Cute Girl Names
Cute girl names are the ones that make people smile the first time they hear them. They tend to be short and bouncy, often end in a bright “ee” or “a” sound, and many come with sweet meanings like “joy”, “little bird” or “honey”. Names like Poppy, Millie and Nora are adorable on a baby yet still grown-up enough for an adult.
Below you’ll find more than 100 cute girl names, each with its meaning and origin, grouped into sweet short names, bubbly nickname-style names, nature and animal names, names borrowed from other languages, and vintage cuties making a comeback. For more ideas, see cute baby names, the boys’ list of cute boy names, or browse pretty girl names.
Short and sweet cute girl names
Two syllables or fewer, easy to spell, and adorable at any age. More in short girl names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Mia | Mine; or short for Maria | Scandinavian / Italian |
| Mila | Gracious, dear | Slavic |
| Nora | Honor; short for Eleanor | Irish / Latin |
| Ava | Bird; or “life” | Latin / Hebrew |
| Ellie | Short for Eleanor, “bright, shining light” | English |
| Isla | Island; the Scottish river Islay | Scottish |
| Emmy | Short for Emma or Emily | English |
| Lila | Night (Arabic) or “play” (Sanskrit) | Arabic / Sanskrit |
| Zoe | Life | Greek |
| Lucy | Light | Latin |
| Amy | Beloved | French (aimée) |
| Cleo | Glory | Greek |
| Tess | Short for Theresa | Greek |
| Joy | Happiness | English |
| Remy | Oarsman; from Rémi | French |
| Kiki | Diminutive of names like Kristina | Various |
| Gigi | Diminutive of Georgina or Gisele | French |
| Luna | Moon | Latin |
| Bella | Beautiful | Italian |
| Ivy | The climbing plant | English |
| Elle | She; short for Eleanor | French |
| Ada | Noble | Germanic |
Bubbly nickname-style cute girl names
Names ending in “-ie” or “-y” sound playful and warm. They can stand alone or be short for something longer.
| Name | Full form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Millie | Mildred or Amelia | Gentle strength / industrious |
| Evie | Evelyn or Eve | Life |
| Rosie | Rose or Rosalind | The rose |
| Sadie | Sarah | Princess |
| Josie | Josephine | God will add |
| Maisie | Margaret | Pearl |
| Hallie | Harriet or Halle | Ruler of the home |
| Goldie | Golda | Gold |
| Frankie | Frances | Free one |
| Winnie | Winifred | Blessed reconciliation |
| Tilly | Matilda | Mighty in battle |
| Callie | Caroline or Calliope | Free woman / beautiful voice |
| Ruthie | Ruth | Friend, companion |
| Lottie | Charlotte | Free woman |
| Dottie | Dorothy | Gift of God |
| Macy | Matthew’s estate (surname) | From Massy, France |
Cute girl names from nature and animals
Little flowers, birds and gentle creatures make darling names. Browse flower names for girls and nature names for girls for more.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Poppy | The red poppy flower | English |
| Daisy | Day’s eye | Old English |
| Lily | The lily flower | English |
| Wren | The small songbird | English |
| Robin | The songbird; from Robert, “bright fame” | English |
| Birdie | Little bird | English |
| Paloma | Dove | Spanish |
| Fawn | A baby deer | English |
| Kitty | Kitten; short for Katherine | English |
| Dove | The bird of peace | English |
| Bunny | Little rabbit; short for Bernadette | English |
| Bee | Honeybee; short for Beatrice | English |
| Blossom | Flower bloom | English |
| Pansy | The pansy flower, from French “pensée” (thought) | French |
| Tulip | The tulip flower, from Turkish “turban” | Turkish via Dutch |
| Posy | A small bunch of flowers | English |
Sugar-sweet word names
These names are literally sweet — perfect as a first name, middle name or nickname.
