4 Letter Girl Names

Nola, a name with a sleek, enigmatic quality, was used for the much-pursued heroine of Spike Lee's 1986 breakout film, She's Gotta Have It, and again by Woody Allen in Match Point. It's a short form of the traditional Irish name Fionnuala. Nola reentered the US Top 1000 in 2008, for the first time in 50 years.
 
Nola is also a place name of an Italian town, associated by ecclesiastical tradition with the invention of church bells, leading some to give that as the meaning of the name. 
 Speaking of the map, Nola could also come from New Orleans, Louisiana, for which NOLA is a frequent acronym. This association lends the name a potentially Southern feel.

Nola

Now that Isla Fisher has pushed her once-obscure name into the Top 150, some parents are looking for similar-sounding <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/472/scottish-names-for-girls">Scottish names for girls</a> that are further off the beaten path. This one is especially promising, with its cross-cultural appeal. Ayla, a common name in Turkey, is also worth considering.

Aila

The <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls' name</a> Kyra sounds like the also popular Keira/Kiera, but has a different root. There are twice as many baby girls named Keira as Kyra, with Kiera in third place. Kyra now ranks at #590 and is most familiar via actress Kyra Sedgwick.

Kyra

First-wave Irish name and place name—the poetic name for Ireland—now supplanted by newer alternatives such as Maeve and Delaney. 

Erin

Ezra is a biblical favorite for boys that's been making inroads into the girls' Top 1000 since 2018 and it's easy to see why. With its soft sounds and -a ending, it holds the same appeal as Noa, Sasha, Micah, and Luka do: short, sweet, and solid. 2024 saw Ezra climb 61 places up the US charts, placing it just outside the Top 700.
 
Though it was given to nearly 400 baby girls in 2024, that's still below the 10% cutoff required to make a name truly unisex. More than 8770 baby boys were named Ezra last year, meaning only 5% of Ezras born in the US were girls. 
 Lovers of Ezra for a girl might like the pretty Turkish name Esra, a variant of Arabic Isra meaning "she who travels by night". There's also Ezri, which, thanks to pop culture, is now more popular for girls.

Ezra

A multicultural choice steeped in mythology, Tara was popular in the US back in the 70s and 80s, likely owing to its appearance in the novel and subsequent movie, Gone with the Wind, in which it's the name of the O'Hara plantation. It was kept in the spotlight by the 1960s British series, The Avengers, and by the American soap, All My Children, both of which featured characters called Tara.
 
But don't dismiss it as a too-recently-retro option just yet. There's much more to the name than that, linked as it is to the stars and to sacred hills. 
 
From its Irish roots, Tara is an Anglicized form of Teamhair, connected to the Irish place, the Hill of Tara in Country Meath. A sacred burial place and a ceremonial site, it is said to be the place where the Irish High Kings were crowed. The exact meaning of the name is contested, with "elevated place, a height with a view" being one theory and "sanctuary, sacred place" being another. 
 
From its Sanskrit roots, Tara means "star" and is the name of a Hindu goddess who is kidnapped by the moon god Chandra, leading to a great war that Brahma had to stop. Additionally, it is the name of a female Buddha, who saves and protects beings for spiritual and worldly dangers.
 
Occasionally used as a feminine form of Taras, a Russian and Ukrainian name referring to an ancient Italian city, it is also the name of a river and hill in Serbia, a Japanese name meaning "many orchid", and the Māori word the white-fronted tern (a seabird). It is, very occasionally, used as a masculine name too.
 
Out of style in the US until very recently, it re-entered the Top 1000 in 2025, having doubled in popularity since 2023. Also familiar across India, Nepal, Iran, Ireland, Serbia, Australia, England and Wales, the Netherlands, Croatia, and Slovenia, it is a truly versatile choice.
 
As with many multicultural names, the pronunciation of Tara varies depending on language and location. In the UK, it would be TAH-ruh (AH like the sound in father) while in the US, it might be TA-ruh or TEHR-uh. As a Sanskrit name, it has a slightly softer sound, and could be pronounced as tah-rah, tar-uh, or thah-rah, depending on region, language, and dialect.

Tara

A Disney name—Nala was the friend who became the wife of Simba, hero of The Lion King. It debuted on the US Top 1000 in 2015.
 Keenen Ivory Wayans used it for his daughter.

