Three Syllable Names for Girls

Aliza might seem like yet another variation of the eternal Alyssa/Alicia/Eliza loop, but it's a distinct name all its own. The z adds zip. 

Aliza

Popular with Muslim and African-American parents, this virtue name also fits in with the trendy i ending names being seen at the moment. It debuted on the US Top 1000 in 1996.
 Kenyan singer-songwriter Amani (born Cecilia Wairimu) has brought the name some attention in the music industry.

Amani

A Spanish TV show made this one popular, along with single-named Mexican singer, Alondra. 

Alondra

Coraline may not be original to Neil Gaiman's wonderful book of the same name, but it might as well be. Gaiman's young heroine Coraline Jones is constantly called Caroline but as a name Coraline is more distinctive and has a more mysterious feel. The 2002 novel Coraline was made into a 2009 animated film voiced by Dakota Fanning and nominated for an Academy Award. The number of baby girls named Caroline increased by a factor of 100 between 2007 and 2017 -- going from 5 to over 500 in a decade.

Coraline

The Kimberly of the current age, but currently less popular than either Ember or Everly.

Emberly

Now more popular than Georgiana in Britain, this elegant Dickens. Jane Austen name deserves attention.   Most American parents prefer Georgia to Georgina or any other feminization of George.

Georgina

Khaleesi is an invented name introduced to the world by inventive and prolific author George R. R. Martin for his wildly popular Game of Thrones series—it's Dothraki for "queen" and is one of the titles of the character Daenerys. It entered the US Top 1000 in 2014.
 Martin's series is having a powerful influence on the baby name culture, with sister name Arya the fastest rising <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls’ name</a> in the US in 2012.
 We can't help feel, however, that this name is going to date about as fast as a pointy-toed boots or feathered hair. Advice: look for another name.

Khaleesi

Alternate spelling of Leilani, popular among Hispanic families.

Leilany

Louisa, a quaint but strong vintage name, might feel fresher in English speaking countries than old favorite Louise, just as Diana and Julia have more energy than Diane and Julie at the moment. Part of this might just be that Louisa has never been so popular as Louise, so it makes a familiar but distinctive option alongside Eloise, Lucy, Luna, and Lucia.
 Very popular in the eighteenth century, Louisa was finally toppled at the end of the nineteenth by the French form Louise, which was a top name through the first quarter of the 20th century. Both derived from Ludwig, via Louis, the name has the powerful meaning "renowned warrior", making it a great contender for a spirited girl.
 
Familiar in France and the UK, Louisa re-entered the US Top 1000 in 2014 after a 45 year absence and a current year saw it rank in the latter end of the charts, given to around 380 babies. In comparison, Louise was given to more than 550 babies and ranked just outside the Top 500. 
 Louisa has many literary associations, including Louisa May Alcott, author of Little Women and Little Men; two Charles Dickens novels, Hard Times and Dombey & Sons; and two novels by Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion. 
 Louisa is a First Lady name, being the wife of President John Quincy Adams. One of Meryl Streep's daughters is named Louisa.
 Some international variations: Luisa, Lovisa, Ludovica, and Luigia. Nicknames include Lou, Lu, Lulu, Ouida, and Ouisa.

Louisa

More and more variations of Mackenzie are joining the <a href="https://nameberry.com/popular-names">Top 1000</a>.

Makenzie

This spelling has been on the rise since it entered the charts in 2004, hot on the coattails of trendy Avery. 

Avery is actually an extremely popular name, ranking in the Top 100 for 20 years now, with a long way to go before it falls off. A good comparison from the past might be Amy, which ranked on the Top 100 for four decades.

Choosing a more unusual spelling of a popular name might not make the name as unique as you hope.

Averie

Alena is a modern variant of Helen.   Alena might also be a spelling twist on the Slavic Alina or a long form of Lena.

Alena

Kennedi is a spelling variation of Kennedy. Kennedi has been on an upward trend since she entered the Top 1000 in 1998. If you're going to go with this trendy Presidential name, we prefer Kennedy. 


Kennedi

Analia is a melodic newcomer to the US Top 1000, a fresher spin on the Olde Worlde Anamaria. It charted in the US from 2009 to 2012, and then reentered the popularity list in 2015. El Rostro de Analia is a popular Spanish language telenova on the Telemundo channel, which probably greatly contributed to its initial entry to the US list in 2009 at Number 331 when it was unranked the previous year!

Analia

Presidential name that makes a fresh substitute for MacKenzie or McKenna. Possible spelling variations include MacKinley, MacKinlee, Makinleigh ad almost infinitum. McKinley is one of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/472/scottish-names-for-girls">Scottish names for girls</a> that can work equally well for boys.

Mckinley

Dayana is an Hispanic variant of Diana, notably belonging to Venezuelan actress, model and producer Dayana Mendoza. It also belongs to a South American orchid whose name derives from the surname of English botanist John Day. Its use can be partly attributed to the popularity of Diana, the Princess of Wales.

 Dayana is also the English transliteration of a Kazakh name deriving from the Arabic word for "religion" or "faith".

Dayana

Shiny cousin of Samara with an intriguing meaning. Increasingly associated with the charming Samira Wiley, a perennial scene-stealer on "Orange is the New Black" and "The Handmaid's Tale."

Samira

Theodora is one of the most revival-worthy of the charmingly old-fashioned Victorian valentine names, softly evocative but still substantial, as is the reversed-syllable Dorothea. 
 
The name Theodora was borne by several saints and by the beautiful ninth wife of the Emperor Justinian, who became the power behind his throne. A later royal was Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark, the older sister of the late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. 

 Theodora offers a menu of neat nicknames, from the classic Teddy to trendy Thea to the vintage Dora. Theodora also has some cool international variations as well: Theodosia, Feodora and Teodora. It re-entered the US Top 1000 in 2019 for the first time in over 60 years and for a while seemed destined to follow brother name Theodore toward the top of the list. 2024 saw it fall in popularity, though time will tell if this downward trend continues. 
 
 Keith Richards named his daughter Theodora back in 1985, while Robbie Williams did the same in 2012, and affectionately calls her Teddy. It was also chosen by content creators Jessica and Claudia Kellgren-Fozard for one of their daughters, born in 2025, a twin to Augusta. In TV's Grey's Anatomy Dr. Theodora "Teddy" Altman was a surgeon.

Theodora

Keilani is among the fastest rising <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls' names</a> in some US states, a once-<a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-name-lists/category/unusual-names">unusual name</a> perhaps popularized by its similarity to both Leilani and Kayla. Its rhythmic appeal cannot be denied.

Keilani

Iliana is one of the vaguely but usually undefinably international names that have a wide range of spellings and pronunciations. Ilium was the poetic name of the city of Troy, and variations of this name — especially Ileana and Ileanna — have been widely used, projecting a rather bohemian image. The traditional Greek pronunciation would be ee-lee-AH-nah while in English speaking countries, it might be ill-ee-AH-nah.

Iliana

 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 16)

Three Syllable Girl Names