102 of the best one syllable baby girl names - in order of popularity

If you’re looking for a single-syllable girl’s name, this list is different to all the others. It’s in order of popularity according to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). So you can easily see how popular or uncommon your preferred names are.

For why single-syllable names are so great and the 96 best one-syllable boys’ names, click here.

Interestingly, having one syllable is slightly less popular with girls’ names with only three in the top 100, compared to seven in the boy’s list.

There is also much more variety in girls’ names than boys’ names. 5984 names were given to three or more baby boys. While 7162 names were given to three or more baby girls. (Names used by just one or two parents are redacted for privacy.)

How to use this list

The popularity of the names

There are 102 names in order of popularity according to the most recent data from the ONS for England and Wales (2020). The number in brackets after the name indicates where the name ranks in this data. For example, Grace (11) is the eleventh most popular name. Some of the ranking numbers are the same. That is because the same number of girls were given those names in that year.

Unisex names

If the name can be used for any gender it is stated and the number in brackets is where it ranks in the boy names ONS data.

Long versions of the names

Where appropriate, it includes what the name could be long for as perhaps you’d prefer a more formal name for the birth certificate. For example, you could love Lou but register your baby as a Louisa, Lucy, Luna or Tallulah.

Spellings of the names

If there are different spellings they are included along with their ranking in brackets.

The list

1. Grace (11)

The most popular one-syllable girl’s name. It was a popular name from the 16th century until the 1930s and then fell out of favour until the 90s when it had a big comeback. It originally comes from the Latin word ‘gratia’. Pippa Middleton has a Grace as well as a Rose (see below).

2. Rose (61)

The name Rose took a similar path to Grace but didn’t have a resurgence until the late 2000s, possibly because of Rose Tyler in Doctor Who. Scarlett Johansson’s daughter is called Rose. If you want a one-syllable flower-inspired name an alternative is Fleur (378).

3. Maeve (94)

An ‘old lady’ name that has become popular again, perhaps due to Maeve from the TV show Sex Education. It rose 124 places on the ONS list between 2019 and 2020.

Maeve comes from Irish mythology and means ‘she who intoxicates.’ Which refers to power rather than alcohol. So think Fairy Queen rather than Queen Vic landlady.

4. Hope (110)

Along with Faith (165) and Charity (4535), this name comes from the three virtues expected of Christians, according to the Bible. Faith, Hope and Charity were also sisters who became saints after they were tortured and murdered for refusing to renounce God. But that was a long time ago so don’t let that put you off. It didn’t deter Adam Buxton as his daughter is called Hope. Another short virtue name to consider is Praise (2615).

5. Niamh (136)

This means ‘bright’ and is another Irish mythology name. Niamh was the daughter of the god of the sea. It has a variety of different spellings: Neve (286), Neave (571), Nieve (771), Neive (1846) and Neeve (2042). Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinta Arden, chose Neve for her daughter.

6. Faith (165)

See Hope (110) above. Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban have a daughter named Faith.

Baby girl yawning — She was starting to get very bored of her parents discussing baby names.

7. Skye (167)

Deliciously Ella has a daughter called Skye. It is a Scottish name and refers to the Isle of Skye. Some spell it Sky (807). It could be a shortened form of Skylar (162), Skyla (219), Skyler (624) and Skylah (1100).

8. Paige (189)

Can also be spelt Page (5493). A modern name used in America since the 1950s but it’s actually now slightly more popular in the UK. It is of Latin origin and means ‘young helper’.

9. Brooke (190)

An Old English name meaning small stream. Brooke Shields made this name popular from the 1980s onwards. For other one-syllable water names see Lake (2163), Cove (2615) and Bay (3447). But sadly not Pond, Moat or Bog.

10. Eve (192)

The name of the first woman on Earth according to the Bible. It’s a Hebrew name meaning ‘life’. Bono and Clive Owen both have a daughter called Eve. (Not together though.) It’s probably best not paired with a sibling or twin called Adam or Apple.

11. Wren (217)

Unisex (723)

Could also be spelt Ren (2042). Call The Midwife stars Helen George and Jack Ashton have a girl called Wren. Something of a newcomer as a first name, it’s been in the top 500 in England and Wales since 2014. See also Lark (2300) and Dove (3117) if you like bird names.

