Four Syllable Baby Names

While Alivia may not have achieved the megapopularity of its mother name, it's still a widely used choice. Alivia combines the trendiness of A names with the trendiness of Olivia to create a choice that's slightly off the beaten track -- slightly being the operative word here. Is the distinction the initial A earns you worth a lifetime of explaining, "No, it's Alivia, with an A, not Olivia"? Your call, though ours would be no.

A euphonious and lovely name with a dark-eyed, long-flowing-haired image, Raphaela is, like Gabriella and Isabella, beginning to be drawn into the American mainstream.

Despite the popularity of Anthony and its masculine variants, female derivatives of its source – the Roman family name Antonius, of unknown meaning – have never caught on in the same way. Sister name Antonia peaked at #336 in the US way back in 1882, while Antonina itself has never ranked higher than #865 (in 1915). It has been outside of the Top 1000 ever since.

More and more frequently heard as the Gallic version of Oliver, Olivier could be seen as a tribute to the great British actor, Sir Laurence O.

A romantic and elaborate form of the popular Antonio, popular in Italy back in the 90s — and during the Renaissance period too. With playful shortform Nello and grounded Anton too, it has been borne by the 15th-century Italian painter Antonello da Messina, by singer Antonello Venditti, and actor Antonello Fassari.

Thanks to two cultural influences, January has joined March, April, June and August as a plausible month name.

An underused Biblical name, probably because it's so tightly identified with the Queen of gospel singers, Mahalia Jackson. Other variations include Mahalah, Mahayla, Mahila, Mahilia, Mehalia, Mahali, and Mahalya.

For the seriously audacious biblical baby namer who wants to move beyond Elijah and Josiah, this name has considerable old-fangled charm. Obadiah, who gave his name to one of the shortest books in the Bible, was a rich man who had the gift of prophecy. There are several other men named Obadiah in the Bible, as well as a Saint Obadiah.

Cerulean is just beginning to be heard as a name thanks to its distinctive sounds and the appealing electric-sky-blue it evokes. Reminiscent of Ocean, Aurelian, Cyrus, and Caspian, it was given to just 5 babies in 2024, but that could change in coming years.

Journalist Hiawatha Bray is a singular contemporary bearer of this name of a Native-American leader immortalized in a Longfellow poem.

A royal name in ancient Egypt that's never quite made it to the modern world, though nickname Cleo is widely used. Other now-extinct Cleopatra diminutives, including Cleora and Cleola, achieved some popularity in the early 20th century when there was a crazy for all things Egypt-related as the ancient tombs were opened and artifacts displayed. In the US, Cleopatra became a popular silent film in 1917 starring Theda Bara.

Bold and strong, Casimira is a feminine form of Casimir, which ultimately derives from the Slavic elements kaziti and mirŭ meaning "to destroy" and "peace, world". A notable bearer is Casimira Rodríguez who was Bolivia's first indigenous Quechua woman to serve as a government minister.

Timoteo put some bounce in the step of the somewhat wispy Timothy. And it can be a more original way than Mateo to the cool short form Teo.

Much fresher and more energetic than Dominique.

This name of a renowned Apache leader and mystic would be a difficult choice, since it was used as a rallying cry in so many old westerns and by paratroopers jumping out of their planes in World War II.

Transferred from the geographical name, Jerusalem is a sacred city in many religious traditions, including Judaism, Christianity and Islam. It is given to around a dozen babies of each sex per year in the US.

Striking Spanish name derived from the name of the Greek sun god, related to the French Apollinaire.

We like all forms of this name—Annabel, Anabel, Annabelle, Anabela, and Annabella—so you decide how elaborate you want to get. Actress Sela Ward chose the Anabella spelling.

Priscillian is a rare name, both in terms of how little it is used in current times and that it is a masculinization of the Biblical names Prisca and Priscilla. Borne by a 4th century Bishop in Ávila, Spain, notable for creating Priscillianism, a sect of Christianity which was later rejected as heresy by the Eastern Orthodox and the Roman Catholic Churches.

Borne by a Roman emperor, a Latin poet, and several bishops, Maximian is an English variation of Maximianus or Maximus. A bold and unexpected way to the popular Max or Mack, Maximian might appeal to those who like Octavian, Cassian, Dorian, and Damian.