Best One Syllable Girl Names

West

Word name

Straightforward yet romantic, this is one newly minted name with long-term appeal, especially as a middle name. It was used as such for Tea Leoni and David Duchovny's Madelaine, whom they call West.…

Bay

English word, Old English

"an inlet of the sea where the land curves inward; berry"

One of the most usable of the pleasant, newly adopted nature/water names (like Lake and Ocean), especially in middle position. It's gentle, slightly whimsical, but grounded by its similarity to May…

Bex

Short form of Rebecca

Modern, mini nickname for Rebecca, much fresher than Becca or Becky.

Reef

Word name

Reef is a rare gender-neutral word name in the stylish ocean category. There were a handful of baby girls named Reef last years, and 60 baby boys — a not inconsiderable number.

Dean

English

"church official"

Like many passé boys' names, this one sounds fresh again for girls.

Pace

Word name

Unisex word and surname with an upbeat feel and a possible future as a more distinctive substitute for Grace or Page.

Plum

Fruit name

British-born novelist Plum Sykes has taken this rich, fruity name out of the produce section and put it into the baby name basket. It's more appealing than Apple, more presentable than Peaches. The…

Poe

English

"peacock"

Hip new middle-name choice, conjuring up the gothic tales of Edgar Allan, and current single-named pop singer Poe. As a first name, it's radically underused, given last year in the US to only five…

Reeve

English occupational name

"bailiff, sheriff, local official"

Chosen by aviators Charles and Anne Lindbergh for their daughter, Reeve could work as a distinctive alternative to Reese. While it is currently more popular for boys, nine girls received the name in…

Vi

Short form of Viola, Latin

"violet"

Vi is a common short form for Violet and Viola, not commonly used as a full name. But if you're trying to bridge a long first name and a long last, the minimalist Vi might be exactly what you need in…

Bess

English diminutive of Elizabeth, Hebrew

"pledged to God"

Although she declared her independence as far back as the reign of Elizabeth I — Good Queen Bess, Bess now sounds less passé than Beth or Betsy.

Dale

English

"valley"

An early unisex nature name that has been surpassed by others, Dale is still a simple, sylvan and serene option. Most of Dale's recent best known bearers – father and son race drivers Dale Earnhart,…

Day

English word name

"day"

A bright and optimistic middle name choice.

Jan

Feminine variation of John, Hebrew

"God is gracious"

Jan, not short for Janet or Janice but standing on its own, ranked in the Top 200 throughout the 1950s but dropped off the Top 1000 in the 1980s and now is a truly extinct name, given to fewer than…

Jem

Diminutive of Jemma or Jemima

"gem; dove"

There was an eighties cartoon queen named Jem (& The Holograms), and this is as likely to be a full name as a short form – deriving from Jemma, Jemima or Jameela.

Merle

French

"blackbird"

A sleek, smooth, understated name off the grid in the US but among the Top 100 girl names in Germany. In the US, it is a unisex name, while in Germany and the Netherlands, it is predominantly…

Quest

Latin

"seek; mission"

Cool new Q-starting possibility which suggests a sense of curiosity and purpose.

Loes

Dutch form of Louise or feminine diminutive of Lodewijk, Germanic

"renowned warrior"

Used as a Dutch variant of the classic Louise and as a feminine short form of Lodewijk (Ludwig), this strong but sparky choice is a familiar choice in the Netherlands where it ranked in the Top 250…

Pat

Diminutive of Patricia

"noble, patrician"

An early and still quintessentially gender-neutral name, now supplanted by thousands of fresher options. Hasn't been recorded as a given name since 1991. Pat was the name of a gardener in Alice's…

Peg

Diminutive of Margaret, Greek

"pearl"

Peg is a nostalgic turn-of-the-last-century nickname, sociable but slight. Like near-identical twin Peggy, Peg is in mothballs.