12. Quinn (248)

Unisex (308)

From an Irish surname. As a girl’s name it’s been around about as long as Wren (217) has.

13. Belle (252)

A French word meaning ‘beautiful’ and the heroine of Beauty and the Beast. Holly Willoughby chose Belle for her daughter.

For other single-syllable French names see Fleur (378), Beau (370), Elle (408), Roux (1200), Vogue (1276) and Bleu (1618).

14. Pearl (271)

This name returned to the top 500 in 2008 after a long absence. It is the birthstone for June. Jack Osbourne has a daughter named Pearl. As do Maya Rudolph and Paul Thomas Anderson. Alternative spellings are Pearle (5493) and Perl (5493).

15. Noor (283)

Unisex (1635)

An Arabic name meaning ‘light’. It’s been in the top 500 since 2001. It is also sometimes spelt Nour (792) and Nur (1939).

16. Faye (302)

See also Fae (2300) and Fay (2843). It comes from either the Middle English word for fairy or an Old Norman French word meaning ‘loyalty’ or ‘belief’.

17. Rae (320)

Very popular as a middle name or for double-barreling a first name. But it’s also great on its own. It’s a Hebrew name meaning ‘ewe’. Alternative spellings are Rey (1449), Ray (3899), Rai (4535) and Raye (4535).

18. Nell (347)

Slightly less popular than the longer Nellie (120) or Nelly (232), it was originally the shortened form of Eleanor (53), Ellen (494) and Helen (749). Helena Bonham Carter has a Nell. As does Love Island’s Camilla Thurlow. Nel (916) and Nelle (1556) are the lesser-known spellings.

Maybe not the best name selection method.

9. Fern (360)

Also spelt Fearne (545) and Ferne (771).

20. Beau (370)

Unisex (131)

A French word meaning ‘beautiful’, usually when referring to a male. It’s been in the top 500 for girls since 2005. It can also be spelt Beaux (1507), Bow (1773), Bo (1846) and Boe (1939).

21. Fleur (378)

Another French name. This means ‘flower’.

22. Elle (408)

And another. You wait for a French name and then three come along at once. This comes from the French pronoun ‘she’. It’s usually pronounced in the French way (El) but could sound like ‘Ellie’. It can be short for Eleanor (53), Ellen (492) as well as any other ‘El’ names like Elizabeth (56) Eloise (129), Eliza (43), Ella (16) and Elodie (96). It peaked in popularity around the time Legally Blonde came out in 2001.

23. Mae (445)

The more popular spelling of the month of May (631). It rivals Rae (320) as a very popular middle name or for double-barrelling a first name. It can be a shortened version of Mabel (68), Mary (291) and Margaret (357). Some also spell it Mei (1687).

24. Blake (463)

Unisex (102)

Blake first entered the top 500 as a girl’s name in 2017. It was originally an English surname from the Old English word ‘blac’ which very confusingly appears to mean both ‘dark-haired’, ‘fair’ and ‘white’. But they drank more beer than water in those days so let’s forgive them.

25. Joy (525)

It would probably be the happiest sounding one-syllable girl’s name, if not for Bliss (2449). But it’s more popular and has been a popular choice since the 17th century when the Puritans started using it.

26. Ruth (582)

A biblical name meaning ‘friend’. Only two books of the Bible are named after women: Ruth and Esther (167).

27. Jade (624)

From the gemstone. Hugely popular in the 90s but has fallen out of fashion in recent times. Other one-syllable gemstone names are Pearl (271), Jewel (3117) and Onyx (unranked).

28. Storm (749)

Unisex (1379)

Possibly first used as a character name in the Marvel Comics and she was played by Halle Berry in the X-Men films. Kylie Jenner has a Stormi (2843).

29. Kate (771)

This can also be spelt Cait (5493) or Cate (unranked). It’s short for Katherine (545) or Catherine (416), which means ‘pure’. Or also Kaitlyn (1044) or Caitlin (525).

30. Reign (771)

Unisex (356).

This name has various spellings: Raine (1013) and Rain (1939). And Towie’s Lauren Pope has a Rayne (1449) If you like powerful sounding names, you may like Queen (3117).

31. Gwen (792)

Short for Gwendolyn (2449), Gwendoline (2853) and Gwendolen (4535). It’s a Welsh name and comes from the Welsh words ‘gwyn’ meaning ‘white’ and ‘doyn’ meaning ‘loop’. It can also be short for Guinevere (2615) but it probably shouldn’t be.

