Best One Syllable Girl Names

Phil

Short form of Philippa, Greek

"lover of horses"

Phil is one of those Old Man names that, like Sid and Max, can be pretty cute on a girl. And if your Philippa objects, you can always pivot to Pippa.

Phlox

Greek

"flame"

A rare and striking flower name, in use in English since the late 19th century, which takes its name from the Greek word for "flame".

Pim

Dutch diminutive of Willem or William

"resolute protection"

Pim is traditionally a male nickname in the Netherlands, but its relative obscurity in the US would allow you to get away with using it for a daughter. This name has never been recorded in the US -…

Pine

Nature name

Likable addition to the list of unisex tree names.

Pip

English

"lover of horses"

Cute-as-a-button nickname traditionally derived from Philip or Philippa – but could work for Piper, Juniper or Penelope as well.

Puck

Literary name

Puck, the mischievous sprite of Shakespeare, is a unisex name given more often to girls in The Netherlands and is also the name of one of the moons of Uranus, discovered in 1985 and named Puck for…

Quince

Latin

"applelike fruit"

'Q' names are hot, and this is an intriguing fruit name that could be used for a girl or boy. The quince often appears in Greek myth, in tales of Aphrodite, Paris and Atalanta. Can also be a nickname…

Ro

Short form of Rose, Rosemary, Rowena, Rory et al

Ro is a casual short form that doesn't usually appear on the birth certificate on its own. But it makes a friendly nickname for any girls' name starting with Ro-.

Sadbh

Irish

"sweet; goodly"

Sadbh is the modern Irish form of the more streamlined but equally confusing Sadb or Sadhbh: these names are pronounced to rhyme with five. In Irish mythology Sadb or Sadbh or Sadhbh, a goddess lover…

Sid

Short form of Sidney, French

"Saint-Denis"

There are almost the exact same number of female and male Sidneys born in the US these days, which makes Sid a perfect gender-neutral nickname. And cute for boys or girls.

Seine

French; river name

River is rising as a new favorite name, and names of rivers are also increasingly used for our child. The Seine winds through the city of Paris, with dozens of bridges crossing the river at different…

Sethe

Egyptian mythological name or variation of Seth, Hebrew

"appointed, placed"

Author Toni Morrison is an acknowledged master of naming, and Sethe, the name of one of the main characters of Beloved , which can be pronounced as Seth or Seth-eh, relates to the male biblical name…

Swan

English

"swan"

Obsolete Swanhild gives way to oh-so-modern Swan, joining the flock of newly fashionable bird names such as Wren and Lark. In France, the Swann spelling is fashionable for both sexes. But Swan…

Tash

Diminutive of Natasha

"born on Christmas Day"

Tish for the twenty-first century.

Tay

English, diminutive of Taylor

"tailor"

Tay is occasionally used on its own, or as a nickname for the now fading Taylor.

Tish

Diminutive of Patricia or Letitia

Traditionally a short form for Patricia — or in the Addam's family, Morticia.

Trish

Diminutive of Patricia

"noble, patrician"

Trish was a cool -- in every sense of the word -- nickname back when Patricia was one of the most popular names in the US, primarily in the 1960s and 1970s. Trish is actually kind of a nickname of a…

Trix

English diminutive of Beatrix, Latin

"she who brings happiness; blessed"

Before Beatrice there was Beatrix, which leads naturally to the short form Trix. Trixie is a wise-cracking gum-snapping waitress but Trix is sleek and mischievous -- tricks, get it?

Tyne

English river name

Compact and creative, it has been associated with one-time Cagney & Lacey star Tyne Daly.

Val

Diminutive of Valentina, Valerie, etc, Latin

"strength, health"

Occasionally used as an independent name, but why.