Short, Vowel-Heavy Girls Names
- Livia
Origin:
Diminutive of Olivia or LatinMeaning:
"blue, envious"Description:
Though it sounds like a chopped-off variation of Olivia, which means olive, the distinctively attractive Livia has been an independent name since the days of the ancient Romans, when it belonged to Livia Drusilla—the powerful wife of the Emperor Augustus—and is still commonly heard in modern Italy.
- Liya
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"I am with God"Description:
The first name of Ethiopian supermodel Liya (pronounced like Leah) Kebede is also a Russian variation of Lia and Lily. Rather than using Liya, English speakers will do better to call a child Leah or Lia.
- Liza
Origin:
Diminutive of Eliza and Elizabeth, HebrewMeaning:
"pledged to God"Description:
Liza's heyday was the mid-1970s, following on the heels of super-popular sister Lisa. But thanks to the fact that it never became superpopular, Liza remains a name not especially tied to one generation or style.
- Lois
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"most desirable"Description:
The eternal fiancee of Superman turned sweet gray-haired lady who's always available to babysit her grandkids turned....hot new baby name?
- Lola
Origin:
Spanish, diminutive of DoloresMeaning:
"lady of sorrows"Description:
A hot starbaby name – chosen by Kelly Ripa, Chris Rock, Lisa Bonet, Denise Richards and Charlie Sheen, Carnie Wilson, and Annie Lennox, and used as the nickname of Madonna's Lourdes – Lola manages to feel fun and sassy without going over the top. Be warned, though: "Whatever Lola wants, Lola gets," to quote a song from the show Damn Yankees.
- Lori
Origin:
English spelling variation of Laurie; diminutive of LauraMeaning:
"from Laurentium or bay laurel"Description:
Lori, with this sleek modern spelling, was an extremely popular name in the middle of the 20th century, ranking among the Top 100 girls' names from the early 1950s until the early 1980s.
- Lou
Origin:
Short form of LouiseMeaning:
"renowned warrior"Description:
Lou is usually a short form of Louise, Louisa, or Lucy in English-speaking countries, when Lou is used for girls at all. But in France and Germany, it's a fashionable choice all on its own, sure to gain even more widespread style credibility since Heidi Klum and Seal chose it for their daughter.
- Love
Origin:
Word nameMeaning:
"love"Description:
Love makes an endearing middle name, as in Jennifer Love Hewitt. However, more parents are considering Love as a first name — enough for it to enter the charts for the first time in 2022 as one of the fastest-rising names of the year. Other love-related alternatives include Juliet, Valentina, and Amor.
- Luba
Origin:
Russian, Slavic, Yiddish, "love, lover, dear"Meaning:
"love, lover, dear"Description:
Its association with the word liebe gives this name an endearing, adored aura.
- Lucy
Origin:
English variation of Lucia, LatinMeaning:
"light"Description:
A versatile classic, Lucy is both sweet and solid, a saint's name, and the heroine of several great novels. First fashionable in England and Wales, Lucy is now a popular choice in the US, The Netherlands, and New Zealand.
- Lulu
Origin:
Diminutive of Louise or Lucy, or ArabicMeaning:
"pearl"Description:
Lula has a firecracker personality, a singing and dancing extrovert. Interesting that Lulu was a Top 100 name when the Social Security list was born in 1880, but it's been sliding ever since and has not been in the Top 1000 for decades. Modern parents in love with Lulu might well reverse that trend.
- Lyla
Origin:
Spelling variation of Lila, ArabicMeaning:
"night"Description:
The Lyla spelling variation has now superseded the original Lila — the former remains on the rise while the latter is consistently falling in popularity.
- Lyra
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"lyre"Description:
Lyra is a name with ancient and celestial roots that's finding new popularity thanks to its starring role in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series, seen in the movie The Golden Compass. Simple yet unique, Lyra hits the sweet spot between too popular and too unusual.
- Macy
Origin:
English surname, variation of MasseyMeaning:
"hill"Description:
Singer Macy Gray has popularized this cute and upbeat choice—once solely associated with the department store—a modern replacement for Stacy and Tracy.
- Mae
Origin:
Diminutive of Mary or MargaretMeaning:
"bitter or pearl"Description:
Mae, a sweet and springlike old-fashioned name, hadn't been on the national charts in forty years, but finally made it back in 2010. Mae is derived from May, the month name that was chosen for its connection to Maia, the Roman goddess of growth and motherhood.
- Maeve
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"she who intoxicates"Description:
Maeve is a short and sweet name that has become one of the most stylish Irish names for girls in the modern US. Maeve would make an excellent first or middle name choice, with more heft than Mae/May and more modern charm than Mavis.
- Maire
Origin:
Finnish, Irish variation of MaryMeaning:
"sweet; drop of the sea, bitter"Description:
Both Maire and Mare have begun making inroads with parents seeking novel yet authentic ways of honoring an ancestral Mary. The Finnish variation derives from the word mairea, meaning "sweet."
- Mairi
Origin:
Scottish variation of MaryMeaning:
"bitter"Description:
Why does Mairi (rhymes with Harry) seem so much cooler than Mary? This Irish form of Mary was not used before the seventeenth century, as it was considered too sacred. The vocative case of the name, Mhairi (pronounced VAH-ree), is also used as a given name in Scotland.
- Malou
Origin:
Combination of Mary and LouMeaning:
"bitter; renowned warrior"Description:
This charming name, popular in France and the Netherlands, has not traveled to the U.S. yet but would make a modern way to honor grandma Mary or Louise, or as a perfect short form of Mary Louise. Or, with the growing fashion for nickname names, it can stand perfect well on its own. One of several similar variations — Lou, Lilou, Louane — in vogue in Europe.
- Mara
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"bitter"Description:
Mara is the evocative ancient root of Mary, appearing in the Book of Ruth, in which Naomi, devastated after the death of her two sons, says "Call me not Naomi, call me Mara." It's one of the girl names starting with M that both fits in and stands out.