One syllable girls' names

A somewhat comprehensive list of one-syllable girl names. Perfect for middle names or as a short first name to balance out a long last name.
  1. Air
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      This nature name hasn't escaped the hippie dippy air of others like River or Sky.
  2. Ann
    • Origin:

      English variation of Hebrew Hannah
    • Meaning:

      "grace"
    • Description:

      Ann, the name of the sainted mother of the Virgin Mary, was among the top girls’ names for centuries, in both the original English Ann spelling and the French Anne. Both left the Top 100 around 1970 and show no signs of returning, with Anne is the middle of the US Top 1000 and Ann dropped out of sight.
  3. Ash
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Ashley, English
    • Meaning:

      "ash tree"
    • Description:

      Ash is a gender-neutral choice that calls to mind the '80s favorite: Ashley. But view it as a nature name -- as in the tree, not the charred bit of soot in the fireplace -- and it makes a cool choice that fits with today's trends.
  4. Bay
    • Origin:

      English word, Old English
    • Meaning:

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

      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 or Rae.
  5. Belle
    • Origin:

      Short form of Isabelle or French
    • Meaning:

      "beautiful"
    • Description:

      Belle has nothing but positive associations, from "belle of the ball" to "Southern belle" to the heroine of Disney's Beauty and the Beast. As if this weren't enough good things, Belle is also one of the most familiar and usable names that mean beautiful. Though it has been overshadowed by the Twilight-influenced Bella and longer forms like Isabella and Annabella, Belle has its own Southern charm and would make a pretty choice as a first or middle name.
  6. Bess
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Elizabeth
    • Meaning:

      "pledged to God"
    • Description:

      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.
  7. Beth
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Elizabeth
    • Meaning:

      "pledged to God"
    • Description:

      The sweetest and most sensitive of the pet names for Elizabeth, now also one of the most dated.
  8. Bette
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Elizabeth
    • Description:

      Pronounced a la Bette (Betty) Davis or Bette (Bet) Midler, a twentieth-century relic. Though if the equally vintage Betty comes back, Bette may be close behind.
  9. Bird
    • Origin:

      Nature name
    • Description:

      We once dismissed Bird as "too flighty", but with the rise of avian names from Lark to Robin to, well, Birdie, we don't see why Bird can't be a fine choice, especially as a middle name.
  10. Blair
    • Origin:

      Scottish
    • Meaning:

      "dweller on the plain"
    • Description:

      In the USA, Blair is gaining momentum, rising quickly for the last 10 years and likely to continue to climb. In England and Wales, where Blair has political connotations – calling to mind former prime minister Tony Blair – it is much less common, although it is in use for boys in its native Scotland.
  11. Blaise
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "one who stutters"
    • Description:

      Despite its modern sound, Blaise has plenty of history as a given name (for boys), from a Christian martyr to Arthurian legends. Today Blaise feels like the cool and edgy Blaze with a French accent.
  12. Bliss
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Description:

      A sweet, uplifting and still fairly uncommon modern virtue name. Its single syllable makes it especially good as a middle name, but it would also make a big impact in the first spot.
  13. Blue
    • Origin:

      Color name
    • Description:

      Blue suddenly came into the spotlight, as the unusual color name chosen by Beyonce and Jay-Z for their baby girl Blue Ivy. Blue is also a starbaby middle name du jour, used for both sexes in different spellings and forms, from John Travolta and Kelly Preston's Ella Bleu to Alicia Silverstone's Bear Blu. Dave 'The Edge' Evans named his daughter Blue Angel back in 1989.
  14. Blythe
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "happy, carefree"
    • Description:

      Blythe originated as a nickname for an upbeat person, coming from the Old English word bliðe, meaning "merry" or "cheerful." Today the homophone blithe shares the same meaning. Blythe was eventually adapted to a surname before it became a feminine given name.
  15. Bree
    • Origin:

      Irish, from Brid, Brigh, Brigid
    • Meaning:

      "strength or exalted one"
    • Description:

      A short, breezy name with a sophisticated yet upbeat image, that doesn't betray its Irish roots. Bree first came to notice here in 1971 via the complex prostitute character in the movie Klute, which earned Jane Fonda an Oscar. More recently, it was tied to the character of Bree Van de Kamp on Desperate Housewives.
  16. Britt
    • Origin:

      Swedish, contracted form of Birgit
    • Meaning:

      "high goddess"
    • Description:

      Brisk but rather brittle. Britt Eklund was a Bond Girl in the 1974 The Man with the Golden Gun. Britt is a contracted form of Birgit, but be aware that it does come with the strong possibility of being confused with Bret/Brett—or as a shortening of Brittany.
  17. Brooke
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "small stream"
    • Description:

      Brooke has long projected an aura of sleek sophistication, and can also be seen as a stylish water name.
  18. Brynn
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Bryn, Welsh
    • Meaning:

      "hill"
    • Description:

      Brynn outshines the original Welsh Bryn in the popularity stakes. This simple, brisk name might be seen as a combination of Bree and Lynn, an androgynous-sounding choice that especially in this spelling is not truly unisex: Brynn, for boys, is not even in the Top 1000.
  19. Cait
    • Origin:

      Short form of Caitlin
    • Meaning:

      "pure"
    • Description:

      Cait, pronounced like more popular sister Kate, is the form used when shortening Caitlin or any of the other Irish and Gaelic Cait-starting variations of Catherine.
  20. Cass
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Cassandra or Cassia, Greek
    • Meaning:

      "shining or excelling man; cinnamon"
    • Description:

      Ties to the unfortunate Mama are now unraveling, leaving Cass or Cassie to stand on its own as a fresher sounding Cathy or Kate. With gender-neutral names abound and the growing trend of boyish nicknames for girls, Cass may be on the up and up.