Three Syllable Girl Names

Hereswith is a rare name that comes to us from the dark ages. She was a Northumbrian saint, whose more famous sister, Hilda, was the Abbess at Whitby and patron of the first English poet, Caedmon. The name has a soft, lispy sound that is more wearable than its spelling would suggest.

The late tennis great Arthur Ashe (whose wife was a photographer) pioneered word names when he used this for his daughter. It would make an interesting first or middle name possibility for parents involved with photography.

Although barely heard in the English-speaking world, this Slavic name is popular in Russia and the Balkans, and is also used in Scandinavia. It could be a snazzy name (or middle name) for a snow baby.

Banana is one fruity name we wouldn't recommend. Pick Plum instead. There is a Japanese novelist whose pen name is Banana Yoshimoto--birth name Mahoko.

Farasha is butterfly in Arabic, which means that to English-speakers, it feels more like a soft feminine name and less like a fluttery animal. Pretty without feeling flighty.

Melisende, the mellifluous name of a 12th century queen of Jerusalem, gave rise to the more modern (but less lovely) Millicent. Other old forms include Melisent, Malasintha, and the French Melisande, a fairy tale heroine.

The river Ganges in India is also called Jahnavi (literally "daughter of Jahnu") due to a legend involving the sage Jahnu. The Ganges river destroyed his fields, so Jahnu drank up all of the river's water to punish her. The Gods prayed to the sage to release the Ganges, and Jahnu relented and released the Ganges from his ear.

A light and lovely Quechua name with a joyful meaning.

Derived from Maria, the meaning of which is uncertain. Theories include "drop of the sea" (from Hebrew roots mar "drop" and yam "sea"); "bitter" (from Hebrew marah "bitterness"); and "beloved" (from the Egyptian root mr).

A pleasant, welcoming Middle Eastern choice.

A venerable name closer to MELISSA than the original MILLICENT.

Better for a perfume.

A minor goddess in Celtic mythology, associated with the river Aisne.

Once regularly used as a spelling variation of Michelle, Mitchelle would be a virtually one-of-a-kind choice for a baby born today.

No one will ever forget it. But Remember as a name came over on the Mayflower, so it has deep history as well as modern potential.

This possible word name, which rhymes with Maia, makes an even more distinctive alternative.

A variation of an old Irish saint’s name, Liadin, and the name of a lovelorn poetess in Irish folk legend. Be prepared for some clumsy pronunciation outside Ireland, however.

Fluttery and flighty. But there are a couple of names that mean butterfly you might consider, such as Yara and Farasha.