15,000+ Two-Syllable Girl Names
- Rylan
Origin:
English and IrishMeaning:
"rye land"Description:
A unisex name, Rylan plays on many popular baby names, including Ryan and Riley. For boys, the trendy Rylan is in the US Top 500, while for girls, it fell out of Top 1000 in 2023, having been a regular feature since 2009.
- Runa
Origin:
Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, JapaneseMeaning:
"secret lore; moon"Description:
A strong and stylish alternative to the super-fashionable Luna, with a double background as a Scandinavian and Japanese name. It's the female form of the Nordic male name Rune, meaning "secret lore", and also a Japanese name meaning "moon" – making this an undiscovered celestial choice.
- Vita
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"life"Description:
Vital and vivacious, Vita is stirring back to life along with many of her V-themed sisters -- Vivian, Vivica -- and is becoming a new celebrity baby favorite.
- Vale
Origin:
Geographical nameDescription:
Today Show anchor Savannah Guthrie put this name of a geographical feature on the baby name map when she chose it for her newborn daughter, Vale Guthrie Feldman. Vale might be considered part nature name, part place name: A vale is a kind of valley, often used in poetry. This truly unique choice doesn't even register on the US extended list of names given to five babies or more, but we expect Vale to register as parents are inspired by Guthrie and husband Mike Feldman's creative choice. More prosaicly, Vale might be a short form of Valerie or Valentina.
- Joni
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"God is gracious"Description:
Iconic folk singer Joni Mitchell (born Roberta Joan) lends this cute vintage nickname a cool, bohemian feel. This spelling feels more streamlined and modern than Mad Men-esque Joanie.
- Juna
Origin:
English, LatinMeaning:
"June"Description:
Juna, a variation of the newly stylish month name June, goddess name Juno, or literary Djuna, is among the fresher-feeling girl names starting with J. While Juna has never been given to more than 50 baby girls per year in the US, it's a popular choice in Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands.
- Selma
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"godly helmet"Description:
Selma has recently been given a more youthful spin via actresses Selma Blair and Salma Hayek. But while Selma has not yet become popular again in the US, it is widely used in both Sweden and Norway.
- Lucienne
Origin:
French feminine variation of LucianMeaning:
"light"Description:
Lucienne is a soft and ultra-sophisticated French-accented option in the Lucy family, one that could provide a fresh alternative to such fatigued Gallic choices as Danielle and Michelle.
- Calanthe
Origin:
botanical nameMeaning:
"Christmas orchid"Description:
If you love Calliope and Callista, you'll love Calanthe, which combines the trendiness of the Greek 'cal' names with the equally fashionable "the" ending (like Xanthe and Evanthe) and a connection to the beautiful Christmas Orchid. Color Calantha one of the more unusual and captivating names for Christmas babies.
- Hero
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"demi-god"Description:
Despite the possibility of gender confusion, the Hero in Greek myth was a woman. Myleene Klass got that when she chose Hero for her daughter, and Sam Taylor-Wood and Aaron Johnson used it as their daughter's middle--and we wouldn't be surprised to see more girls with this heroic name.
- Gretchen
Origin:
German, diminutive of MargaretheMeaning:
"pearl"Description:
Like Greta, Gretchen is a German Margaret diminutive that has become an American quasi-classic, though not much used today, having dropped off the list in 2009. She was at her high point in the 1970s, making it into the top 200.
- Halston
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"hallowed stone"Description:
Though long associated with the iconic male fashion designer -- who went by his middle name alone -- rising young actress Halston Sage has made Halston feel plausible as a girls' name too.
- Vesta
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"pure"Description:
The name of the Roman goddess of the household is not recommended for your little goddess.
- Maddie
Origin:
Diminutive of Madeline or Madison, EnglishMeaning:
"woman from Magdala or son of Matthew"Description:
Britney Spears' little sister Jamie Lynn was one of the first to put this nickname on the birth certificate. Cute for a child, but we recommend giving her the option of the full name for later use.
- Sibyl
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"seer, oracle"Description:
The original but less common spelling of the ancient mythological name, now used mostly for fictional witches. But the rise of the lovely Lady Sybil Crawley on television's Downton Abbey and the fall of the multiple personality Sybil, a self-confessed fake, may give Sibyl and Sybil more credibility as a name.
- Olívia
Description:
Olívia is the Portuguese and Hungarian form of Olivia, derived from Latin meaning 'olive tree,' a symbol of peace and fertility in Mediterranean cultures. The name carries the same elegant, classical associations as its English counterpart but with a distinctive accent that influences its pronunciation. In Portuguese-speaking countries like Brazil and Portugal, as well as in Hungary, Olívia ranks among popular choices for baby girls. The accent mark creates a slightly different emphasis that distinguishes it from the English version while maintaining the name's inherent femininity and grace. Like Olivia, it evokes images of natural beauty and Mediterranean heritage, with literary connections through Shakespeare's 'Twelfth Night.'
- Vela
Origin:
Sanskrit, LatinMeaning:
"shore, sail"Description:
Vela is one of those rare names that is at once simple, straightforward, authentic, and unusual, at least in the Western World. Besides being an Indian girls' name, Vela is a Southern sky constellation whose name is Latin for sail – originally part of the Argo Navis constellation.
- Rena
Origin:
Hebrew, Greek, Estonian, Scandinavian, German, PunjabiMeaning:
"joyous melody; peace; reborn; to remain"Description:
Rena is a Hebrew name all on its own and is also a European short form of Irene, Irini, Renata, and Renate. In Punjabi, Rena means "to remain".
- Nolan
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"champion"Description:
An increasingly viable option for girls, perhaps influenced by the rise of similar-sounding Nola and unisex names more generally.
- Charis
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"grace"Description:
Reference to the mythological Three Graces of womanly charm, this one representing charity. Pronounced in Greek as starting with a back-of-the-throat H sound, most English-speakers would translate that to something closer to KAR-is. It's also the name of a girl who lived in Atlantis in the novel Taliesin, and appears in the Margaret Atwood novel The Robber Bride.