1798 Four Letter Girl Names

With the enormous popularity of Emily and Emma, we're sure to see more of Emmi, Emmie, Emme, and Emmy, whether as short forms or standing on their own.

Too tightly tied to the acronym for the activist group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

A lively, zippy name that is surprisingly rare in the US. It was the name of two men mentioned in the Bible, but is feminine in modern times.

Upper-crusty nickname occasionally used in Britain, particularly in 1930s novels featuring significant garden party scenes, but eclipsed here by Carrie et al.

The name Kiri was made famous by New Zealand soprano Kiri Te Kanawa, whose original name was Claire. Cute but slight, Kiri is close to several other names from Kiriah to Keira to Kyra and its diminutive Kyrie.

Three syllables in only four letters is quite a feat, but that's exactly what you get with Ilia, a versatile, unisex option with various origins. It could derive from the Greek Iliana, which could denote someone from Illium, or it could be a feminine form of Ilian, a form of Elijah. Alternatively, it is a Basque form of Julia, or a Bulgarian feminine form of Ilya, with again links back to Elijah. Currently a gender neutral option in the US, it may be exclusively masculine elsewhere.

Short, but still kind of a mouthful.

Less than ten percent of the babies named Rhys are girls, whereas Reese is given five times more often to girls than to boys, thanks to Ms. Witherspoon. It's a sleek and attractive name, but one that benefits from two accepted spellings that help clarify its gender identity.

Kick is a word name that some parents might use for their baby in utero — akin to Bean or Booboo — but it's increasingly being heard as a word name especially used in the middle, a la Jeremy Sisto for son Bastien. The Kennedy family has historically called daughters Kathleen "Kick" for short, and Kick can work as a nickname for a whole range of names male and female, from Nicholas to Keturah.

An early unisex nature name that has been surpassed by others, Dale is still a simple, sylvan and serene option.

A goddess of childbirth in Latvian mythology. She is known to be the patroness of all feminine duties as well as economic activity, like money and markets.

One of the new color names that is catching on, invoking a calm, blue-green-sea feeling.

Connotes a strong, solid character.

Popular girls' name in Syria. In Yiddish, pronounced ZAE-dah, this is a term for grandfather.

The young male star Shia LaBeouf has given this name a male image, but many would consider its sound soft and feminine.

Avia is one of those multi-cultural, vowel-heavy girls' names so popular today, along with such choices as Ayla and Aya.

There are many in Japan, but for most Americans there's only one Yoko.

High-kicking cohort of Coco, Gigi, Fifi, Kiki, et al.

Tavi has been catapulted into the spotlight by teenage fashion blogger Tavi Gevinson. This cute name, previously not on anyone's scope, could be a way to honor an ancestral David or a short form of the luscious Octavia or could stand as a perfectly stylish name all on its own.

Despite being etymologically unrelated, Aimi has a similar meaning to the name Amy, "beloved."