| Name | What it is | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Honey | The golden syrup | Also a classic term of endearment |
| Coco | Cocoa; nickname made famous by Coco Chanel | Chic and playful |
| Clementine | A small, sweet citrus; Latin “merciful” | Vintage revival |
| Olive | The olive fruit and tree | Earthy yet sweet |
| Cherry | The fruit; from French “cherie” (darling) | Retro charm |
| Sugar | The sweetener | Best as a nickname |
| Candy | Confection; short for Candace | 1950s fun |
| Maple | Maple tree and syrup | Cozy and warm |
| Peaches | The fruit | Southern nickname |
| Mochi | Japanese rice cake | Very modern pet name |
| Cookie | The baked treat | Nickname classic |
| Plum | The fruit; purple color | Quirky and short |
Cute girl names from around the world
Many of the cutest names travel well across languages. See also Japanese girl names and French girl names.
| Name | Meaning | Language |
|---|---|---|
| Ami | Friend (French); beautiful Asia (Japanese) | French / Japanese |
| Hana | Flower (Japanese); happiness (Arabic) | Japanese / Arabic |
| Aiko | Beloved child | Japanese |
| Momo | Peach | Japanese |
| Yuna | Gentle, affectionate (common kanji choice) | Japanese / Korean |
| Nina | Little girl (Spanish niña); or from Anna | Spanish / Russian |
| Lulu | Pearl | Arabic |
| Noa | Movement; one of the daughters of Zelophehad | Hebrew |
| Elodie | Foreign riches (from Alodia) | French |
| Amélie | Work, industrious | French |
| Anouk | Grace (Dutch diminutive of Anna) | Dutch |
| Pia | Pious, devout | Latin / Italian |
| Lina | Tender, palm tree (Arabic); short for many names | Arabic / various |
| Kaia | Pure | Scandinavian |
| Suki | Beloved | Japanese |
| Nala | Gift; also “successful” | Swahili |
| Mimi | Short for Miriam or Maria | Various |
Cute vintage girl names coming back
Grandma-chic names are having a moment, and they’re undeniably cute. Our vintage girl names page has dozens more.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Penny | Weaver (from Penelope) | Greek |
| Mabel | Lovable | Latin |
| Hazel | The hazel tree | English |
| Violet | The purple flower | Latin |
| Ruby | The red gemstone | Latin |
| Stella | Star | Latin |
| Etta | Ruler of the home (from Henrietta) | Germanic |
| Opal | Precious stone | Sanskrit via Greek |
| Nellie | Bright, shining light | Greek via English |
| Pearl | The gem | English |
| Rosalie | Rose garden festival | Latin via French |
| Minnie | Protector (from Wilhelmina) | Germanic |
| Betsy | God is my oath (from Elizabeth) | Hebrew |
| Polly | Diminutive of Mary | English |
| Bonnie | Pretty, cheerful | Scottish |
| Dolly | Gift of God (from Dorothy) | Greek |
| Flora | Flower | Latin |
| Daphne | Laurel | Greek |
How to choose a cute girl name she won’t outgrow
- Use the nickname trick. Give her a full name (Margaret, Josephine, Matilda) and call her Maisie, Josie or Tilly. She gets the cute version now and a formal option later.
- Balance cute with classic. A playful first name like Birdie pairs beautifully with a strong middle name such as Eleanor. Browse middle names for girls.
- Check the initials. Cute names are often short, so make sure the initials don’t spell something awkward.
- Say the full name aloud. Sweet names like Lulu or Coco can sound sing-song with a rhyming surname.
- Think about pet names too. Words like Honey or Peaches may be better as nicknames than legal first names.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cutest girl name?
Popular choices include Poppy, Millie, Evie, Daisy, Rosie, Lulu and Mila — short, bubbly names that sound sweet on a baby and still work for an adult.
What are cute girl names that are rare?
Posy, Anouk, Birdie, Momo, Elodie and Pansy are adorable but still uncommon in the US.
What are cute girl names with sweet meanings?
Joy (happiness), Mabel (lovable), Aiko (beloved child), Honey, Suki (beloved) and Ami (friend) all carry lovely meanings.
Are nickname names okay as a legal first name?
Yes. Millie, Evie, Sadie and Josie are all common stand-alone first names in SSA data. Some parents prefer a longer legal name for flexibility.
What are cute two-syllable girl names?
Poppy, Daisy, Luna, Mila, Nora, Evie, Hazel and Ruby are all cute two-syllable choices.