32. Bea (840)

A diminutive form of Beatrice (109), Beatrix (164), Beatriz (894) and Beatris (5493), a name meaning ‘bringing of joy’. It can also be spelt Bee (2843) if you’re not bothered by the insect association.

Baby dressed as a bee — They’d taken calling her Bee very seriously.

33. June (894)

There are only three months with one syllable: June, May (631) and March, which is sadly overlooked by parents. The month of June is named after Juno (408) who in Greek mythology was the daughter of Saturn, the wife of Jupiter and the mother of Mars. That’s quite some family. She was also known as the Queen of Gods so was very busy and powerful, like an Ancient Greek Kamala Harris.

34. Anne (992)

A classic name which can also be spelt Ann (1939), if they don’t want them to have a lifetime of saying, “Anne with an e’ like Anne of Green Gables.” It means ‘full of grace’.

35. Leen (1044)

An Arabic name meaning ‘tender’.

36. Liv (1127)

This can be a shortened form of Olivia (1) or Olive (99). But it’s also a standalone Nordic name meaning ‘life’ or ‘protection.’

37. Reem (1127)

A name of Arabic origin which means ‘gazelle’.

38. Star (1127)

A relative newcomer as a baby name. If you like the connotation but want something more subtle you could go for Stella (294), which is Latin for star and Seren (214), which is Welsh for star. An alternative spelling is Starr (2042).

39. Roux (1200)

Unisex (921)

A French name meaning ginger so perfect for a redhead. It’s worth bearing in mind that it’s also the name for a white sauce. You could opt to spell it Rue (1773), which is a name of a girl in the Hunger Games. Or Roo (3447), which was a name of a girl in Home and Away in the Eighties which quite possibly nobody remembers.

40. Blair (1238)

Unisex (2404).

A Scottish name meaning ‘plain’ or ‘field’. This name is much more popular in America, where perhaps they’ve banished all thoughts of Tony Blair. It can also be spelt Blaire (3447).

41. Vogue (1267)

A French name meaning ‘fashionable’. Which was made fashionable by Vogue Williams, an Irish fashion model.

42. Beth (1313)

This can be short for Bethany (226), Bethan (969) or Elizabeth (56).

43. Tess (1313)

Made famous by Tess Daly (whose real name is actually Helen Davies) and Tess of the d’Urbervilles. It can be short for Tessa (589), which in itself is a shortened form of Theresa (2042), which means ‘to harvest’.

44. Sage (1449)

Unisex (2076).

A Latin name meaning ‘wise’. Toni Collete has a daughter called Sage.

45. Flo (1507)

A diminutive form of Florence (14), which means ‘blossoming’ and possibly also Flora (316), Floriana (3899) and Florentina (4535). Flo is perhaps an unfortunate name if they ever become an Aunt.

46. Reese (1507)

Made popular by Reese Witherspoon, whose name is actually Laura. Reese is her mother’s maiden name, so I hope they ask for more than that during security checks at her bank. It’s an anglicised version of the Welsh boy’s name Rhys meaning ‘fiery’.

47. Sian (1507)

Another Welsh name. This means ‘God’s gracious gift.’

Four baby girls with name tags — At least you’re not having to choose four names for quadruplets.

48. Scout (1556)

Unisex (3848)

The (nick)name of the protagonist in ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’. Demi Moore and Bruce Willis used it for their daughter.

49. Sloane (1556)

A name of Irish origin meaning ‘raider’. But those of a certain age will just associate it with the term ‘Sloane Ranger’.

50. Bleu (1618)

Unisex (812)

The French for blue, rather than an expression of disgust.

51. Jane (1618)

A classic name that left the top 500 in 2001. Perhaps because it used to be paired with the word Plain. It’s an English name meaning ‘God is gracious’.

52. Bree (1687)

A name of Irish origin meaning ‘noble, power, strength.’ Also spelt Brie (3117) like the cheese and the American actress, Brie Larson. Could be short for Brianna (372) or Brianne (4525).

53. Drew (1687)

Unisex (856)

A name of Greek origin meaning ‘manly’. Because of this, it has traditionally been a boy’s name and sometimes short for Andrew. But it made the move over to girls’ names, thanks to Drew Barrymore’s parents.

