194 Cute One-Syllable Middle Names for Girls: With Origins

Middle names are just as important as first names, so why not welcome your newest addition with a name that complements her? We’ve curated a list of 194 of the best one-syllable middle names for girls.

Let your baby girl find her roots by learning the meaning, historical etymology, and cultural background of these single-syllable picks. We lovingly selected each one from around the world, so you have the most cohesive options.

From enduring favorites like Grace, to fairytale darlings like Belle, there’s a perfect match for every precious gem. Join us as we showcase 194 exquisite options!

Table of Contents

52 Cute One-Syllable Middle Names for Girls
52 Beautiful Girls Middle Names With One-Syllable
50 Unique Short Middle Names for Girls
40 Cool One-Syllable Middle Names for Girls
One-Syllable Middle Names FAQs

52 Cute One-Syllable Middle Names for Girls

Here are the most common cute girls’ middle names with one-syllable.

An – is a Sino-Vietnamese unisex name from the Chinese character “ān,” meaning “peace, quiet,” pronounced “UHN.”
Ange – a popular French unisex form of Angelus (angel), from the Greek “ag’gelos,” meaning “messenger.”
Bao – comes from the Chinese (pronounced POW), meaning “treasure, jewel, precious,” “honor, praise,” and the feminine “bud.”
Bea – a diminutive of Beatrix, from the Latin Viator (voyager/traveler), or Beáta, from “beatus” (blessed).
Bee – a phonetic diminutive of Beatrix (voyager/traveler); also from the English word “bee.”
Bell – an English variant of the French Belle (beautiful) and a diminutive of Isabella (God of plenty).
Bess – an English diminutive of Elizabeth, from the Hebrew Elisheva (my God is plenty/God of plenty).
Beth – a diminutive of Elizabeth (God of plenty), or Bethany, meaning “house of affliction/house of figs.”
Bliss – is a surname and nickname rooted in the Old English “blisse,” (gladness/joy) or “blīths” (cheerful/blithe).
Bree – stems from the Old Irish “bríg(h)” (might/power), a diminutive of Brianna, Gabriella, or Breanne.
Britt – a diminutive of Brittany or the Scandinavian Birgitta (Bridget), from the Irish for “exalted one.”
Cai – a unisex Chinese name meaning “wealth, money,” “cheer, applause,” or “artistic talent, literacy.”
Cam – derives from the unisex Sino-Vietnamese character for “orange (fruit)”; a diminutive of Cameron (crooked nose).
Cat – is an English word and a diminutive of Catherine, from the Greek name Aikaterine, possibly meaning “torture.”
Chi – stems from Sino-Vietnamese for “branch,” or Western African Igbo (language) for “god, spiritual being.”
Dee – a unisex diminutive of several D names; also Welsh from a Celtic root meaning “god, divine.”
Dot – is a vintage English diminutive of Dorothy, from the Greek root “doron” (gift).
Fawn – is the English word for a “young deer” from the French “faon.”
Jae – is Sino-Korean for “riches, wealth” and “ability, talent”; also a variant of the English Jay.
Jill – is a diminutive of Gillian, the English feminine form of Julian, meaning “downy-bearded.”
