Three Letter Girl Names
Across 25 pages
of 25
Kay
English, diminutive of Katherine, Greek
"pure"
Kay, a cigarette-smoking, nightclubbing name of the 1930's, could be ready for a comeback along with cousins May/Mae and Ray/Rae. Kay has been out of sight since the mid-eighties, but was in the…
Kai
Hawaiian
"sea"
This appealing multi-cultural name, pronounced KYE, is beginning to be used for girls as well as boys. Among its many derivations and meanings: "sea" in Hawaiian, "forgiveness" in Japanese, "willow…
Kae
Kae is a concise, gender-neutral name that has been more commonly used for girls in Western contexts. It has multiple origins: it can be a short form of Katherine or names beginning with K; in…
Kei
Japanese
"blessing, excellent, respect, wise, jewel"
A succinct and simple Japanese name with a variety of good meanings, Kei is a unisex choice that has been leaning feminine in recent years, thanks to the popularity of longer form Keiko. Pronounced…
Kew
Cornish
"chick"
Kew is an offbeat name of a saint from Cornwall with boyish appeal.
Kia
African
"season's beginning"
Kia is a sweet, simple name that is now, unfortunately, associated with a Korean car label. Better today: Nia, Thea, or Keira.
Kim
English diminutive of Kimberly; Vietnamese; Scandinavian diminutive of Joachima; Soviet name
Kim was the coolest name... of the 1960s. Kim was popularized by actress Kim Novak, and its energy is still maintained by rapper Lil' Kim, but it holds lil' or no appeal for new babies. Parents who…
Kym
Kym is a short, crisp feminine name that emerged as a simplified spelling of Kim, which itself began as a diminutive of Kimberley or Kimberly. This streamlined version gained popularity in the 1960s…
Kye
Kye is a versatile, gender-neutral name that has historically been more common for boys but is increasingly used for girls. With origins spanning multiple cultures, it can be derived from the Chinese…
Kyr
Kyr is a concise, distinctive feminine name with multiple possible origins. It may derive from the Greek 'kyrios' meaning 'lord' or 'master,' or could be a streamlined form of Kyra, meaning 'throne'…
Hea
Korean
"grace"
For Americans, a little too he for a she.
Kat
English diminutive of Katherine, Greek
"pure"
We're hearing Kat more and more being used by Katherines who are tired of Kathy, Kate and Katie. Katti or Kattie is another possibility.
Les
Nickname for Lester, Leslie
Les is strictly a nickname in our book--for the male Lester or the female Leslie. For example, famed guitarist Les Paul was born Lester. So though sometimes more is less, in this case Les is less.
Lib
Diminutive of Elizabeth or Liberty
"pledged to god; freedom"
A concise and zippy short form of Elizabeth, Liberty or similar, used for the main character in the novel and film adaptation of Emma Donoghue's The Wonder about a nurse sent to observe a girl who is…
Lil
Diminutive of Lillian and Lily, flower name
"lily"
Spunky old vaudeville era nickname name suddenly sounds new again.
Lys
Diminutive of Elisabeth or French
"lily"
Lys is a feminine name with multiple cultural origins. In French, it derives from 'fleur-de-lis' meaning 'lily,' a flower symbolizing purity and the French monarchy. In Welsh and Scandinavian…
Lin
Chinese, Arabic, Burmese, Korean, English
"forest; jade, green gem; soft, tender; clear, bright; neighbor; pretty, lake"
Concise, multicultural, and well travelled, Lin is a deceptively simple looking choice with its roots in a variety of languages. As a Chinese name, it is a unisex option, pronounced as LEEN, and…
Lyn
Variation of Lynn, Welsh
"lake"
Lynn was a Top 100 girls' name in the US from the 1940s through the 60s, and shortened form Lyn's popularity followed the same trajectory. Today, Lyn is far more often found as a name suffix, in…
Nea
Nea is a concise feminine name with multiple cultural origins. In Finnish, it means 'the one who is irritated,' while in ancient Greek contexts, it relates to concepts of youth or newness, meaning…
Hat
Hat is an uncommon feminine name with several potential origins. It may function as a diminutive form of Harriet or Hattie, names derived from the Germanic elements 'heim' (home) and 'ric' (ruler).…