Girl Names Lists · Name Spellings, Initials and Sounds
Best One Syllable Girl Names
Across 13 pages
of 13
Gen
Japanese
"spring"
Commonly used in Japan, and so much more distinguished than Jen.
Gert
Short form of Gertrude, German
"strength of a spear"
Gert is an old school nickname for one of the oldest school names, Gertrude. Only the most adventurous, so-far-out-it's-in baby namers will choose Gertrude or Gert today, but it's definitely geek…
Gill
Short form of Gillian, feminization of Julian, Latin
"youthful"
Gill and Jill are both medieval short forms of Gillian or Jillian, a feminine form of Julian. The problem with the G spelling is that some people will pronounce it with a hard G, like Gil, the short…
Glow
English word name
"shine softly"
Glyn
Short form of Glynis, Welsh
"small glen, valley"
Glyn is a pretty, glimmery name that is heard much less often than Welsh sisters Gwen and Bryn. It is also used for boys and might make a good honor name for an ancestral Glenn.
Gray
Color name
This color name, spelled either Gray or Grey is rapidly catching on. Actress Jenny von Oy recently called her daughter Gray Audrey.
Greer
Scottish, contraction of surname Gregor; Latin
"alert, watchful"
This attractive Scottish surname choice, has a certain amount of glamour thanks to feisty British-born red-haired forties Academy Award winner Greer Garson, who was born Eileen Evelyn Greer…
Jean
English and Scottish, from French variation of Johanna
"God is gracious"
Originally a feminine of John, Jean was popular in Scotland long before it found favor elsewhere, and had its most shining moment here in the era of Jean Harlow (born Harlean), ultimate symbol of…
James
Hebrew
"supplanter"
James for a girl? Believe it or not, this is one of the boy names for girls" gaining a lot of attention these days, since Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds shocked the world by choosing it for their…
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…
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.
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.
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.
Jeanne
French variation of Jean
"God is gracious"
Pronounced just like Jean in the English-speaking world, but as the more unusual zhahn in France, this has sailed away with the first wave of French favorites: Denise, Michelle, et soeurs.
Jen
Jen is a short, crisp feminine name that originated primarily as a diminutive of Jennifer, though it can also be a nickname for names like Jenna, Jenny, or Genevieve. The root name Jennifer comes…
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…
Jill
Diminutive of Gillian or Juliana
"youthful"
Probably due to its nursery rhyme association, Jill has the perpetual air of a rosy-cheeked tot -- even though it is one of the oldest names on the roster, a medieval variation on the Roman Julia.…
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…
Jo
Diminutive of Joanna or Josephine, Hebrew
"Jehovah increases"
The name Jo still evokes the spunky image of the character in Louisa May Alcott's Little Women . Its literary status makes Jo one of the OG boyish nicknames for girls, ala Frankie, Billie, and…
Joan
English feminine variation of John, Hebrew
"God is gracious"
Joan was the perfect name choice for one of the leading characters on Mad Men , being a quintessential girls' name of the period. A Top 10 name in the 30s, a Top 50 name from the 40s through the…