54. Shay (1687)

Unisex (398)

It is both a Gaelic and Hebrew name and can also be spelt Shae (2615) and Shai (3899).

55. Blythe (1846)

This is Drew Barrymore’s middle name. Her parents loved a one-syllable name. It feels like a very American name but actually comes from an old English word meaning ‘cheerful and friendly’.

56. Jood (1846)

An Arabic name meaning ‘generous’. The identical-sounding Jude (2300) is slightly less popular and sometimes short for Judith (1846) or Judy (2300).

57. Liz (2042)

A shortened form of Elizabeth (56), this is a biblical name meaning ‘God is my oath’.

58. Lux (2042)

Unisex (1825)

This is a Latin word meaning ‘light’, which is lovely if you can get past the association with the Instagram filter and the soap.

59. Joan (2163)

This is the female form of John, which means ‘God is gracious’. Definitely due a comeback like many other ‘old lady’ names. It was a top 10 name in the UK and Wales from the 1920s to 1940s but dropped out in the mid-Fifties. The most famous Joan is Joan of Arc so if you choose it, focus more on the leading the French army as a teenager bit than the burning bit.

60. Lake (2163)

Unisex (821)

Making the move from surname to first name. Gisele Bünchen and Tom Hardy used it for the middle name of their daughter Vivian.

61. Naz (2163)

An Arabic name meaning ‘pride, delicacy’.

62. Snow (2163)

A wintery name. If you like single-syllable weather names, see also Storm (749), Rain (1939), Breeze (3899) and Gale (sadly unranked).

Baby in a snowy forest — The name Snow just really suited her.

63. Lark (2300)

A lovely bird name. Call the Midwife’s Helen George and Jack Ashton have a daughter called Lark.

64. Yael (2300)

A Hebrew name meaning ‘mountain goat’. It can also be spelt Jael (2615). Jael was a Bible heroine, who drove a tent peg through a man’s skull. So maybe don’t take your Jael camping.

65. Blue (2449)

Slightly less popular than the French Bleu (1618), it is also spelt Blu (4535).

66. Bliss (2449)

Unisex (4608)

A very happy name. Other happy meaning names to consider are Joy (525), Blythe (1846) and Bea (840).

67. Dream (2449)

The name chosen by Rob Kardashian and Blac Chyna for their daughter. It’s becoming more popular in America and ten baby girls were given this name in the UK and Wales in 2020.

68. Cove (2615)

Unisex (2404)

A lovely name but probably sounds too much like Covid now and will soon drop out of the rankings.

69. Jean (2615)

The Scottish form of Jane (1618) and has Old French, Latin and Greek origins.

70. Non (2615)

A Welsh name meaning ‘nun’, and the mother of the patron saint of Wales, St David.

71. Reet (2615)

A name that is both Estonian and Hindi.

72. Sai (2615)

Unisex (1548)

Sai is the heroine in the novel The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai. It is an Indian and a Japanese name.

73. Shree (2615)

A Hindi name meaning ‘prosperity, beauty’.

74. Kim (2843)

Unisex (2960)

The diminutive form of Kimberley (1013) and Kimberly (1397).

75. Dove (3117)

A popular bird and the symbol of peace. Peace (5493) is also an uncommon girl’s name if you like that aspect but think doves are too much like pigeons.

76. Jewel (3117)

Comes from the Norman French word for gemstone. Gem is an alternative and rare enough that it didn’t rank in 2020.

77. Joss (3117)

Can be used as a name on its own but is also short from the Old German name Jocelyn (853), which is Joss Stone’s full name.

78. Kai (3117)

Unisex (103)

It has several origins but the nicest meaning is the Hawaiian, which is ‘sea’. It could be short for Kaila (2163), Kairi (1773), Kaiya (1238), Kaira (840) and Kaia (436).

New mother and newborn baby — What name does she smell like?

79. Maud (3117)

Also spelt Maude (3899).

Lord Frederick Windsor and Sophie Winkleman have a daughter called Maud. It comes from a German word for ‘mighty in battle’ so a one-syllable name with a strong meaning like Reign (771), June (894), Sloane (1556), Bree (1687) and Queen (3117).

80. True (3117)

Alternatively spelt Tru (3447). Could be short for Trudy (2843). Khloé Kardashian has a daughter named True.