Nala

Sweet and simple, Ayah is a beautiful Arabic name with the particularly lovely meaning of "miracle". In Islam, Ayah refers to signs of God's existence, and is also the name for a verse in the Qur'an. Ayah was one of the newest entries to the US Top 1000 in 2023, feeling like a fresh alternative to popular cross-cultural choices like Layla, Maya, and Ayla. In a more recent year, it was chosen for 270 girls, while the similar Aya was given to nearly 500 babies.

Ayah

Siya is a sweet and simple looking choice with a variety of origins. In South Africa, it derives from the Zulu and Ndebele Siyabonga, meaning "we thank you", and is predominantly used as a masculine name. In Sanskrit, it has multiple meanings including "white moonlight" and "Arabian Jasmine" but it's also associated with the the Hindu Goddess Sita, whose name means "furrow".
 
As an American name it is likely a spelling variation of Sia, which can mean "victory" in relation to the Old Norse element sigr. Alternatively, it is a diminutive of any names including the substring -iya, such as Siyana meaning "shining" or Anastasiya meaning "resurrection". 
 
Familiar in the UK where it ranks in the Top 700, the name Siya has also seen increased use in the states since the early 2000s. In 2024, it entered the US Top 1000 for the first time, while a more recent year saw it given to more than 300 girls. Hip hop artist Siya and actress Siya Malasi are notable bearers of the name.

Siya

Vada is a feisty retro choice that feels like a fresh spin on the likes of Ava and Ada. Its bold V initial is bang on trend, although Vada remains very uncommon in the US. It is perhaps best known as the heroine of the 1991 cult classic coming-of-age movie My Girl, Vada Sultenfuss, played by Anna Chlumsky.

 Vada entered the US Top 1000 for the first time in 2016. Rapper Kid Cudi named his daughter Vada in 2010.

Vada

Ivey can be considered an alternate spelling of the botanical name Ivy, but it also has separate origins as a surname. For the Anglo-Saxon Ivey line, Ivey means "son of Ive," while for the English-Norman Iveys, it means "person from Ivoy," a commune in the Cher department of France. Regardless, Ivey's recent feats — amongst the fastest-rising names of 2023 and the newest additions to the US Top 1000 — are likely attributed to the success of Ivy.

Ivey

Thanks to the surprise hit revival of Etta James' song At Last and because of recent interest in vintage style nicknames, Etta has established herself as a possible successor to Emma and Ella. While it is currently in the latter end of the US charts, the smart, snappy name is a rising choice in the UK, where it features in the Top 150. 

Once a short form of Henrietta, Etta has long been used on its own, and like Nora it feels perfectly substantial as a standalone. It could however also be a nickname for Loretta, Annetta, Violet, Juliet - or, for the brave, Jamesetta, which was Etta James' real first name.
 
Once a Top 100 name in the last decades of the 19th century, it slid down the US popularity charts, as nickname-y choices were ditched in favor of putting a full name on the birth certificate. It has made appearances on the US charts since 2017, and with its vintage vibes and sharp-but-sweet sounds, it may well be here to stay this time. 
 
The name was recently been picked by a celeb, Carson Daly, who is said to have been inspired by soul singer Etta James. Meanwhile, Henrietta "Etta" Bishop was a character on the TV show Fringe and might have shone a new light on the name.
 
Given to around 260 girls in a recent year, Etta joins Ruthie and Winifred as vintage-revival names to re-enter the US charts. 
 
A bit of trivia: Etta is an anagram name, which can be rearranged to make Tate.

Etta

A beautiful name which is well used in India, and certainly has the potential to catch on elsewhere too, Ayra likely means "respectable" and "awe-inspiring" in Sanskrit, while also relating to the goddess Saraswati.
 Pronounced "EYE-rah", the name is reminiscent of some of the most stylish girl names today, such as Ayla, Isla, and Iris. 
 
Other possible sources of the name include from the Arabic Ahrar meaning "pure, good", the Arabic A'irah meaning "without an owner", and the Turkish element ay meaning "moonlight, halo". Alternatively, it may be an alternative spelling of Aira, a modern name relating to air or to the Finnish Airi, meaning "messenger".
 Sleek, simple, and with cross-cultural appeal, weren't surprised to see Ayra join the US Top 1000 in recently years. In the UK, it made the Top 150 in a recent count.

