Five Letter Girl Names
- Eavan
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"beautiful sheen"Description:
Anglicized spelling of the difficult-to-decipher Gaelic Aoibheann, the name of several Irish princesses, this name rhymes with Steven. Eavan Boland is a distinguished Irish poet who teaches at Stanford University.
- Phebe
Origin:
Akan, GhanaianMeaning:
"born on Friday"Description:
Though often Anglicized as Phoebe, Phebe has separate roots. It originated as a variation of Afua, an Akan day name, and commonly used among enslaved people in America.
- Duska
Origin:
English; CzechMeaning:
"twilight; soul"Description:
This name has two origins: the English word Dusk, meaning evening twilight and the Czech name for girls Duška meaning "soul or spirit". Either way, this is an interesting name with some potential.
- Naima
Origin:
Arabic, Scandinavian variation of NaemaMeaning:
"tranquil; pleasantness"Description:
As an Arabic name, the normal transcription is Na'ima, with an apostrophe. It was a Top 200 name in France in the 1970s and '80s, and ranked in the US Top 1000 from 2005 to 2008.
- Niobe
Origin:
Greek mythology nameDescription:
The mythological queen whose perpetual weeping for her slain children turned her into a stone has always cast a pall over this name. Still, when other names with less-than-savory associations -- Delilah, Ophelia, Persephone -- are becoming popular, parents might want to consider this one of the more unusual mythology names for girls.
- Eliya
Origin:
Variation of Elijah or AliyahDescription:
Eliya may be thought of as a female variation on the popular Biblical boys' name Elijah or a spelling variation of the popular girls' name Aliyah. It may not rank among the US Top 1000 and it may cause some spelling and pronunciation confusion, but it does have genuine roots as a name.
- Fanny
Origin:
Diminutive of FrancesMeaning:
"free man"Description:
As this word is less often used to mean derriere, it becomes more possible to view Fanny as the kind of appealingly quaint nickname name, like Josie and Nellie, that many parents are favoring now.
- Davis
Origin:
Surname derived from David, HebrewMeaning:
"beloved"Description:
Davis may seem an unlikely choice for a girl, but over 50 baby girls received the name in the US last year, perhaps in honor of an ancestral David. Viola Davis is a notable female namesake.
- Elsje
- Wilda
Origin:
Variation of the word wild or GermanMeaning:
"to strive"Description:
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.
- Patsy
Origin:
English, diminutive of PatriciaMeaning:
"noble, patrician"Description:
This sassy, spunky name was used for the mostly Irish jump-roping pigtailed girls of the thirties and forties -- and some Irish and Italian boys as well. Its most noted bearer was iconic country music singer Patsy Cline (born Virginia), and was sighted most recently in the Ab Fab movie. After reaching Number 52 in the late thirties, it dropped off the list completely in 1970--and we're not anticipating a return.
- Jorja
Origin:
Modern American phonetic spelling of GeorgiaDescription:
This simplified form of the lovely name Georgia was spotlighted by the actress Jorja Fox, and seems to be making inroads; rocker Bret Michaels chose it for his daughter. Still, we'd opt for the traditional spelling.
- Ronia
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"God's joyful song"Description:
Hebrew name related to Ronit and Roni, also used in different cultures as Ronya, Ronja, and Roniya. Virtually unknown in the English-speaking world though certainly an easily-translatable choice.
- Iluka
Origin:
Australian AboriginalMeaning:
"by the sea"Description:
This Yaygir Aboriginal name is the name of two towns in Australia and is also occasionally spotted as a name. Meaning "by the sea" the name is perfect for beach-going families.
- Myrna
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"festive"Description:
Angliziced spelling of Muirne, the name of the mother of Finn mac Cool in Irish legend. Actress Myrna Loy was a notable bearer.
- Zoila
Origin:
Greek, “lively”Description:
A unique relative of Zoe via the Ancient Greek name Zoilos, borne by a 4th century BC cynic philosopher.
- Rilla
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"small brook"Description:
Rilla dropped out of the US Top 1000 in 1915, but it's starting to feel like an intriguing possibility again in this age of short, sweet, a-ending names for girls. It is traditionally a short form for names ending in -rilla, like Marilla from the Anne of Green Gables books (Anne's youngest daughter is Bertha Marilla, called Rilla for short). Rilla may also derive from the German word Rille, meaning "brook; stream".
- Kizzy
Origin:
Variation of KeziahMeaning:
"cassia tree"Description:
Kizzy was a character in Alex Haley's Roots; this and other Keziah variations were widely used among enslaved people. In Roots the name is explained by the hero Kunta as 'you sit down' or 'you stay put' in the Mandinka language meaning that 'this child would never get sold away'.
- Annis
Origin:
Variation of AgnesMeaning:
"pure, virginal"Description:
Annis and Anice are both antique variations of Agnes that have fallen out of use, perhaps because of pronunciation problems (ANN-is, or an-EES?)
- Sigal
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"violet"Description:
In modern Hebrew, sigal is the word for the violet flower.