Three Syllable Names for Girls

This rare French name was made a little more familar via French soccer player Ludivine Diguelman, golfer Ludivine Krautz and actress Ludivine Sagnier.

Ludivine

Sure it makes a big statement, but if you can call your child Wren, Robin or Falcon, why not also Hummingbird? This pint-sized jewel of a bird is a lovely connotation for the baby that's full of energy and spirit.

Hummingbird

Varvina

Indigenous Australian Lynelda Tippo is a notable bearer of this name.

Lynelda

According to Viking legend, Lagertha was a shieldmaiden and wife of famed Viking leader Ragnar Lodbrok.

Lagertha

This is a name teeming with feminist cred. Magistra Hersend was a 12th Century female physician who attended the King of France both at home and in battle and was well regarded by all her peers.

Magistra

Libussa is a name from medieval legend - the youngest but wisest of three sisters, Libussa became queen after their father died. She founded the Přemyslid dynasty, and prophesied and founded the city of Prague in the 8th century.

Libussa

Another hidden gem of a feminist name! Valasca was a warrior-queen. When Queen Libussa died, Valasca took control and created a women-centred state in what is now the Czech Republic. Among Valasca's decrees were that only women and girls would be trained for the military. Her nation lasted for only 7 years, when she was slain in battle. All in all, one of the most inspiratiional <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/529/czech-names-for-girls">Czech names for girls</a>.

Valasca

While it may look like it to those unfamiliar, Gwenllian is not a blend of Gwendolyn and Lillian!
 
It is in fact a Welsh name, borne by a medieval Welsh princess noted for her bravery and beauty. Sometimes referred to as the Welsh Bouddica, Gwenllian resisted invasion by English and Norman forces and is a national heroine of Wales. It was given to nearly 30 girls in the UK in 2023 which made it the second most popular Gwen- name in the UK and a Top 100 choice in Wales. In a more recent count, it was given to 17 girls.
 
Diminutive of the name include Llio and Gwenli, both of which are used, albeit quietly, as standalone names.
 
The pronunciation is difficult to translate into English, as the Ll sound is exclusively Welsh, however a rough estimation is gwehn-SHEE-an, the double L being somewhere between the L in please and the Sh sound. You might also see it described as gwehn-HLEE-an or gwehn-THLEE-an, though it's probably easiest <a href="https://forvo.com/search/gwenllian/">to listen to it</a>.

Gwenllian

A striking, unflowery girls name, Tomyris could work for parents looking for a distinctive choice with a strong namesake. Tomyris was a 6th century warrior queen of the Massagetae (modern-day Turkmenistan) noted for defeating Persian ruler Cyrus the Great when he tried to invade her country. 
 
The name is a Latinized form of the Ancient Greek Tomuris, itself a variation of the Saka (or ancient Iranian) name Taumuriyah, ultimately derived from Old Persian to mean "kinship" or "family". She became a popular figure of the "Power of Women" theme in Renaissance art. 
 
International forms of the name include Tomiris and Tomris, used in Kazakhstan, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikstan. Tamires, Thamyres and Tamíris are a Portuguese and Brazilian variants.

Tomyris

Chrysalis is a girls' baby name derived from the state of a butterfly or moth between larva and adult. A chrysalis is a hard-shelled pupa in which the transition of the butterfly or moth takes place. As a baby name, Chrysalis came to the fore as the rumored name of the baby girl of Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott, who reportedly love butterflies. Chrysalis does certainly have potential as a new word name or nature name for babies, with the simple familiar nickname Chrys.

Chrysalis

The meaning and origin of this extremely rare name are unclear, but it may be related to the Germanic name Alvar "elf warrior", or to Allovera/Elvira "all true". Historically, it has been recorded predominantly in traveling Romani families in Britain and in the American South during the 19th century.
 A famous historical bearer of the name is Alifair McCoy, a victim of the Hatfield–McCoy feud who was shot to death in the New Year’s Day massacre of 1888. A notable modern-day bearer is American crime novelist Alafair Burke, daughter of author James Lee Burke.

 There have been a profusion of spellings recorded: Alefare, Alifair, Allifair, Allifare,Alefaire, Alifear, Alafear, Elifair, Elafare, Ellafare, Ellafair, Elafaire.

Alafair

Derived from the Germanic element badu "battle" combined with Old Norse hildr "battle", this name
belonged to a 7th-century English saint who became queen of the Franks after being sold to them as a slave. Its mighty meaning is a plus, but connection to the Harry Potter character "Batty" Bathilda Bagshot might be a strike against.

Bathilda

This unusual English botanical name would make an interesting update to 80s and 90s favorite Bethany. It belongs to a minty-smelling, flowering herb (also called bishopwort), which has been used since medieval times to treat various ailments.
In the language of flowers, Betony signifies surprise, so this might make for a meaningful choice for an unexpected pregnancy.
The spelling Bettany (as in actor Paul Bettany, or English historian Bettany Hughes), could take this name into trendy surname-as- first-name territory.

Betony

The Welsh word for "love" and a term of endearment turned modern word-name, Cariad is a sweet possibility that might work well as a <a href="https:///list/630/70-lovely-names-for-february-babies">name for a February or Valentines baby</a> or a <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/412/christmas-baby-names">name for a Christmas baby.</a> A famous bearer is British comedian Cariad Lloyd.

Cariad

An obscure medieval saint's name which nevertheless sounds pretty on-trend right now: a softer alternative to Matilda, perhaps. If you're searching for <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/495/spanish-names-for-girls">Spanish names for girls</a>, this can make an unusual but usable choice.
 St Casilda of Toledo was a Moorish princess who later converted to Christianity. Her name may be of Germanic origin (partly derived from the element hild "battle"), or it may be an hispanization of an Arabic name such as Qasida ("ode; messenger").
 The name Casilda features in the novel Don Quixote and in the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta The
Gondoliers.

Casilda

A botanical name belonging to a small yellow flower in the poppy family. The word ultimately derives from chelidon, the Ancient Greek for "swallow (bird)".
 Characters called Celandine feature in The Lord of the Rings and in the Touchstone trilogy by Steve Augarde.

Celandine

Popular Eastern European name which is a variant of Nordic Dagmar. A famous bearer is Polish-
American actress Dagmara Domińczyk.

Dagmara

With "Eve" and "Ever" names trending in a big way, The Hunger Games heroine Katniss Everdeen’s surname definitely has first-name potential for adventurous parents. It was chosen as a nod to
Bathsheba Everdene, the central character of Thomas Hardy’s Far From the Madding Crowd; according to the author Suzanne Collins: "The two are very different, but both struggle with knowing their hearts".

Everdeen

No - not a trendy (mis)spelling of Everdeen of Hunger Games fame! Indeed, Everdene is the original literary nod with Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins choosing the name as a nod to Bathsheba Everdene, the central character of Thomas Hardy’s Far From the Madding Crowd; according to the author : "The two are very different, but both struggle with knowing their hearts".

Everdene

 abound on Nameberry, with over 10,000 names on this list containing three syllables.

That's an overwhelming number of choices of names for baby girls with three syllables, which provide a good balance for shorter surnames.

To help narrow down your choice, see our list of The Best 

The full list of over 10,000 three syllable names for baby girls, with meanings, origins, and popularity, including top 3 syllable girl names and unique girl names with three syllables. (Page 1305)

Three Syllable Girl Names