Ayra

An attractive, widely appealing, multicultural option, Yuna has its roots in Japanese, Breton, Korean, Chinese. KPOP singer Yuna may be attracting some attention to her name, as might influencer Yunabugs who shares her life with her eight dachshunds on Instagram. Also used in the game franchise Final Fantasy, it is a popular choice in France, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. 
 
From its Japanese origins, it may mean "superiority" or "citrus fruit", while as a Breton name, it is a form of the Irish Una. In Korean, its meaning varies depending on which kanji combination you use, but some options are "willow", "to reach for abundance", and "happy". As a Chinese name, it is linked to the gemstone, jade, while as a Dutch name (and Nordic name more widely), it may be an alternative spelling of Juna or Junia. 
 
Given to nearly 200 girls in the US in a recent year, it is a familiar but not overly popular choice.

Yuna

With its on trend Z initial and its similarity to Lyla, Myla, and Kaia, Zyla is a zesty, modern choice. Given to around 250 girls in a recent count, its zippy, stylish feel may see it rise in coming years.
 
While Zyla may well be a newly coined name, inspired by the likes of Zaylee, Zayden, Tyla, and Isla, it could also be derived from the Greek name, Xylon, via feminine form Xyla. Xylon has both a nature connection from its tree-inspired meaning, and a spiritual one, as the word xylon is used to refer to the cross in the New Testament. Another possibility is that it is a spin on the Hebrew Zillah, meaning "shadow"
 
Rarely used - if at all - before 2003, it wasn't until 2020 that Zyla really began to rise up the charts. Since then, it has doubled in usage and wouldn't feel out of place in the Top 1000 for 2024.

Zyla

Love makes an endearing middle name, as in Jennifer Love Hewitt. However, more parents are considering Love as a first name — enough for it to enter the US charts for the first time in 2022 as one of the fastest-rising names of the year. 
 
Chosen for nearly 270 girls in a recent year — along with 21 boys — Love fits in with the likes of Dream, Blessing, Halo, Chosen, Dove, and Sunny. It was additionally used in the Marvel franchise, borne by the adoptive daughter of Thor; the release of the film Thor: Love and Thunder in 2022 coincided with the name entering the US stats for the first time. 
 
Used as a masculine name in Sweden, Love may also be said as LOO-veh if being viewed as a Swedish form of Louis,
 
Love Love but want something more subtle? Other love-related alternatives include Juliet, Mabel, Amore, and Carys.

Love

Zora is a meaningful literary heroine name honoring Zora Neale Hurston, an important black writer and leader of the Harlem Renaissance. 
 Spelled Zorah, it is a biblical place name, and is also the name of a character in the Gilbert & Sullivan operetta Ruddigore.
 Fairly well used from the 1880s until 1940, Zora reached a high of Number 293 in 1885.Now, Zora is back in the charts and given to more than 300 girls every year, perhaps because of its namesake and how it makes an interesting alternative to Nora, Cora, or Zara.

Zora

Though the most famous Elia, screenwriter Kazan, was male, this name sounds like a spin on many popular girls' names, from Ella to Ellie to Isla and Leah. While the Italian pronunciation has the middle syllable as LEE, making it closer to the original Elijah would give the middle syllable a long I sound — eh-LYE-ah.

Elia

This variation of Corey has a Kardashian-style spelling update -- which might be why it's experiencing a boost in popularity of late. Kori is also a Kikuyu name meaning lamb, one of the many names from that African culture with animal meanings, and a short form of Koral, the Hebrew form of Coral. 

Kori

Elvis naming his daughter Lisa Marie and Nat King Cole's hit song "Mona Lisa" conspired to catapult one of Elizabeth's many offshoots to a high of #4 in 1970. 

 It has largely fallen from favor in the English-speaking world since then, but still ranks highly in countries such as Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, France and the Netherlands. It has a sweet and simple charm that could be ripe for an early revival in the US too.

Lisa

, one of the top names for girls not only in the US but around the world.

, other four letter names for girls in the US Top 100 include 

, the most-used girl name of all time, also contains four letters, as do such classics as 



Unique four letter names for girls we recommend include 



Browse our entire collection of four letter names for girls below, ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry. 

Four Letter Girl Names, with origin, meanings, and popularity, including top four letter girl names Emma and Luna and unique four letter girl names Echo and Romy (Page 6)

1798 Four Letter Girl Names