User-created list
Short, Vowel-Heavy Girls Names
Across 14 pages
of 14
Mena
Spanish, diminutive of Filomena
Actress Mena Suvari (named after an Egyptian hotel) made this name seem especially appealing. Mena is also a minor Roman goddess of fertility.
Moira
Irish, variation of Mary
"bitter; beloved; drop of the sea"
Well-established Irish and Scottish name that has never really caught on across the pond. Remembered by an older generation as the beautiful red-haired ballerina in the film The Red Shoes , Moira…
Mona
Irish
"noble good"
Mona had more than a moment in the sun, peaking in 1950 at Number 230 but falling off the Top 1000 completely in the late 1980s. Its similarity to the word "moaner" undercuts the appeal of its…
Muse
Greek mythology name
Remember, the Muse is passive: someone else's inspiration.
Neela
Hindi, Sanskrit
"sapphire blue"
A variation of Nila, a name spread through African by the substantial Indian population there. Also a variant of Neala and Neila.
Neila
Hebrew
"locking, closing"
This name of the final service on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is sometimes given symbolically to girls born on that day.
Neva
Spanish
"white snow"
Has a pure, clean aura, but is also evocative.
Neve
Anglicized spelling of Irish Niamh or Italian and Portuguese
"snow"
Introduced to the American public by actress Neve Campbell; it was her Dutch-born mother's maiden name. Neve is an interesting and fresh new possibility, one which Conan O'Brien chose for his…
Niley
Aboriginal
"a shell"
Could be seen as a stand-in for Riley, but not nearly as appealing.
Nixie
German
"water nymph"
If you love Dixie, Trixie and Pixie, this name of a mermaid-like sprite in German folklore may be for you. It might also make an update for Nicki.
Nori
Japanese, English short form or Eleanor, Leonora, Nora, Honora, or North, form of Nor or Nuri, Arabic, Turkish
"ceremonial rites, doctrine, seaweed; unknown, honor, north; my light"
Nori is one of those names with several origins that would have no trouble assimilating into a variety of cultures. It might also be associated with the dried seaweed used to wrap sushi or with the…
Nya
Swahili, Basque, "tenacity, purpose, aim; sea fam, wave"
"tenacity, purpose, aim; sea fam, wave"
A relatively new name on the scene, increasing in popularity since 1999. It is likely a variation of Nia, a Swahili name based on the Arabic Niya meaning "tenacity, purpose, determination".…
Oanez
Breton variation of Agnes
"lamb."
Kind of a combination of Agnes and Inez, a name rarely heard in the US.
Oda
Scandinavian, short form of Odelia
Ada, yes. Ida, maybe. But Oda, a Scandinavian version of Odelia, not really. To English speakers, it sounds too much like "odor".
Oona
Irish, variation of Una
"lamb"
Oona is a name made famous by Eugene O'Neill's daughter, who became Charlie Chaplin's wife. One of the original Oona's granddaughters was named after her, and is now an actress famous in her own…
Oriel
Latin
"golden"
Pretty Victorian-feeling cousin of Ariel; also, more prosaically, a kind of bay window.
Orli
Hebrew
"light"
Cute, nickname-y, and international, à la Romy or Demi. Spelling it Orly turns it into a busy French airport.
Pixie
Swedish or Cornish
"fairy"
Pixie is a cute -- quite possibly too cute -- name that suddenly feels possible thanks to the craze for names that contain the letter x. Though its origin may be uncertain, a pixie is internationally…
Pola
Short form of Amapola, Arabic
"poppy"
Pola is an international name that still bears the femme fatalish air of Polish-born silent screen vamp Pola Negri, whole birth name was Apolonia. Rarely used, she could join sisters Lola and Nola.
Queen
Word name
"queen"
Queen has seen a revival in recent times, reaching its record high in 2018 with 280 births — it has remained steady since then. Previously, Queen saw a peak in the 1920s, but its origins go back even…