270 Best Three Syllable Girl Names

  1. Verena
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "integrity"
    • Description:

      Verena is pleasant but old-fashioned. Whether that's the outdated kind of old-fashioned or the so-out-it's-in-again kind is your call.
  2. Monica
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "advisor"
    • Description:

      This saintly name--she was the mother of St. Augustine--plummeted after the double whammy of Lewinsky and the demise of Friends.
  3. Marguerite
    • Origin:

      French variation of Margaret; also a flower name
    • Meaning:

      "pearl; daisy"
    • Description:

      Marguerite is a classic French name with a remnant of old-fashioned Gallic charm; and is also a variety of daisy. Chic again in Paris, it's definitely ripe for revival here.
  4. Annabel
    • Origin:

      Scottish variation of Amabel
    • Meaning:

      "loving"
    • Description:

      Annabel is a spirited name that embodies quirky British gentility. Appearing in Scotland as early as the twelfth century, where it was a royal name, it also recalls the romantic Edgar Allan Poe poem Annabel Lee, written upon the death of his young wife, Virginia.
  5. Annabel
    • Origin:

      Scottish variation of Amabel
    • Meaning:

      "loving"
    • Description:

      Annabel is a spirited name that embodies quirky British gentility. Appearing in Scotland as early as the twelfth century, where it was a royal name, it also recalls the romantic Edgar Allan Poe poem Annabel Lee, written upon the death of his young wife, Virginia.
  6. Belinda
    • Origin:

      Spanish or German
    • Meaning:

      "pretty one, or, serpent"
    • Description:

      Belinda, cousin of Linda and Melinda, enjoyed a brief return to the Top 1000 from 2005 through 2013, only to fall off again in 2014. A name that some may consider a modern spin on the midcentury popularity queen Linda is in fact a classic with deep and fascinating roots. In Babylonian mythology Belinda was the goddess of heaven and earth, and the name later was used for the heroine of Alexander Pope's satirical poem The Rape of the Lock.
  7. Pamela
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "all honey"
    • Description:

      Pam was a somewhat pampered prom queen of the sixties who was never called by her full name, which is a pity because Pamela is so mellifluous and rich in literary history. A Top 25 name from the late 1940's through the late 60's, Pamela has just, sadly, dropped out of the Top 1000.
  8. Geneva
    • Origin:

      Swiss place-name or French
    • Meaning:

      "juniper tree"
    • Description:

      Unlike its somewhat formal Swiss city namesake, this is a lively and appealing place-name that also has a real history as a female name.
  9. Karina
    • Origin:

      Scandinavian, German, Polish, and Russian variation of Carina
    • Description:

      This sweet and loving name, favored in recent years by a mix of Hispanic-American parents and Bob Dylan fans, was chosen for her daughter by TV actress Melina Kanakaredes.
  10. Bellamy
    • Origin:

      English and Irish from French
    • Meaning:

      "fine friend"
    • Description:

      Bellamy is emerging as an up-and-coming girls' name, an Irish surname-y riff on the super-popular Bella series of names. While the Bella connection makes Bellamy sound a little trendier and more popular than it really is, we see the name possibly rising through the ranks for both genders in the coming years.
  11. Marian
    • Origin:

      French medieval variation of Marie
    • Meaning:

      "drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"
    • Description:

      Marian's (and sister spelling Marion's) image has gone through a sea change of late, recalling less middle-aged matron and more Robin Hood's romantic Maid Marian. Some influences: the SJ Parker-M. Broderick twin daughter Marion and the glamorous French actress Marion Cotillard.
  12. Nicola
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "people of victory"
    • Description:

      Nicola, an elegant Latinate feminization of Nicholas, has long been standard issue for English girls but for some reason has never voyaged across the Atlantic, which we consider a pity, especially as Nicole's standing has waned.
  13. Waverly
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "meadow of quivering aspens"
    • Description:

      Waverly, with its literary resonance and lilting three-syllable sound, could well become the next generation's successor to Kimberly. Its upper-crusty surname feel places it among the new stylish English names for girls, successors to Ashley and Whitney.
  14. Electra
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "shining, bright"
    • Description:

      Though the tragedies of the Greeks and Eugene O'Neill that used this name are filled with incest and murder, Electra is still a brilliant choice. Isabella Rossellini chose the gentler Italian verson, Elettra, for her now grown daughter.
  15. Michaela
    • Origin:

      Feminine variation of Michael
    • Meaning:

      "who is like God"
    • Description:

      This most proper form of the name shot up the charts in the nineties, only to sink just as precipitously, supplanted by upstarts Makayla and McKayla ad infinitum.
  16. Tiffany
    • Origin:

      English variation of Theophania, Greek
    • Meaning:

      "of divine manifestation"
    • Description:

      One of the first luxury brand names and the quintessential Booming Eighties status-conscious moniker; used by Donald Trump for his daughter, Tiffany has plummeted far from its high in the Top 25.
  17. Jessamine
    • Origin:

      English from Persian
    • Meaning:

      "jasmine"
    • Description:

      Jessamine, a charming name occasionally heard in England, is just beginning to be appreciated in the U.S. as a possible successor to all the Jess names of the past. It's also spelled Jessamyn, as in Quaker novelist Jessamyn West, author of Friendly Persuasion--who started life with Jessamyn as her middle name.
  18. Ellison
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "son of Ellis"
    • Description:

      Updates Allison—which everyone will misunderstand it as. But it's definitely a fresh spin on the Ellie names, and a rising surname name choice for girls. It made its first appearance on the US Top 1000 in 2013.
  19. Fernanda
    • Origin:

      Feminine variation of Fernando, Spanish and Portuguese version of German Ferdinand
    • Meaning:

      "bold voyager"
    • Description:

      Fernanda is very popular in the Latino community, with a lot more charm than its male counterpart. The standard nickname is Nanda, and variations include Ferdinanda and Fernandina.
  20. Madrigal
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "song for unaccompanied voices"
    • Description:

      Madrigal might be a pretty and highly distinctive choice for a child of a musical family--or for the parent looking for a less conventional path to the nickname Maddie than Madeline or Madison . Definitely more striking than Cadence or even the increasingly popular Aria.