5 Letter Girl Names

Ocean is a nature name that comes right out and states its meaning and association. Full of power and depth, Ocean is one of the fastest-rising baby names for both girls and boys, making the US Top 1000 for both genders in 2021. Oceane, the version that's trendy in France, was used for only 11 baby girls in the US in the same year.

Ocean-lovers who want to be less obvious can choose such subtler <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/641/names-that-mean-ocean">names that mean ocean</a> as Jennifer or Marissa, but coming right out and using Ocean is a perfectly valid way to go.

Ocean

Like Araceli, Cielo is a heavenly name associated with the Virgin Mary. Cielo, the Spanish word for "sky," began being used as a name in honor of María del Cielo, a title for the Virgin Mary meaning "Mary of the Sky."
 
Cielo had a small peak in the US in 2001, when it was given to 258 baby girls. This was influenced by a character named Maria del Cielo on a Mexican telenovela called "Por tu amor."
 
However, it was Luisana Lopilato and Michael Bublé naming their daughter Cielo Yoli Rose in 2022 which really drummed up more interest in this lilting, lovely name, leading to Cielo cracking the Top 1000 for the first time in the 2022 charts.

Cielo

This spelling of the name has ties to Hebrew, Slavic, and Scandinavian cultures, in addition to being another alternative to Reina and Reyna. It is most recently attached to hit television show Nashville's Rayna Jaymes, played by Connie Britton.

Rayna

Similar in sound to the flower name Dahlia, this gentle but distinctive name, heard in many cultures, hits that Golden Mean between too popular and too unusual. In Lithuanian mythology, Dalia is a goddess of weaving and of fate.

Dalia

Both Karla and Carla are sliding down the ranks, though Karla remains far more popular in the USA than Carla.

Karla

Adley made the Top 1000 at Number 735 in 2012 on the heels of sister name Hadley, only to vanish again in 2013. But now, with the popularity of Adelaide and Adeline, it has leaped upward and entered the Top 1000 once again. Adley feels in step with name trends of the moment, but will it survive the ages? Other such mashups have not.

Adley

A familiar name in India, Avani has a soft but spirited sound and an attractive meaning, perfect for lovers of nature and those looking for a name to celebrate the planet. Derived from the Sanskrit word for "earth", English speakers are likely to pronounce it with three syllables (UH-vah-nee), while in Hindi, it is said as AHV-nee and in Marathi as ah-VAH-nee. 
 V is currently one of the hottest letters a girl name can have — Olivia, Ava, Evelyn, and Ivy being notable examples — putting Avani right on trend. This gorgeous Hindi name first made the US Top 1000 back in 2023 and a recent year saw it in the latter end of the charts, given to around 260 girls.
 
A fast rising choice in England and Wales, ranking in the Top 600, Avani is notably borne by Paralympian Avani Lekhara, TikTok star and actress Avani Gregg, and one of India's first female combat pilots, Avani Chaturvedi. It rise in the UK also coincided with the introduction of the character Avani Nandra-Hart into the popular soap, Eastenders in 2023, which may have introduced the name to a wider audience.

Avani

Boys' favorite retains more of its poetic, windswept quality when used for a girl, as Robin Wright and Sean Penn did. Alyssa Milano gave her daughter Elizabella Dylan as a middle name. 

Dylan

Though it sounds like a chopped-off variation of Olivia, which means olive, the distinctively attractive Livia has been an independent name since the days of the ancient Romans, when it belonged to Livia Drusilla—the powerful wife of the Emperor Augustus—and is still commonly heard in modern Italy. 
 Livia was a literary favorite from the sixteenth century, appearing in the plays of John Fletcher and Thomas Middleton, and playing a minor role in Romeo and Juliet. Anna Livia Plurabelle is the name of a character in James Joyce's Finnegans Wake.
 Livia entered the US Top 1000 in 2004 but unlike its popular sister Olivia, it's never risen that high in the ranks. But Livia is a Top 100 girls' name in many other countries, including France, the Netherlands, Brazil, Sweden, Switzerland, and Austria.

Livia

While Kayla has been a mainstay in the US Top 1000 list since the 1960s, alternate version Keyla is relatively new, first entering the charts in 2002. While this spelling also has the possibility of being pronounced KEE-lah, it's most likely to cause confusing and frustration in the shadow of the much more popular spelling.
 Keyla was a fast riser in 2022, jumping 84 spots — possibly inspired by actress Keyla Monterroso Mejia from the popular show Abbott Elementary.

Keyla

Simpler and less tied to the singer in this form, Aliya is a feminine form of the Arabic name Ali, meaning "lofty, sublime, high" or "exalted." Boosted to fame by the ill-fated singer, Aaliyah, and used across the Middle East, the US and the UK, Aliya is a powerful and pretty choice with a concise spelling. 
It could also be linked to the Hebrew word "alah" meaning "to rise" or "to ascend" and refers to the migration of Jews to Israel. 
Do you prefer this sleeker spelling to the higher ranking Aaliyah? You might also enjoy Alia or Alya.

Aliya

This spelling of Naomi increases the chances you'll get the nye-O-mee pronunciation and feels reminiscent of Japanese Kiyomi. The name entered the Top 1000 in 2020 and has lingered around the latter end of the charts even since, with 330 girls given the name in a recent year. By contrast, Naomi was chosen for 4644 babies: or 14 times more often.

