Best One Syllable Girl Names

Gail

Hebrew, short form of Abigail

"my father rejoices"

Gail was a mid-twentieth century favorite, which has been far surpassed by its original form, Abigail and nickname Abby. Spelling variations include Gale and Gayle, the latter represented by TV…

Jazz

Word name

Musical choice that may be a short form of Jasmine or Jazlyn, or might stand on its own like this or as Jaz, the spelling used by tennis duo Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi.

Brett

Celtic

"from Brittany"

One of a number of single-syllable unisex B-names, Brett was first spotted as a female name in Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises , via the dashing and seductive Lady Brett Ashley, who was a captivating…

Cate

English diminutive of Catherine

"pure"

Time was, even C-starting Catherines who called themselves Kate spelled it with a K, but Cate Blanchett changed all. Cate is now as acceptable as (but not as well used as) Kate. Cait might be short…

Dot

English, diminutive of Dorothy

Old-fangled nickname could make dot.com era short form or middle name.

Fleur

French

"flower"

Fleur is a generic, delicate flower name that emigrated into the English-speaking world when John Galsworthy bestowed it on one of the Forsytes in his celebrated saga. More recently, there was Fleur…

Sue

Diminutive of Susan

Much-used midcentury diminutive, now fallen far from favor even as a middle name.

Tai

Chinese

"great extreme"

Skater Tai Babilonia brought this sleek modern name to the world's attention. Pronounced "tie."

Jess

Short form of Jessica, Hebrew

"behold or wealthy"

Many variations of Jessica, including Jessie and Jessa, are used on their own, but Jess is an exception, given to only a handful of baby girls last year. But Jess is certainly the name that many…

North

Word name

North's image and gender status was irrevocably changed when Kim Kardashian and Kanye West announced it as the name of their newborn daughter. But why not? West is firmly established as a name,…

Brave

English word name

"showing courage"

A striking word name for either gender. It's a safer choice when used as a middle name. Sixteen baby girls were named Brave in the US last year, the same number as were named Breezy.

Clove

English word name

"clove"

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.

Jay

Latin

"jaybird"

While Jay has been long used as a stand-alone boy name, it has more recently been used as one for girls. Otherwise, it has largely been seen as a pet form of any J name, or as a singular middle name.

Bee

Animal name or English diminutive of Beatrice, Latin

"she who brings happiness"

We've seen Beatrice and Beatrix climb in popularity, along with traditional nickname Bea. And now there's Bee, giving it a buzzy nature world spin, plus a tie to popular late night TV''s Samantha…

Bell

English and Scottish occupational name

"ringer of the bell"

These days, it's more likely you'd call your daughter the popular Belle or Bella.

Cam

Diminutive of Cameron or Camilla

A Pam for the modern age, improved by a harder edge and a tad less prissiness.

Gem

Gem is a concise, evocative feminine name derived directly from the English word for precious stones. This nature-inspired name conveys qualities of rarity, beauty, and value. As a given name, Gem…

Jinx

Word name

"spell, curse, bringer of bad luck"

Jinx, a James Bond heroine name has an ominous meaning but kinetic energy. In the film "Die Another Day," the actual first name of the character played by Halle Berry is Giacinta. It could therefore…

Kris

English diminutive of Kristen or Kristina, Scandinavian from Greek

"a Christian"

Kris was once the ultimate cool cheerleader name, but now she's more likely to be a matriarch ala Kris Jenner. Only five baby girls were named Kris in the US last year, though there are still several…

Nile

River name and color name

"dark blue, indigo"

Cool, serene name of the Egyptian river can make a fresh choice for a girl. The origin of river name Nile relates to the Arabic and ancient Hebrew word for dark blue or indigo; in ancient Egyptian,…