Three Syllable Girl Names

A trendy name in France, sometimes also spelled Ysaline, that's related to both Isabelle and Iseult. To the American ear, it freshens up Isabelle without really improving on it.

Rare but attractive female form of Basil.

Alida had a brief flurry of popularity a hundred years ago but is rarely used today. But given the rise of so many names related to Adelaide and Adeline, Alida might be rediscovered.

Charming nature name made even more appealing by the connection to iconic nurse and statistician Florence Nightingale.

Rare surname name deriving from an old German word meaning "foreigner" or "stranger". Ellender is actress Blake Lively's middle name.

Edina is an infectious-sounding Minnesota place-name, featured in the British cult hit TV show "Absolutely Fabulous." Edina is also a poetic name for Edinburgh and is a common name in contemporary Hungary. Though some sources list its origins as Hungarian, more peg it as a variation of Edwina, the feminine form of Edwin, an English name.

Nine little goddesses got this lovely name in the US in 2021, making it a usable yet unusual entry in the popular mythological category. Devika is a diminutive of Devi, the head goddess of Hindu mythology. English speakers might make Devi the short form.

This lovely, rhythmic Hindu nature name relates to the mythical Kalinda Mountains, from which a sacred river flows.

A seriously classic name meaning love, Adelpha is also the name for a genus of butterflies.

Despite being associated with male characters in the Bible, Anaiah is much more common for girls in the US. In Puerto Rico, Anaiah ranks in the Top 100.

Analia is a melodic newcomer to the US Top 1000, a fresher spin on the Olde Worlde Anamaria. It charted in the US from 2009 to 2012, and then reentered the popularity list in 2015. El Rostro de Analia is a popular Spanish language telenova on the Telemundo channel, which probably greatly contributed to its initial entry to the US list in 2009 at Number 331 when it was unranked the previous year!

Nadezhda is more familiar in the English-speaking world by its short forms, Nadia or Nadya. Well-used through the Slavic countries and Russia, Nadezhda was the name of Lenin's wife. Viewers of The Americans learned that this was the original Russian name of the spy known as Elizabeth Jennings, played by Keri Russell.

Pop princess Amerie is half Korean, half African-American. Her name may relate to Amelia, Emily, Emery, or Amory, though there's no exact equivalent among historical names. But doubtless there will be more Ameries, starting now.

Kitana is the name of a character in Mortal Kombat II -- she's a princess who looks young but is actually 10,000 years old. It may be related to the male Persian name Katana, which means honorable, or even more likely to the Japanese word katana which means sword.

This is one of the most vibrant and feminine of the names meaning life, and it's sure to gain more attention as the whole sisterhood of Viv- names rise.

Zuri is one of the trendiest names in recent years, so it is no wonder that this elaborated form is seeing more use as well. Zurielle may be a feminization of the male Biblical name Zuriel, or an elaboration of the African name Zuri.

This name, from the picturesque town on the Italian Riviera, borrows a bit from Amelia and a bit from Emily.

A pretty Kazakh name derived from Turkish ayla, meaning "moonlight". The Hawaiian name 'Ailana (with the 'okina mark) means "loving".

Mafalda is nearly unknown in the English-speaking world, despite an appearance in Harry Potter. Indeed, it does have a witchy feel. Matilda itself is preferable, or her French form Mathilde, Spanish Matilde, or abbreviation Maud.

Zariza is a unique name sure to appeal to Z lovers.