81. Bay (3447)

Unisex (2228)

Its origin is the Latin word for ‘berry’.

82. Bess (3447)

Like Liz (2042) and Beth (1313), this is short for Elizabeth (56) and Queen Elizabeth I was known as Bess. The longer form Bessie (1127) is more popular.

83. Dawn (3447)

An Old English word and a name that has sadly declined in popularity since the 60s, 70s and 80s.

84. Jess (3447)

Short for the very popular Jessica (37), a name invented by Shakespeare, who was probably inspired by the biblical name Jesca.

85. Meg (3447)

A diminutive form of Megan (232) or Meghan (710), which comes from Margaret (357) meaning ‘pearl’.

86. Nile (3447)

Unisex (1723)

From the Egyptian river. And a much nicer sounding girl’s name than Thames.

87. Noon (3899)

An Arabic name that can mean ‘sword blade’, ‘whale’ and ‘beautiful’, which is quite the mix.

88. Boo (4535)

Another To Kill a Mockingbird nickname. If you’re a huge fan of the book and have twins you could go for Boo and Scout (1556).

89. Kit (4535)

Unisex (195)

For a boy, it’s short for Christopher. For a girl, it’s a diminutive form of Katherine (545), which means ‘pure’.

90. Pip (4535)

Unisex (1492)

Short for Pippa (120), which is short for Phillipa (365), which is short for nothing.

91. Sam (4535)

A diminutive form of Samantha (604) and sometimes Samira (821), Sama (969), Samara (1100), Samaira (1313), Samanta (2300), Samia (2300), Samiya (2449), Samreet (2449), Samar (2615), Sameeha (2615), Samiha (2615), Samirah (2615), Sameera (3117), Samarah (3899), Samaria (3899), Samaria (3899), Samuella (3899), Samina (4535), Samreen (4535), Samah (5493), Samela (5493), Samiah (5493), Samrah (5493) and, last but by no means least, Samuela (5493).

92. Fox (5493)

Unisex (505)

They eat out of bins and poo all over your lawn, but it’s becoming popular as a first and middle name. Take That’s Mark Owen has a baby girl called Fox.

Baby dressed as a fox — Will also happily eat out of bins and poo everywhere.

93. Gray (5493)

Unisex (723)

Jenna Von Oÿ, who played the character Six in the Nineties TV show Blossom has a daughter called Gray Audrey. Six is an excellent one-syllable girl’s name but was unranked in 2020. The only number name to appear in the most recent data was Seven (3899). Undoubtedly because of Harper Beckham’s middle name.

94. Lou (5493)

Unisex (944)

It can be short for Louisa (525), Louise (559), Louella (1449), Luiza (1200), Louiza (3899) and Louisiana (3545). Or maybe Luna (36), Lucy (69), Lucie (419), Lucia (198), Tallulah (275), Luella (955), Luana (992), Lula (1065), Luciana (1397) and Lulu (1397).

Unranked one-syllable girl names

Here are some great one-syllable girls’ names which were unranked in the 2020 ONS data. Let’s get them into the rankings next year!

95. Cyd

This has old-school Hollywood glamour due to Cyd Charisse, whose birth name was actually Tula (2449). Cyd was a family nickname due to her brother trying to say the word ‘sister’.

96. Dot

Short for Dorothy (175) which has Greek origins and means ‘God’s gift’. Dottie (273) is much more popular, as well as Dotty (955) and Dotti (3899).

97. Kay

Can also be spelt Kaye. This is sometimes used as a nickname for other K names like Katherine (545) and Kathleen (807). It was a top 100 name from the 1940s to the 1960s so is surely due for a comeback.

98. Prue

Short for Prudence (1939) and Prunella (3899).

100. Plum

There is sadly only one single-syllable fruit name in the 2020 data: Peach (3447). If you want to go longer you could go for Clementine (256) or Cherry (1127). Despite Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin’s child, Apple is unranked.

101. Nan

This can be short for Nancy (66), Nancie (821), Nansi (969), Nana (1449), Nandi (3447) or Nanette (unranked). It’s also a nickname for Anne (992).

102. Blanche

A very American-sounding name but it’s actually from the French word for ‘white’. It was last in the top 100 in the UK and Wales in 1900.

Has your favourite one-syllable girl’s name been missed out? Add it to the comments below.