Short Girl Names
Short girl names punch well above their weight. Several of the most popular names in the US — Ava, Mia, Luna, Nora, Isla — have just three or four letters. They’re easy to spell on the first try, fit neatly with any surname, and don’t need a nickname because they already are one.
Below are more than 100 short girl names, grouped into three-letter names, popular four-letter names, vintage revivals, unusual picks, international names and nickname names that work on their own. For the absolute shortest, see our one syllable girl names; for boys, try short boy names, or browse all short baby names.
Three-letter girl names
Tiny names with big personality. Most have ancient roots despite their modern feel.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Ava | Possibly “bird” or “life” | Latin / Germanic |
| Mia | “Mine,” or a short form of Maria | Italian / Scandinavian |
| Zoe | “Life” | Greek |
| Eva | “Life,” the Latin form of Eve | Hebrew |
| Amy | “Beloved,” from French Aimée | French |
| Ada | “Noble,” from Adelaide | Germanic |
| Ivy | The evergreen vine | English |
| Una | “One” in Latin; also an old Irish name | Latin / Irish |
| Ida | “Work, industrious” | Germanic |
| Mae | The month of May | English |
| Bea | Short for Beatrice, “she who brings happiness” | Latin |
| Eve | “Life” | Hebrew |
| Fay | “Fairy” | Middle English |
| Gia | Short for Gianna, “God is gracious” | Italian |
| Lia | Short for Amelia or Rosalia | Italian |
| Nia | “Purpose” in Swahili; Welsh form of Niamh, “bright” | Swahili / Welsh |
| Uma | “Tranquility”; a name of the goddess Parvati | Sanskrit |
| Ana | Spanish and Portuguese form of Anna, “grace” | Hebrew |
| Liv | “Life” or “protection” | Norse |
| Joy | Delight, happiness | English |
| Isa | Short for Isabel, “pledged to God” | Spanish / German |
| Ari | “Lion” | Hebrew |
Popular four-letter girl names
Four letters seems to be the sweet spot: long enough to feel complete, short enough to be effortless. Many sit near the top of US baby name charts.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Luna | “Moon” | Latin |
| Nora | Short for Honora, “honor” | Irish / Latin |
| Isla | After the Scottish isle of Islay | Scottish |
| Cora | “Maiden” | Greek |
| Emma | “Whole, universal” | Germanic |
| Ella | “All, completely” | Germanic |
| Lily | The lily flower | English |
| Ruby | The red gemstone | Latin |
| Rose | The rose flower | Latin |
| Jade | The green gemstone | Spanish |
| Leah | Possibly “delicate” or “weary” | Hebrew |
| Lola | Pet form of Dolores, “sorrows” | Spanish |
| Maya | “Illusion” in Sanskrit; also from Greek Maia | Sanskrit / Greek |
| Mila | “Gracious, dear” | Slavic |
| Nova | “New” | Latin |
| Thea | “Goddess,” or short for Dorothea, “gift of God” | Greek |
| Lucy | “Light” | Latin |
| Hope | Hope, expectation | English |
| Iris | “Rainbow” | Greek |
| Zara | Possibly “radiance” or “blooming flower” | Hebrew / Arabic |
Short vintage girl names
Great-grandma names that sound surprisingly fresh again. Explore more in our vintage girl names and old-fashioned girl names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Etta | Short for Henrietta, “ruler of the home” | Germanic |
| Opal | The iridescent gemstone | Sanskrit via Latin |
| Edie | Short for Edith, “prosperous in war” | Old English |
| Nell | Pet form of Eleanor or Helen | English |
| Vera | “Faith” in Russian; “true” in Latin | Russian / Latin |
| Tess | Short for Teresa | Greek / Spanish |
| Gwen | “White, blessed” | Welsh |
