One Syllable Names for Girls

A life-affirming sweet name is seen in both India and Nepal. The name is also sometimes spelled Jiah, as in the case of Jiah Khan - an Indian-American model and actress.

Jiya

Nell, once a nickname for Helen, Ellen, or Eleanor, is a sweet old-fashioned charmer that is fashionably used today in its own right. While Nell is perfectly in tune with contemporary vintage name style, it hasn't taken off the way some of its sisters have and so maintains an air of distinction. Use Nell or Nellie as a short for any name from Eleanor to Penelope or just name her Nell.
 Nell was the pet name Franklin D. Roosevelt called his wife Eleanor (along with Babs), the famous Little Nell in Dickens' Old Curiosity Shop was Elinor, and the infamous mistress of Charles II, Nell Gwynne, was born Eleanor as well.
 Nell was the belle of the ball in the US back in the late 19th century but has been off the charts since 1956. Meanwhile across the pond in England and Wales, it a much more on-trend choice, currently in the Top 400, though it has seen a decline in use in recent years. 
 Sister name Nellie has been rising faster however, and entered the Top 100 in the UK for the first time in 2023; Nelly also ranks in the UK, just behind Nell. In the US, Nellie saw a big jump in a recent year and reached the Top 600, which might make Nell feel more popular than it is. 
 Jodie Foster played the title character of the 1994 movie Nell, and Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton named their daughter Nell, keeping the family tradition of names related to Helen.

Nell

This French name has the elegance of other '-ette' names like Colette and Odette, and is a botanical name without being too obvious about it. Related to the sleek French name Yves, it was popular in the US in the 60s, peaking at #125 in 1967, while in its native France it was a Top 10 name back in the 1930s.
 
Ultimately derived from the Germanic element iwa meaning "yew tree", Yvette can be pronounced as EE-VEHT in French and as ee-VEHT or ih-VEHT in English. Out of style in France since the 70s and the US since the early 2000s, could Yvette be one to reconsider with Sylvie and Odette on the rise?

Yvette

Yael is an Old Testament name often heard in Israel that could work well here: just remember that it's pronounced with two syllables...it is also spelled Ya'el. In the Bible she was a Kenite woman in the time of Deborah who killed the enemy general, Sisera.


Yael

A superlative word name along the lines of Saint, King, Princess, and Chosen, Royal was mostly used for boys — as in Wes Anderson's anti-hero Royal Tennenbaum — until Lil' Kim named her daughter Royal. Reign in 2014. While it was Reign that really took off for girls, Royal also got a boost and entered the Top 1000 in 2015.
 
Associated with kings, queens, princesses, and power, Royal has a cool but lofty air: it feels totally modern while also evoking history. Also used as a surname (in which case it likely denoted someone who worked in the royal household), it comes from the Latin regalis and rex meaning "king".
 
Recent years have seen it fall to the latter end of the US charts while it remains a high ranking option for boys. Longer form Royalty, however, rankers more highly as a girl name.

Royal

The eternal fiancee of Superman turned sweet gray-haired lady who's always available to babysit her grandkids turned....hot new baby name?
 True to the Hundred Year Rule, Lois is poised to climb the charts again and reprise its heyday in the 1920s. Its choice by Mrs. America, Ballerina Farm momfluencer Hannah Neeleman, is helping ropel it back into style.
In the 1920s, Lois was a Top 20 names. Lois stayed in the Top 50 into the 1940's, but dropped off the list completely in 1983.
 
Lois is actually a New Testament name of Greek origin: she was converted by Paul and was the grandmother of Timothy, who became one of Paul's disciples. Other s-ending names are making a comeback, as is Iris and Louise, so why not Lois?

Lois

The Spanish and Portuguese word for "sea" is a Top 100 name in Spain. In America, it's sometimes used as a nickname for names like Martina and Marina, but it could also plausibly stand on its own.

Wynn is an attractive Welsh name, originally male but now also used for girls outside of Wales. The authentic feminine version would be Gwen, which derives from the same very productive gwyn element, making it a relative of all Welsh names ending -wyn or -wen, as well as the Irish Fin- names. 

 Wynn is a soft and gentle yet sturdy choice which lends itself to sweet nickname Winnie or Wynnie.

Wynn

A sweet and simple multicultural choice which has several different meanings and origins. 

 Widely used in Africa, it's a variant spelling of Dia, which means "love" in Lembaama. 

 It's a Hindi name meaning "lamp, light". It may also metaphorically refer to knowledge – light given by the Devas (gods) to drive away the darkness of ignorance.

 Diya can also be a variant spelling of Dea, from the Latin dea "goddess".

Diya

Isa is a name unto itself as both a Persian name meaning "strong-willed" and as Germanic one derived from the element is meaning "ice". It can also be a short form of Isabel, Isabella, Isadora, Louisa, and similar. Currently popular in Brazil and The Netherlands, it has seen some increased use in the US in recent years, perhaps owing to the popularity of other short names like Ava, Mia, and Isla.
 
Also used as a masculine name, it is an Arabic form of Jesus.

