Five Letter Girl Names

A warm-sounding Arabic name with a gentle meaning, mentioned frequently in the Quran.

One of those names you may not even be aware of if you haven't been paying attention to recent naming trends, Alani was given to more than 700 baby girls in the US in one recent year, to be the second most popular feminization of Alan after Alana. It's certainly the most modern-sounding female version of Alan.

Not quite a nature name and not quite a surname — whatever Laken is or isn't, we know it's definitely a name to watch.

In the age of Billie and Charlie, Eddie seems like a plausible option for a girl – short for Edwina, Edith, Eluned or any girl name containing the letters E and D.

This charming name, popular in France and the Netherlands, has not traveled to the U.S. yet but would make a modern way to honor grandma Mary or Louise, or as a perfect short form of Mary Louise. Or, with the growing fashion for nickname names, it can stand perfect well on its own. One of several similar variations — Lou, Lilou, Louane — in vogue in Europe.

A rare girls' name with cross-cultural appeal to burn, Avira might be a good option for parents interested in Ava but put off by its huge popularity.

One of those pan-European nickname names much more familiar in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe than in the US, though related name Mina is making a comeback here. Light and bright, it could be an alternative to Mila, Minnie, or Millie.

Rarely given as a full name for baby girls, but occasionally used as a nickname for names such as Harriet and Henrietta.

Familiar in the US thanks to the lovely movie Brooklyn, based on the Colm Toibin novel of the same name. Popular in medieval times, it is still used in Ireland (properly spelt with a fada: Eilís) could make an alternative to the super-popular Isla. Eilish and Eibhlis are alternate forms.

With diverse roots and meanings, Ayana is a cross-cultural possibility with Arabic, African, and Kazakh origin. Both Ayana and Ayanna enjoyed a spike of popularity in the 1990s, but have faded since then, though 246 girls were given the name in the US in a recent year, placing it just outside the Top 1000. It appeared in the Kazakhstani top 15 multiple times in the 2010s and recently ranked in the UK Top 500.

Clove is a spice name that is a tad more piquant than Saffron or Cinnamon. It might get more attention now as a member of The Hunger Games family of names.

The original but less common spelling of the ancient mythological name, now used mostly for fictional witches. But the rise of the lovely Lady Sybil Crawley on television's Downton Abbey and the fall of the multiple personality Sybil, a self-confessed fake, may give Sibyl and Sybil more credibility as a name.

Short for Rocco, this bold nickname has a more peaceful meaning: "rest". But Rocky sounds wild and edgy – even more so for girls.

A Galician water and river goddess whose name is still used in Galicia today. It is also found as an elaboration of Hebrew Nava, meaning "beautiful". American actress Navia Robinson is a well-known bearer.

The second most popular spelling of this name is also the most straightforward.

The 6th century Irish saint Mirin emigrated to Scotland and now is the patron saint of both the Glasgow suburb of Paisley and the game of football.

Macie is one variation that has become more popular than the original Macy, perhaps thanks to its resemblance to the stylish Maisie. While Macie is usually pronounced to rhyme with lacy while Maisie sounds more like hazy, there is undoubtedly some overlap.

Ollie is used less often as a nickname for the mega-popular Olivia or the stylish Olive than Ellie is for Eleanor or Allie for Allison. That may be because Ollie has a much longer use as a nickname for boys.

Not quite as unusual as it might seem, it first entered the popularity list in 1995, as a possible alternative to the very popular Kayla. In the Bible, an alternate spelling is Jaala.

Bunny may be adorable, but is it really enough of a name for your daughter? Plus if Buffy is fluffy, what would that make Bunny?