Joan – was a medieval English feminine form of John and a variant of Johanne.
Joy – ultimately derives from the Latin “gaudia” and is the English word for “gladness, happiness.”
Jules – pronounced “ZHOOL” as the French form of Julius, but is also a diminutive of Julia, pronounced “JUULZ.”
June – is a popular English name for the month derived from the Roman goddess Juno (young).
Kim – boasts major worldwide popularity, from the English Cyne (royal) and the Sino-Vietnamese for “metal, gold.”
Kin – is a unisex Chinese name meaning “gold,” “brocade,” “near,” “pleasure, delight,” “Chinese zither,” or “average.”
Kit – a popular unisex diminutive of the male Christopher (bearing Christ) or feminine Katherine (torture/pure).
Leaf – although rare, has roots in the Old English “lēof” (dear, beloved) and the Scandinavian Leif (heir).
Liv – is the English diminutive of Olivia (olive tree), also from the Old Norse Hlif (protection).
Liz – a diminutive of Elizabeth, from the Hebrew Elisheva (my God is plenty/is an oath).
Lou – is a popular diminutive of the French name Louise, from Louis, meaning “famous in battle.”
Love – derives from the Old English “lufu” (love) and the Swedish form of Louis (famous in battle).
Luz – is a highly popular Spanish name meaning “light.”
Mae – from May, originates with the Latin word “maior” (greater), also Japanese for “true intelligence/eternity/favor.”
Mel – a diminutive of Melanie (dark/black) or Melissa (bee), and is Portuguese for “honey.”
Minh – is taken from the popular unisex Sino-Vietnamese “minh” (MING), meaning “bright.”
Nell – was a medieval diminutive of Eleanor (the other Aenor), Ellen, and Helen (torch/corposant).
Nur – means “light” in Arabic and is the 137th most common name worldwide.
Pam – a diminutive of Pamela (all sweetness), from the Greek “pan” (all) and “meli” (honey).
Pao – is a Spanish diminutive of the Italian Paola, from Paul, meaning “little, small, humble.”
Peg – comes from Peggy, a diminutive of Margaret, rooted in the Greek word for “pearl.”
Pip – is a unisex English diminutive of Philip and Philippa, meaning “friend of horses.”
Poe – a medieval nickname from the Old Norse “pá” (peacock), which also means “pearl” in Tahitian.
Prue – is an English diminutive of Prudence, stemming from the Latin “prudens” (prudent/wise/skilled).
Reese – means “ardor, enthusiasm,” Anglicized from the Old Welsh Ris.
Ren – means “lotus” or “(romantic) love” in Japanese.
Rue – a medical herb from the Greek “rhyte,”; also a diminutive of the Hebrew Ruth (friend).
Sue – a diminutive of the Greek Susanna, from the Hebrew Shoshannah meaning “lily” and “rose” (modern).
Tai – a unisex Chinese name meaning “extreme, very,” and Japanese for “big,” “enduring,” “peace(ful), calm.”
Thi – pronounced “TEE,” means “poetry, verse” in Sino-Vietnamese; pronounced “THEE,” for “string” in Burmese.
Un – is Japanese (pronounced “OON”) for “cloud,” and Lao (pronounced “UNG”) for “tranquil, warm.”
Vi – a diminutive of the English Violet, a purple flower named for the Latin “viola.”

