Five Letter Girl Names

A worthy update for Imani.

Derya is a unisex name in its native Turkey, though even there it is far more popular for women than for men. It is related to the Persian name Daria, which also means sea.

Melat is a lovely girl name that is frequently used in Ethiopia. Several meanings of Melat are possible, including "gift of God", and "sweet". Melat also refers to the fine linen or silk woven in the Virgin Mary's dress.

The Vale of Tempe is an important place in Greek mythology as well as a real place in Greece. The ancient poets wrote of it as the halcyon dwelling of Apollo and the Muses. The modern cities in Arizona and Australia are named for the Greek Tempe, which is pronounced tem-pee.

Mauve-tinted nickname with vintage charm that could just follow in the footsteps of ABBIE. More prominent now as the nickname for the Texas A&M sports teams.

Rylie is a spelling variation of the more-popular traditional Riley. We recommend the "y" at the end rather than in the middle.

Tania is a Russian name that has been fully integrated into the American name pool, retaining just a touch of its Slavic flavor. It started as a pet form of Tatiana, which is beginning to be used in this country as well. Also spelled Tanya, as in country singer Tanya Tucker.

Dainty and doll-like.

Lilit in the Top 20 girls names is Armenia. Outside of Armenia, Lilit might be confused with Lilith, but is worth considering as a name in its own right.

Unlike its identical male counterpart, Ainar as a feminine name derives from Kazakh ay "moon" plus either a Persian element meaning "pomegranate" or an Arabic word meaning "fire".

A popular choice right now in Japan, where it recently ranked in the Top 10.

Mythological goddess of fertility whose name seems, ironically, among the least attractive.

Emira is one of those pan-international names that feels pleasant enough but seems so unrooted to any one culture that it might as well be made up.

If Joely (as in actress Richardson) is a name, why not Noely? As nickname-names become both more acceptable and more fashionable, Noely may be a fresh spin on one traditional name for Christmas babies.

This intriguing name is a rapid riser in the Italian name rankings, having entered the top 100 in 2011 and climbed to #61 in 2015. Its meaning and derivation are unknown, but it may be related to the name of the Germanic Suebi tribe. The form Sueva is also found.

Possibly started life as a short form of Rhonwen, but most likely derives from the name of the Hebridean island Rona, which means "rough island".

Pronounced as Fred with an a, Freda is sometimes heard in England, but mostly among older generations. Much more popular in the U.K. these days, though yet to reach the US, is Freya.