1798 Four Letter Girl Names

Alda's brother name Aldo has been a mainstay of the U.S. popularity chart for decades now, and the related Alden is soaring up as well. This version has never really caught on. (Maybe it's the association with Alan Alda: great actor, unlikely namesake for a little girl.) However, there is possible hope now that Alba and Alma are on the rise. Aida and Arden are more familiar alternatives.

One of the top Icelandic girl names. It's very pretty — if you know how to pronounce it.

See ZOE.

Reef is a rare gender-neutral word name in the stylish ocean category. There were a handful of baby girls named Reef last years, and 60 baby boys — a not inconsiderable number.

A Danish variant of Kaja (Kaya) or a Cornish word name derived from kaja "daisy".

Etel may freshen up the dated Ethel that many may consider still a bit too dusty for revival. Etel is used in Hungarian speaking countries, but is sleek and simple enough to work well in the States.

Concise Nada is a cross-cultural choice with pleasant meanings. In Arabic, it is derived from nadan meaning "dew, moisture", though other possible translations include "caller" and "goodness". As a Serbian, Bosnian, and Croatian name, it means "hope".

An appealing, usable Japanese choice, since there are so many familiar ori/ory-ending Western names.

The whimsical quality of the work of Swiss artist Paul Klee is somehow reflected in his name, although many would mispronounce it to rhyme with key. Say it like clay.

Cute nickname name used by Woody Harrelson for his daughter, but does have possible association with Denny's.

Dodo is one of the few names of the cute repeating-sounds genre that is not alas so cute, being a slang word for someone brainless as well as the name of the infamous extinct bird. Dot, Dottie, Dory, or Thea are all preferable.

A Roman name that's unused by English speakers today, but might appeal as a shorter, lighter alternative to Aurelia. The Latin vocabulary word aula also meant "hall".

Lada is the Slavic goddess of youth, merriment, beauty and fertility, usually associated with spring. Her name is referenced in wedding and folk songs in Eastern Europe, but largely unknown in the West.

Māori form of India, also found as a male name: the Māori form of Aeneas.

Cana is well-known to readers of the Bible as the city where Jesus performed his first miracle. If other place names, both modern and ancient, real and mythical, can be baby names, why not Cana? Rhyming with Dana, it can work for either gender.