52 Beautiful Girls Middle Names With One-Syllable

Peruse the most popular, pretty, one-syllable middle names for girls.

Anne – a highly popular French form of the Hebrew Anna, meaning “grace, favor.”
Belle – means “beautiful” in French; also a diminutive of Isabella, from the Hebrew Elisheva (God of plenty).
Blair – derives from the Scottish Gaelic “blàr,” meaning “plain, field, battlefield,” and is unisex outside Scotland.
Blaire – a feminine variant of Blair, from the Gaelic “blàr,” meaning “plain, field, battlefield.”
Blanche – is a classic from a medieval French nickname meaning “fair, white.”
Brooke – a variant of the English surname Brook denoting someone living near a small stream.
Brynn – a feminine variant of the Welsh Bryn, meaning “hill, mound.”
Cate – is an alternate diminutive of Katherine, possibly from the Greek “aikia” (torture) or “katharos” (pure).
Cher – stems from the French word “chérie,” meaning “dear, beloved”; also a diminutive of Cheryl.
Chère – derives from the feminine form of the French word for “dear, beloved.”
Claire – is a French variant of Clara, the feminine form of the Latin Clarus, meaning “bright, clear.”
Dawn – stems from the Old English “dagung,” meaning “daybreak, dawn.”
Dove – is the English word for a white bird associated with peace.
Dream – denotes images seen in the mind during sleep, from the Old English “drēam” (joy/music).
Elle – is a diminutive of Eleanor from the Occitan Alienòr, also Greek for “light, sun ray.”
Eve – means “living one,” likely from the Hebrew word “chayah’” (to live).
Faith – comes from the English word meaning “devotion,” ultimately from the Latin “fidere” (to trust).
Fay – derives from the Middle English “faie,” meaning “fairy,” from the Latin word “fata” (fate).
Fern – has roots in the Old English word “fearn,” which refers to a plant.
Fleur – means “flower” in French, but is used worldwide.
Flor – means “flower” in Spanish and Portuguese; also a diminutive of Florencia (prosperous, flourishing).
Gail – is a diminutive of the Hebrew Abigail, meaning “my father has made himself joyful.”
Grace – stems from the English word turned virtue name, derived from the Latin “gratia” (grace/favor).
Griet – is a diminutive of the Dutch Margriet, meaning “pearl,” and the Dutch word “daisy (flower).
Gwen – is the Welsh feminine form of “gwyn” (blessed, white); often a diminutive of Gwendolen and Gwenhwyfar.
Jane – is a medieval English form of the Old French Jehanne from Iohannes (Jehovah is gracious).
Jeanne – the modern form of the Old French Jehanne, derived from Iohannes (Jehovah is gracious).
Joyce – is highly popular, derived from the medieval Josse, a form of the Breton Judoc (lord).
Kate – is a diminutive of Katherine, possibly meaning “each of the two,” “torture,” or “pure.”
Lark – originates from the English word for a type of songbird.
Leigh – has roots in the Old English word “leah,” meaning “meadow, woodland clearing.”
Lynn – is an English surname from the Welsh “llyn” (lake); also a diminutive of Linda (soft/tender).
Maude – is an English and French variant of Maud, a diminutive of Matilda (strength in battle).
May – from the month named for the Roman goddess Maia, from the Latin word “maior” (greater).
Merle – an English and Estonian diminutive of Muriel (pleasant hill) and Merrill, influenced by “merle” (blackbird).
Moon – originates from the Old English “mōna,” denoting the Earth’s natural satellite; it also means “letters” in Korean.
Niamh – is pronounced “NEEV” and means “bright” in Irish.
Noor – a Dutch diminutive of Eleonora (the other Aenor) and a unisex variant of the Arabic Nur (light).
Paige – derives from a surname meaning “servant, page” in Middle English, from the Greek “paidion” (little boy).
Pearl – denotes a precious stone formed inside the shell of a mollusk, from the Latin “perla.”
Rain – stems from the Old English word “regn” (rain); also related to the Germanic “regin” (counsel/advice).
Rose – from the Norman Roese/Rohese and the Germanic Hrodohaidis (famous type), later associated with the flower.
Ruth – is highly popular, rooted in the Hebrew word “re’ut” (friend/companion).
Saint – a unisex English name from the Latin “sanctus” (holy).
Siv – stems from the Old Norse Sif (SEEV), meaning “bride, kinswoman,” rooted in Norse mythology.
Sky – is taken from the English word, derived from the Old Norse “ský” (cloud).
Snow – from the Old English “snāw,” usually a surname or nickname for someone blond or pale.
Star – ultimately stems from the Old English word “steorra” (star), denoting a celestial body.
Tess – is the English and Dutch diminutive of Theresa from the Spanish-Portuguese Teresa (summer/harvest).
Wynne – a feminine variant of Wyn, from the Welsh “gwyn,” meaning “white, blessed.”
Yael – pronounced “ya-EHL” or “YAYL,” based on Gael (a Gaelic speaker) and the Hebrew Yoel and Jael.
Yen – means “peaceful, calm” in Vietnamese, from the Chinese character “yên.”

50 Unique Short Middle Names for Girls

Find the meanings of these uncommon girl middle names with one-syllable.