Nyomi

Gentle, pleasant, and succinct, Layan is a popular choice across the Arab world and related to other well-loved Arabic choices, such as Alina, Leen, and Lina. Familiar in The UK, the Netherlands, Spain, and Belgium too, it has been on the rise in the US since the early 2000s and now sits just outside the Top 1000.

With Leila, Lila, and Aaliyah already well known among English speakers, Layan could translate well. In sound, it is a little like Leanne, while in appearance it is reminiscent of Lainey and Layla - all of which makes it a friendly, cross-cultural choice with a nice meaning.

Layan

Classified as an early beauty, Zelda has long and often been used as such for characters in books and films. Since 1986, Zelda has been a prime Nintendo name, as in the Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.
 Zelda was in baby name limbo for a number of years, but it's making a comeback with the interest in Z (and X) names. It was one of the fastest-rising <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls’ names</a> of 2015, when it entered the Top 1000 for the first time in nearly 50 years.
 For many, there will always be a strong association to Scott Fitzgerald's tortured wife, herself a writer and a symbol of the 1920's Jazz Age — also the subject of a recent novel-turned-television show.
 
Trivia tidbit: Marilyn Monroe was known to sometimes use the pseudonym Zelda Zonk.

Zelda

Less popular than the Bueller-inspired Sloane but following on its coattails, this name ranks toward the middle of the Top 1000, but we see both spellings sticking around for years to come.

Sloan

Melodic and stylish, Elani blends the lani ending of Hawaiian names like Alani, Kalani and Leilani, with the sounds and beginning of choices like the Hebrew Eliana, the Greek Eleni, and the classic Eleanor. 
 
The name entered the US Top 1000 for the first time in 2024, coming in at #989. Given to 260 girls, it might be one to watch out for.

Elani

Honey entered the US Top 1000 for the first time ever in 2024, following the lead of parents in England, who've elevated this nickname-name to the Top 300 girls' names in the UK. Honey's popularity in the UK can be credited to its status as a cute British celebrity baby name, used by actress Kate Winslet, chef Jamie Oliver, and TV presenter Fearne Cotton, among others.
 
More broadly, Honey's spike in popularity may have been inspired by the release of the 2022 film adaptation of Matilda the Musical, which, like the enduring novel it's based on, features the kind, compassionate teacher, Miss. Honey. Alternatively, nickname-names were just big in 2024, with Scottie, Billie, Lettie, and Indy also climbing the charts.
 
If you find this name super sweet, but worry about its use as a (sometimes condescending) term of endearment, you could consider Honora, Henrietta, Helen, Hermione, or Holland with the nickname Honey instead.

Honey

Once the quintessential bouncy teenager name, Kelly helped launch the trend of unisex <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/168/irish-names">Irish names</a> . But it now takes a backseat to more substantial surname names like Kennedy.

Kelly

Paula still seems somewhat stuck in the era of duo Paul and Paula bopping out the song "Hey, Paula." Two pronunciations are possible—the English "PAW-la" and the Portuguese "POW-la."
 Modern bearers of the name include singer-songwriter Paula Abdul and comedian Paula Poundstone, as well as a character on My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Paula is still a common choice in Puerto Rico.
 With the trend toward boyish nicknames for girls, we can't help but wonder whether there will be a new generation of little girls names Paulie or Pauley, both fresher than Paula.

Paula

A favorite in England and Wales, Darcy is a unisex option with delicacy, grace, and strength. Associated with classic literary and courtesy thanks to Jane Austen's hero, Mr. Darcy, and Bridget Jones's Mark Darcy, its image was partly transformed by English ballerina Darcey Bussell, who helped popularize it for girls.
 
A name with multiple meanings, Darcy can be considered an anglicization of either d'Arcy, a French name associated with the town of Arcy, or of O'Dorchaidhe, an Irish surname meaning "dark one". It can also be spelled as Darcey, Darcie, and Darci too, all of which have featured in the England and Wales Top 1000 at least once since the 90s.
 
Darcie is currently the most popular spelling in the UK, appearing in the Top 100, while Darcy ranks in the Top 150 and Darcey in the Top #400. There's also Darcie-Mae in the latter half of the charts, along with Darcie-Rae, Darcie-Leigh, Darcie-Anne, Darcie-Rose, and Darcia which are all given to a handful of girls each year. 
 
In Australia, Darcy leans masculine and frequently appears in the Top 100 for boys, while in the US, Darcy recently re-entered the popularity characts girls after a 30 year absence.
 
Notable Darcys include the character Darcy Olsson of the TV show and graphic novel series, Heartstopper, the actress Darcy Rose Byrnes, and young social media star, Darcy Jane Pentland.

Darcy

Five letter girl names are led by the longtime top name Emily. Sofia, the Latinate spelling of Sophia popular in the US and throughout the Spanish-speaking world, is another top girl name with five letters.

girl names with five letters ranking in the US Top 200 

include Avery, Grace, Chloe, Layla, Riley, Ellie, Alexa, Hazel, and Sarah.


Classics Alice, Lydia, Clara, Julia, Edith, and Maria are all five letter girl names, as are the trendier Sadie, Piper, Kylie, and Quinn.

 on our recommended list include Anouk, Aziza, Celia, Darcy, Elsie, Mercy, Olive, Petra, and Tansy.


Browse our entire menu of five letter names for girls here, ranked according to their current popularity on Nameberry. 

Five letter names for baby girls, with top name Emily and both popular and unique girl names with 5 letters, including meanings, origins, and popularity (Page 10)

Five Letter Girl Names