Three Syllable Girl Names

Jocasta is a mythological name fashionably used in England, but mostly ignored here. She was the mother of Oedipus, King of Thebes, whom he (oops) unwittingly married. If you can ignore that small error in judgment, you'll find an interesting and attractive J name that's neither overused nor terminally dated.

Elula, female derivation of Elul, the name of the sixth month on the Hebrew calendar, was used by Isla Fisher and Sacha Baron Cohen for their second daughter. The couple kept their unusual choice under wraps for several months, perhaps to get a head start on the hordes of fans who might adopt the fashionable-yet-unusual double-l name for their own. Reminiscent of (though not actually related to) Eulala, the stylish pick of Marcia Gay Harden for her daughter. Lula, Lulu, or Lu could be short forms.

An ancient Roman name that has never made it into the modern world.

Chrysalis is a girls' baby name derived from the state of a butterfly or moth between larva and adult. A chrysalis is a hard-shelled pupa in which the transition of the butterfly or moth takes place. As a baby name, Chrysalis came to the fore as the rumored name of the baby girl of Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott, who reportedly love butterflies. Chrysalis does certainly have potential as a new word name or nature name for babies, with the simple familiar nickname Chrys.

With a meaning like "elf power," Alfreda could find some appeal among fantasy enthusiasts. "Freda" makes for a pleasant nickname.

Feminine form of Nadir

Popular choice for female anime characters.

In Greek mythology, the Elysian Fields was the final resting place of righteous souls. Elysian falls under two current trends — spiritual names and mythological names — and could easily be a hit in years to come.

This Latin name, also spelled Alida, has come into focus via the interesting character of Aleida Diaz on Orange is the New Black, the mother of Dayanara. In real life, Che Gueverra named a daughter Aleida.

Although it looks and sounds like the Spanish name Paloma, meaning "dove," Poloma has Native American origins from the Choctaw tribe.

Parthenia may be a bit unwieldy, but does conjure up majestic images of the Parthenon.

Eleusine is the botanical name of genus of grasses found across Africa and Asia. It also has a lovely soft sound and look. This might be a great choice for nature lovers or African or Asian parents looking for something with heritage meaning that's still quite unusual. Bonus points for its very fashionable "El" beginning

Madalyn is a variant of the French name Madeleine — one of several which have graced the US top 1000 in recent years.

Foreign variations of Mary are definitely the way to go; this one has a nice Dutch-girl feel. It also works as a cultural crossover name, e.g. between European languages and Japanese.

Aoibhinn and its twin name Aoibheann may be popular in Ireland but most English-speakers would find the spelling baffling and the pronunciation impossible to divine. It's ee-van, or se-vin, fitting with the Irish popularity of many names -- Aoife, Eabha, Ava -- with this similar sound.

Italianate variation of Cosette, from Victor Hugo's Les Misérables.

Like Verity and Amity, this inclusive virtue name used by the colorful British literary Mitford family is ready to join its more popular peers Hope, Faith, and Grace.

Amory is best known for the hero of Fitzgerald's 1920 This Side of Paradise, Princeton student Amory Blaine. Amory is in some danger of being borrowed by the girls, a la Avery. Alternate spellings Amori or Amorie also relate to the Latin word for love.