Ayn – was invented by the Russian-American author Ayn Rand (Alice Rosenbaum) based on a Finnish name.
Bay – stems from the Old English Beaga (masculine) or Beage (feminine), from the word “beġ” (berry).
Bette – a diminutive of Elizabeth (my God is plenty/an oath), pronounced “BEHT” and “BEH-tee.”
Bex – a unisex diminutive of Rebecca, Beatrix, and other names with the “BEHK” sound.
Bird – derives from the English surname Bird, denoting someone who raised or hunted birds.
Björk – also spelled Björck, Bjørk, or Biörck, a Swedish surname and Icelandic feminine name meaning “birch.”
Bloom – is English, meaning “to flower, to thrive,” from the Proto-Indo-European “bhleu-,” meaning “to swell (with growth).”
Blythe – stems from the Old English surname Blythe, meaning “cheerful.”
Ceil – a unisex English variant of the French Ciel (sky); also Latin-Old Welsh for “blind, sixth.”
Clove – is English for a piece of garlic or type of dried spice; also short for Clover.
Cree – ultimately originates from the Native American word “kiristino,” meaning “furtrader” or “huntsman.”
Cruise – derives from an Anglo-Norman surname, possibly from “crus(e)” (brave/fierce).
Day – derives from the Old English “dæġ,” ultimately from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning “to burn.”
Flick – a rare diminutive of Felicity; also from the English word denoting a “jerk, sudden movement.”
Flo – short for Florence, from the Latin “florens” (prosperous/flourishing), or Flora, from the Latin “flos” (flower).
Flow – a variant of Flew, from the Middle English “flue,” denoting a fisherman, or short for Florence.
Gae – a variant of Gay, from the English word meaning “joyful, happy, glad.”
Gem – a diminutive of Gemma from the Latin “gemma” (precious stone/jewel).
Gol – pronounced “GOHL,” is Persian for “flower, rose” and is spelled Gül (GOOL) in Turkish.
Greer – is unisex, from a Scottish surname derived from Gregor, meaning “alert, watchful.”
Gwynne – an English feminine variant of Gwyn, Welsh for “white, blessed.”
Haze – derives from Hazel or Hayes, which is Old English from “hæg” (fence/enclosure) or Irish-Gaelic.
Hla – is a unisex Burmese name pronounced “LA,” meaning “pretty, favorable.”
Jael – stems from the Hebrew Ya’el, meaning “ibex, mountain goat,” pronounced “ya-EHL” and (in American-English) “JAYL.”
Joss – is a unisex diminutive of Jocelyn from the Germanic “gautaz,” denoting the tribe of the Geats.
Kait – is Scottish-English short for Kaitrin and Kaitlyn; also a direct variant of the diminutive Kate.
Lace – a feminine name from a French location and a Latvian surname rooted in “lācis” (bear).
Lake – denotes someone dwelling by a lake, from the Old English “lacu” (body of water).
Lane – stems from an English surname, meaning “lane, path,” from the Old English “lán” (strip of land).
Maeve – pronounced “MAYV,” stems from the Irish Medb, meaning “she who intoxicates, mead-woman.”
March – derives from the month named for the Roman god Mars, possibly “manly” or “warlike.”
Mave – a variant of Maeve, from the Irish Medb, meaning “she who intoxicates, mead-woman.”
Maze – from the French feminine form of “mas”; a masculine variant of the Breton Mazhe (Matthew).
Neve – a popular English form of the Irish Niamh (NEEV), meaning “bright.”
North – denotes the cardinal direction of “north” in English.
Nyx – means “night” in Greek, denoting an ancient Greek goddess who personifies the night.
Prim – an English diminutive of Primrose, from the Latin for “first rose.”
Quill – is short for the Latin Aquila (eagle), also from the English “quill” (feather shaft/reed fragment).
Reeve – stems from the surname Reeve, from the Old English “(ge)refa” (bailiff/sheriff/local official).
Reign – means “sovereign, royal power,” from the English word “reign,” ultimately from the Latin “regnum.”
Roux – is unisex, from a surname rooted in the Old French “ros” and Latin “russus” (red).
Shae – a unisex variant of Shea, an Anglicization of the Irish-Gaelic Séaghdha (fine/favorable/learned).
Shay – an Anglicization of the Irish-Gaelic Séaghdha (fine/learned); also a variant of Hebrew Shai (gift).
Sloane – stems from the Irish surname Ó Sluaghadháin, meaning “descendent of the little warrior/fighter/raider.”
Spring – denotes a season, from the Old English word “springan,” meaning “to leap, to burst forth.”
Swan – from the Middle-Old English “swon(e), swān” (swineherd/male servant); also denotes the “swan (bird).”
Teal – stems from the English word for a greenish-blue hue or a kind of duck.
Trix – a diminutive of the Latin-derived Beatrix and Beatrice, meaning “voyager” or “blessed voyager.”
True – is unisex, from a word denoting “fact,” “faithfulness,” and “genuineness,” from the Old English “trīewe.”
Wren – is the English word for a type of small songbird rooted in the Old English “wrenna.”

40 Cool One-Syllable Middle Names for Girls

Here are some cool short middle names for girls.