Fia may be most notable at this moment as the Anglicized version of the Irish Fiadh, one of the fastest-rising names in the Republic of Ireland. The meaning of Fia or Fiadh is sometimes given as "deer" but that's in the sense of a wild deer, as the name relates to the ancient word for wild. 
In Portuguese, Fia means weaver, and Fia may also be a short form of the Italian or Spanish Sofia or Fiammetta or any other fia-related name.
 
Whatever its origin and meaning, Fia is a light and pleasant alternative to the mega-popular Mia, though we predict it will rise up the charts in the future.

Short, sweet, and sharp, this multicultural choice is currently popular in Croatia, Czechia, Slovenia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. While not in the charts elsewhere, it is familiar in English speaking countries, and in the Netherlands. 
 
The name has a number of different meanings depending on which root you follow. It can be a Czech or English feminine form of the names Ivo and Ives, which derive from the Germanic iwa meaning "yew tree". Alternatively, it could also be a feminine form of the Scottish and English name Ivor, originating from the Old Norse Ívarr meaning "bow warrior", although sometimes interpreted as also meaning "yew". 
 
From its Bulgarian, Croatian, and Serbian roots, Iva can mean "willow tree", though it might also be a Slovak and Slovene short form of Ivana, a feminine form of Ivan, ultimately a form of John, meaning "god is gracious". 
 
Iva packs a lot into its three letters, and in the US, it could make a familiar-but-underused alternative to Eva and Ivy.

Homophonous with Mae and May, the beautiful (literally) Mei is poised to climb the charts. The hero of the 2022 Disney/Pixar film Turning Red is a Chinese-Canadian teen named Meilin "Mei" Lee, which may boost the name ever further.

Myah

Misk is a feminine name with Arabic origins, meaning 'musk' – the valuable, aromatic substance long prized in perfumery and traditional medicine throughout the Middle East and Asia. The name evokes sensory richness, fragrance, and natural beauty. Compact and distinctive, Misk has a crisp, modern sound despite its ancient roots. While relatively uncommon globally, it enjoys some usage in Arabic-speaking regions and Muslim communities. The name's brevity gives it a contemporary appeal, aligning with the trend toward short, meaningful names with cultural significance. For parents seeking a name that's both distinctive and meaningful, Misk offers the rare combination of simplicity, cultural depth, and a beautiful sensory association, making it a subtle yet evocative choice.

Misk

Cosy and warm but with plenty of substance and strength, Tess is a literary diminutive that works perfectly well as a stand-alone name. Stylish in the Netherlands, it currently sits outside the Top 1000 in the US, where Tessa and Teresa are currently preferred. 
 Perhaps the most iconic and memorable Tess is the heroine of Thomas Hardy's Tess of the D'Urbervilles, the moral center of the tragic novel. Typically derived from Theresa, the name is associated with harvest time, though it may also be used as a nickname sunny Welsh Tesni, aristocratic Contessa, and rare Otessa. 
 
The name ranked in the US and UK charts back in the 2000s and 2010s, but has since been displaced by longer form Tessa, but we could easily see it returning to the charts in coming years. Chosen by fashion writer Plum Sykes in 2010 and by actor Luke Macfarlane in 2023, other notable bearers include writer Tess Gerritsen and presenter Tess Daly. 
 
International alternatives include Swedish Tessan and Dutch Tessel.

Tess

Jia might be considered a spelling variation of Gia, an Italian feminine form of John as a shortening of Gianna or Giovanna. Jia might also be the anglicized form of many Chinese names, which have different meanings including home or family.

If you're looking for <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/j">girl names starting with J</a> that sound unusual yet familiar, this might be one possibility, though many Americans will think it's spelled Gia.

Lane is a unisex name equally accessible to boys and girls. Breezy, cool and contemporary, it might equally put in mind country lanes and banks of wildflowers. 
 
As a word name, Lane means "small roadway or path", however, it could easily be used as a nickname or diminutive of Delaney, ("dark river"), Elaine ("shining torch"), or similar. Currently as a given name, it is used nearly 14 times more often on boys than it is on girls, however, the Layne spelling is used more evenly, the Laine form leans feminine, and Lainey is a Top 1000 choice for girls. 
 
As a common surname, Lane is attached to such celebrities as Diane and Nathan, while as a given name, it it used in the English translated version of the novel Concerning My Daughter by Hye-Jin Kim.

Lane

This attractive Scottish surname choice, has a certain amount of glamour thanks to feisty British-born red-haired forties Academy Award winner Greer Garson, who was born Eileen Evelyn Greer Garson--Greer was her Irish mother's maiden name).
Greer was chosen much more recently by Kelsey Grammer for his daughter and by Brooke Shields in the Grier form. As a surname, it's associated with feminist writer/activist Germaine Greer.
 Greer makes a good, strong, sophisticated and distinctive middle-name prospect.

Greer

As an Arabic name, Leen is a relative of Layan and Lina, and is one of the most popular girl names in the Arab world. Meaning "soft, tender, delicate", it is a gentle choice that works across multiple languages. Leen may also be used as an Estonian and Dutch short form of Heleene and Heleen. 