Five Letter Girl Names

A once very common Irish diminutive of Bridget that has unfortunately been associated since the 18th century with a pejorative slang term for an old or fussy woman.

Tanya with a G.

While Kayla has been a mainstay in the US Top 1000 list since the 1960s, alternate version Keyla is relatively new, first entering the charts in 2002. While this spelling also has the possibility of being pronounced KEE-lah, it's most likely to cause confusing and frustration in the shadow of the much more popular spelling.

Hedra is the Cornish word for the month of October. With no resemblance between the words, Hedra makes a subtle, intriguing choice for an October-born daughter.

Islay is the name of a Hebridian island famous for its whisky. Don't be fooled by the "y" at the end - this name is pronounced exactly like the more well-known Isla.

In Arabic, hilal is the word for the crescent moon that marks the beginning of the month on the Islamic calendar. Hilal is a common girl name in Turkey, but is typically masculine in Arabic.

The Spanish word for sky, Cielo, was one of the fastest-rising girl names of 2022, cracking the Top 1000 after Luisana Lopilato and Michael Bublé used the name for their daughter. The variation Ciela was used in much smaller numbers, but has plenty of potential to continue to rise.

Tiree is the anglicised name of the Scottish island of Tiriodh in the Inner Hebrides. It’s known as Scotland’s "sunshine isle", benefiting from an uncharacteristically warm and sunny climate and beautiful beaches which are popular with surfers and windsurfers. As a given name, Tiree is in rare but regular use in Scotland, England and Wales.

A would-be up-and-comer if it wasn't for the spiked seltzer brand.

Alura has an entirely different root from the similar Allura and shares the fairy tale tinge. It could be a great choice for a wise baby girl.

Minta is an eighteenth century short form of a literary beauty still used in England today, but yet to be discovered by American baby namers. It has a fresh and dainty feel.

This spelling of the Old Testament girls' name feels more energetic and modern than the more traditional Zilla or Zillah -- which is probably why it's been a fast-growing name for years.

Poet Jorie Graham is the best-known (okay: only known) bearer of this fresh, spirited spin on the Cory-Tory-Rory group. The boys' Jory is a Cornish nickname for George.

Somehow a "y" got stuck in a glass of apple juice.

A star in the "tail" of the Cygnus constellation.