One Syllable Names for Girls

Pronounced just like Jean in the English-speaking world, but as the more unusual zhahn in France, this has sailed away with the first wave of French favorites: Denise, Michelle, et soeurs.

Jeanne

A multicultural unisex choice that peaked for girls at the same time as Amy. Ami is also the French word for "friend."

Traditionally, Ares was the blood-thirsty god of war and son to Zeus and Hera in Greek mythology, and it has been rising up the US charts for boys since 2013, in tune with other mythological names like Athena, Artemis, and Atlas. In Spain, it has been used as a unisex option since the 90s and as such, a number of American girls have been receiving the name in recent years.
 
In fact, as a Spanish girl name, it has a different origin. Deriving from the Catalan Mare de Déu de les Ares or "Mother of God of the Ares", it is a nod to a sanctuary in Coll d'Ares, a mountain pass in the Pyrenees. Whether this is why American parents are choosing it however is unknown.

Ares

Blue suddenly came into the spotlight, as the unusual color name chosen by Beyonce and Jay-Z for their baby girl Blue Ivy. Blue is also a starbaby middle name du jour, used for both sexes in different spellings and forms, from John Travolta and Kelly Preston's Ella Bleu to Alicia Silverstone's Bear Blu. Dave 'The Edge' Evans named his daughter Blue Angel back in 1989.
 Despite all these high profile female references, less than 40 percent of the babies name Blue today are girls. Blue is the heroine of the Marisha Pessl novel Special Topics in Calamity Physics.

Blue

This simplified spelling of Claire does not improve on the more popular version.

Clair

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

Mayan

As Ryan quickly becomes a plausible option for a girl, some parents may be interested in the spelling Rian — the more authentic and original form of the name.

Rian

Runes are symbols in ancient Germanic alphabets. They are often viewed as mysterious and therefore as a name, Rune imparts a feeling of folkloric mystery.

As intriguing as that might be, the homonym ruin creates a lot of teasing potential.

Rune

Shy Anne?  The original place-name spelling Cheyenne is preferable to this phonetic and slyly jokey spelling in every way.

Shyanne

Ary is a concise feminine name with multiple cultural origins. It can be a shortened form of longer names like Ariana, Ariella, or Mariana, or stand independently. In Hebrew, Ary means "lion," symbolizing courage and strength. It has Persian roots meaning "noble" and appears in Indonesian culture meaning "visible, apparent." The name's brevity aligns with the modern trend toward short, gender-flexible names. While uncommon in English-speaking countries, Ary has seen modest usage in multicultural communities. Its simplicity, international appeal, and positive meanings make it increasingly attractive to parents seeking a distinctive yet uncomplicated name for their daughters.

Awa is a feminine name with multicultural roots, appearing in several African languages as well as in Japanese culture. In Senegalese and Malian traditions, Awa is a variant of Eve or Hawa, meaning 'life' or 'living one.' In Japanese, Awa can refer to foam or bubbles, suggesting lightness and purity. The name is characterized by its brevity, melodic quality, and cross-cultural appeal. Awa has maintained steady popularity in West African countries where it represents traditional values while also being embraced for its contemporary simplicity. Its two syllables flow easily in many languages, making it an increasingly global choice for parents seeking a name that is both distinctive and accessible.

This simple yet evocative French word name was chosen for her daughter by model Niki Taylor.  While Ciel may be pronounced in French with two syllables, many will pronounce it as "seal" and there may be confusion with Celia and sister Ceil.

Ciel

In Greek myth, Circe, daughter of Helios, the sun, was a sorceress living on the island of Aeaea (or Aiaia) who could turn men into animals with her magic wand, which is just what she did to Odysseus's crew in Homer's Odyssey, transforming them into swine. All was forgiven, however, as Circe and Odysseus later had a child together;Telegonus.

The name and legend have appeared in countless forms, from a section of James Joyce's Ulysses to short stories by Julio Cortazar to Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon to films to DC comics to a dance by Martha Graham. Contemporary readers may well be familiar with Madeline Miller's popular 2018 novel, Circe which retells the goddess's story 

Meaning "hawk, bird", Circe is a witchy choice which has seen quiet uptake since the release of the aforementioned novel. Prior to 2018, it had never been given to more than 10 girls in a single year, while in more recent years, nearly 30 babies have been called Circe in the US.

Circe

Kitt

A tiny percentage -- a tenth of one percent -- of babies named Liam in the US are girls. But Liam has been so popular for baby boys for so long, not only in the US but around the western world, that it's hard to imagine it truly becoming a unisex name.

Still, there are an increasing number of little girls named Noah and James every year, so as Liam's popularity for boys starts to fade, it may drift over to the female side.

Liam

Renn is a concise, gender-neutral name that has been increasingly used for girls. With Celtic and Old Norse origins, it carries meanings associated with 'swift' or 'running water' in various European languages. In Welsh traditions, it connects to the word for 'ruler' or 'leader.' The simplicity of Renn gives it a modern, streamlined quality while its ancient roots provide historical depth. The name has gained modest popularity in recent decades as parents seek short, strong names that work across gender lines. Its sound is similar to the more common 'Wren' (the bird name) but with a distinct spelling that gives it a unique character.

Renn

A hot name, though perhaps not in the sense you want for your baby. About 20 times as many boys as girls were named Blaze in one recent year, perhaps because it can be seen as a spelling variation of the classic male saint's name Blaise.

Blaze

A common girl name in Israel that could travel well to the US.

Liel

Men may be from Mars as the saying goes, and the name may derive from the Latin maris meaning male, but soul singer Erykah Badu and Workaholics star Blake Anderson have given it potential as a unisex name after they both used it for their daughters. 
 
Ticking the boxes as a mythological name and as a space-related choice, Mars first appeared in the US stats for girls in 2016. Chosen for 36 girls in 2023, it has been quietly gaining more attention, though it does remain 4 times more popular for boys at last count.
 
Connected to the month of March and to one of the brightest objects in the sky - The Red Planet - Mars could fit in with the likes of Mae and Winter, Luna and Nova, Juno and Freya, Sloane and Quinn.

Mars

As a name, Prim is generally short for Primrose – as in the sweet younger sister of heroine Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games. But a word of warning: it also coincides with the English word "prim", meaning "disapproving, overly correct".