Five Letter Girl Names

Seems to cry out for another syllable.

While actress Glenn Close didn't inspire many parents to give their daughters her name in particular, she did help launch a general trend toward boy names for girls.

Pretty and unusual translation of Bella.

Made famous by actress Idina Menzel, of "Rent" and "Wicked" fame.

Lexus, an automotive newcomer, has recently entered the Top 1000 -- more because of its association, we fear, with the status symbol car than its relation to the name Alexis. If you love this name, do your child a favor and make it Alexis or at least spell it Lexis.

While Niall -- pronounced as Neil or like the river Nile -- is conventionally a boys' name, it might theoretically work for girls.

Halie is the name of several figures in Greek mythology, most of them sea nymphs.

A common name in Indonesia that would not work well in English-speaking countries, being too close to putrid or putty.

Feels like a hybrid. Better go for Edith or Evelyn.

Name that's virtually unknown here but has a lovely meaning and a simple sound and spelling.

Nedra was one of a phalanx of names -- Delma, Verda, Vernice -- popular in the late 19th and early 20th century that dropped out of fashion after World War II and now have disappeared completely. Like the others, Nedra is now extinct.

Variation of Alana.

From the Arabic name Naila, which is used regularly by Muslims in England and France, as well as the Arabic-speaking world. Naila was the wife of the third caliph, Uthman.

Lovie is one of a vast number of ie-ending nickname names popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s, which means they should be back in style now.