imagery that follows.

Sela is a Biblical place name, the original term for the city of Petra, which is finding new life through actress Sela Ward, star of several TV series. The young daughter of singer Lauryn Hill is named Selah, pronounced the same but with a different derivation and meaning. Found among early African-American enslaved people, it was sometimes spelled Cela or Cella.

This variation of Corey has a Kardashian-style spelling update -- which might be why it's experiencing a boost in popularity of late. Kori is also a Kikuyu name meaning lamb, one of the many names from that African culture with animal meanings, and a short form of Koral, the Hebrew form of Coral.

The derivation and meaning of the Hebrew or Spanish names for girls Yari may be uncertain, but the name might get more attention thanks to its similarity to Yara, which means butterfly and is becoming more popular for baby girls throughout the Spanish-speaking world.

Mavi is a gender-neutral Turkish name with a colorful meaning and a trendy feel, that is also the name of a jeans company, and a Spanish short form of the double name, Maria Victoria. This is one we expect to hear more of as an alternative to Maeve.

In Georgian mythology, Dali is the goddess of hunting. The origins of her name are disputed — some scholars claim it comes from the Georgian word for morning, dila, while others claim links to words for "demon" and "god".

This spelling variation of the popular girls' nickname ranks behind the more traditional form—Allie (Number 255). This spelling could be hurt by the word name ally, which bears a different pronunciation.

Ursa might be a good choice if you're looking for a bear name for your daughter but want to avoid the She Witch curse placed on Ursula by Disney's The Little Mermaid. Too bad, because Ursula is a classic and lovely name, but Ursa has less baggage.