Three Letter Girl Names

Traditionally a short form for Italian names such as Fiorella and Fiorenza, Fio could easily be put directly on the birth certificate today.

The legendary St. Non was the mother of St. David, the patron saint of Wales. David was raised in a convent by his mother and went on to become a great teacher and bishop. Non is also known as Nonna and Nonita, and is associated with Cornwall and Brittany along with Wales. While the name Non is well-used in Wales, it is largely unknown in the US and maybe be heard as the negative word "none" or prefix "non".

Ten times as many boys are named Oak as girls: about 50 boys last year to five girls. Of course, nature names don't have any traditional gender identification the way names like John and Mary do, so Oak works well for all babies. Oakley is the most popular Oak name for babies of all genders.

Xen might also be a minimalist reduction of Alexandra.

The name of a bird native to New Zealand, which has a distinctive call and can even learn to mimic human speech and other sounds. Tui was one of the Top 20 most popular Maori names given to girls in NZ in 2018.

Naz was a common name for girls in Turkey in the 2000s. In the US, it may be used as a nickname for names such as Nazareth and for boys, Nazir.

A short form of the modern coinage Icelyn that feels cool as a short form, but too frosty for a full name.

Common name in Japan, would have alcoholic allusions here.

Fey, for middle name purposes, could be thought of as a fey spelling of Fay. These days, however, Fey would be considered by most people to be honoring comedian Tina.

Likely derived from the Greek name Roxanne, Rox was a short form popular in America in the mid-19th Century. Like Max and Lux, it seems sleek and contemporary and particularly suited to modern life.

There was an eighties cartoon queen named Jem (& The Holograms), and this is as likely to be a full name as a short form – deriving from Jemma, Jemima or Jameela.

Simple African name all-but-unknown in the U.S. and Europe, which is exactly why it might make a perfect choice. Similarity to such popular names as Ava and Eva (and the Irish Aoife) makes it more familiar, but potentially more confusing.

Simple, Zen-like name of a mythological forest elf.

Pronunciation would not be obvious to Americans.

Medieval name that still hasn't crossed the ocean, known here primarily via actress/teacher Uta Hagen.