Five Letter Girl Names

A name made most famous by the operetta The Merry Widow which features "The Vilja's Song". A vila is a woodland spirit or fairy in Slavic mythology. Vilja also means "grain" in Finnish and "will, intent" in Swedish, and is very popular as a girls' name in Scandinavia, ranking in the Top 100 in both Finland and Norway.

This name found in the fantasy series Endymion/Rise of Endymion has a slightly physiological feel to it.

Viva Las Vegas? What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas? We think not. Maybe Vega, the name of an actual heavenly star?

There's only one Evita.

The boyish spelling, which is still pronounced with two syllables and a long e at the end, is sometimes used for girls, though the Jessie form -- whether short for Jessica or standing on its own -- is usually considered the feminine one.

Why bother to invent a new name or spelling when there are intriguing oddities like this in existence. Also in the Welsh encyclopedia of names: Ffion, Ffiona, and Ffraid, the Welsh form of Brigid.

The final a adds a lot of style.

If you're over Allie, consider Alfie. This nickname name has already made a splash as a top 20 pick for boys across the pond. But with the growing trend of scrappy tomboy names, Alfie makes a promising choice for girls too.

From obscure male biblical boy's name to unisex favorite, Jadon/Jaden, in all its variations, has had a meteoric rise in popularity, building on Jade and Jada, plus the trendy en ending.

Unless you're making an intentional homage to the Maya civilization, the traditional spelling Maayan will prove less confusing.

A unisex Japanese name, with a variety of meanings depending on which kanji combinations are used. It is often said to mean "aster", giving it a botanical tie, and a link to remembrance based on the symbolism of the aster flower.

Phonetic spelling of the Muslim Aanisah, chosen by singer Macy Gray for one of her daughters.

This elegant Finnish feminization of Wendell is one of those rare names that has never appeared on the US official charts, but is straightforward to spell and say. It has been among the most popular girl names in Finland for at least 15 years, and would be a lovely, unique way to honor Finnish culture.

This name from the Akan language of Ghana in West Africa is traditionally given to baby girls born on a Tuesday. The male version is Kwabena or Kobena.

Readers who remember J. D. Salinger's Franny and Zooey have probably forgotten that the character was male (nee Zachary). Nowadays the somewhat loopy spin on Zoe is associated with actress Zooey Deschanel.

Shula is a short form often used on its own in Israel. Sula is another, related, option. As an Arabic name, it has a bright, fiery meaning.

While Tobin is technically a variation of the Biblical Tobias and so a male name, it's a newfangled version that's been drafted for the girls' team by Olympic soccer star Tobin Heath, who plays for the U.S. women's national professional soccer team.

A diminutive of the (male) name Dafydd, the Welsh form of David. In the US, it's strongly associated with the candy.

Swati is the Indian name for Arcturus, the third-brightest star in the sky. Actress, comedian and writer Mindy Kaling gave her daughter (born in 2017) the middle name Swati, after her mother.