Ash – derives from the Hebrew Asher, meaning “happy,” but also denotes the “ash tree” in English.
Beck – means “stream” in German, English, and Scandinavian and is a diminutive of Rebecca (join).
Blaine – stems from a Scottish surname derived from the Old Irish Bláán (little yellow one).
Blake – is unisex, from the Old English “blæc” (black) or “blac” (pale).
Blue – from the Norman word for the color, a cognate with the Old English “blaw” (blue).
Brett – a unisex transfer of the Middle English surname, meaning “a Breton/from Brittany.”
Cass – a diminutive of the English-Greek Cassandra (to excel/shine) and the English-Irish Cassidy (curly-haired).
Cruz – a unisex Spanish and Portuguese forename from a surname meaning “cross.”
Dale – is unisex, though vintage for girls, derived from an English surname meaning “valley, dale.”
Dune – stems from the Middle Dutch “dūne,” meaning “sand hill,” and is gender-neutral.
Fran – a diminutive of names beginning with “fran,” rooted in the Germanic element “frankô” (a Frank).
Gray – is unisex, transferred from an English surname meaning “gray (haired).”
Jade – a precious stone, from the Spanish phrase “pierda de la ijada” (stone of the flank).
Jinx – a variant of Jynx and English for a “charm, spell,” from the Greek “iynx” (wryneck).
Jo – a unisex diminutive of Joan, Josephine, Joanna, and other names starting with Jo-.
Jude – a variant of the Hebrew Judas (lauded) and a diminutive of Judith, meaning “Jewish woman.”
Kai – an Estonian diminutive of Kaia, from Katarina (torture/pure); also means “sea” in Hawaiian.
Kay – is a popular English diminutive of Katherine (pure/torture).
Kris – a unisex diminutive of Kristina and Kristian (a Christian/anointed), and other Kris names.
Lee – derives from a surname and the Old English “leah,” meaning “meadow, woodland clearing.”
Leith – from a surname based on a Scottish town, from the Gaelic “lìte” (wet, damp).
Lux – is unisex, from the Latin word “lux,” meaning “light.”
Pax – means “peace” in Latin and denotes the goddess of peace in Roman mythology.
Paz – means “peace” in Spanish, where it is feminine, and “gold” in Hebrew, where it is unisex.
Peace – stems from the English word derived from the Latin “pax” (peace).
Quinn – derives from the Irish-Gaelic Ó Cuinn, rooted in Old Irish “conn” (sense/wisdom) or “cenn” (chief).
Rae – an English diminutive of the Hebrew name Rachel (ewe/female sheep) or a feminine form of Ray.
Rayne – a variant of Rain and the surname Raine, from the French word “reine” (queen).
Rei – is Japanese for “bell,” “tinkling of jade,” and “beautiful,” and Hebrew (masculine) for “friend, companion.”
Sage – a unisex option from the English “sage,” denoting a spice or wise person.
Sam – a masculine Persian name meaning “fire” and a unisex diminutive of Samantha and Samuel.
Scout – from an English word denoting a spy, from the Old French “escouter” (to listen).
Skye – denotes the “island of clouds,” in Scottish, from the Old Norse “ský” (cloud).
Sol – a feminine Spanish-Portuguese name meaning “sun” and a diminutive of the Hebrew Solomon (peace).
Starr – a variant of Star, from the Old English “steorra,” denoting a celestial body.
Storm – stems from Old English and Old Dutch, ultimately from the Old Norse “stormr” (tempest/storm).
Vale – from the English “(wide) valley” and is a modern variant of the Norse Váli.
Viv – a unisex diminutive of Vivian from the Latin Vivianus (alive).
Zen – an English unisex name based on the Japanese-Chinese word for “silent meditative state, goodness.”
Zo – denotes a spiritual leader, from an Igbo language word meaning “protect, save.”

One-Syllable Middle Names FAQs

What Is the Best Short Name for a Girl?

Although tastes are subjective, the best short middle name for a girl is considered timeless, catchy, simple, and wholesome. That makes Grace a top pick among one-syllable middle names for girls. This virtue name is versatile enough to complement a wide range of first names.

Many agree that Grace implies goodwill and elegance. Ultimately derived from the Latin word “gratia,” Grace has the wholesome meaning of “blessing, favor, thankful.” A popular choice long before the 1900s, its appeal stretches across many cultures as it’s also easy to pronounce ⁽¹⁾. Grace is so beloved it ranks 148th worldwide ⁽²⁾.

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