| June | The month named for Juno | Latin |
| Lois | Possibly “better, good”; Timothy’s grandmother (2 Timothy 1:5) | Greek |
| Ruth | “Companion, friend” | Hebrew |
| Rita | Short for Margarita, “pearl” | Spanish / Italian |
| Alma | “Nourishing” in Latin; “soul” in Spanish | Latin / Spanish |
| Dora | “Gift” | Greek |
| Lena | Short for Helena or Magdalena | Greek / Hebrew |
| Mabel | “Lovable” | Latin |
| Hazel | The hazel tree | English |
Unique short girl names
Short doesn’t have to mean common. These little names are rare in the US yet easy to spell. For more, visit unique girl names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Esme | “Esteemed, loved” | French |
| Anya | Russian pet form of Anna, “grace” | Russian |
| Cleo | “Glory,” from Cleopatra | Greek |
| Juno | Queen of the Roman gods | Latin |
| Remy | From Remigius, “oarsman” | French / Latin |
| Mira | “Wonderful” (Latin) or “peace” (Slavic) | Latin / Slavic |
| Rhea | Titaness mother of the Olympian gods | Greek |
| Kaia | Scandinavian pet form of Katherine | Scandinavian |
| Noor | “Light” | Arabic |
| Wren | The little songbird | English |
| Oona | Anglicized Úna, an old Irish name | Irish |
| Suki | “Beloved” | Japanese |
| Zuri | “Beautiful, good” | Swahili |
| Lyra | “Lyre,” a northern constellation | Greek |
| Nyla | Possibly from Naila, “one who attains” | Arabic |
| Ayla | “Halo of light around the moon” | Turkish |
| Elin | Welsh and Scandinavian form of Helen, “light” | Welsh / Scandinavian |
| Posy | “Small bouquet of flowers” | English |
Short girl names from around the world
Short names travel well. Pronunciation is given for the trickier ones; see also Irish girl names and Spanish girl names.
| Name | Meaning (pronunciation) | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Aiko | “Love child” (EYE-ko) | Japanese |
| Yuna | Meaning depends on kanji, often “gentle” | Japanese / Korean |
| Emi | “Blessed with beauty” (EH-mee) | Japanese |
| Lina | Short for Carolina or Angelina | German / Arabic |
| Nina | “Little girl” | Spanish |
| Ines | Form of Agnes, “pure” (ee-NES) | Spanish / Portuguese |
| Rosa | “Rose” | Spanish / Italian |
| Noa | “Movement”; daughter of Zelophehad (Numbers 26:33) | Hebrew |
| Anja | Form of Anna, “grace” (AHN-ya) | Slavic / German |
| Aoife | “Radiance, beauty” (EE-fa) | Irish |
| Ilse | Pet form of Elisabeth (IL-zeh) | German |
| Hana | “Flower” (Japanese) or “bliss” (Arabic) | Japanese / Arabic |
| Leni | Pet form of Helene or Magdalena (LAY-nee) | German |
| Mei | “Beautiful” or “plum blossom” (MAY) | Chinese |
Nickname names that stand on their own
Once only nicknames, these short, spirited names are now popular birth-certificate names. Many sound especially cute.
| Name | Short for | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Evie | Evelyn or Eve | English |
| Tilly | Matilda | Germanic |
| Millie | Mildred, Amelia or Camilla | English |
| Josie | Josephine | Hebrew via French |
| Hattie | Harriet | Germanic |
| Lulu | Louise or Lucy | French |
| Elle | Eleanor or Gabrielle; also “she” in French | French |
| Kit | Katherine | Greek via English |
| Lottie | Charlotte | French |
| Sadie | Sarah | Hebrew |
| Addie | Adeline or Addison | Germanic / English |
| Winnie | Winifred | Welsh |
How to choose a short girl name
- Pair it with a longer middle name. A short first name like Ava or Esme balances beautifully with a flowing middle such as Ava Josephine.
- Test it with your surname. Short names shine with long surnames; if your last name is also short, add rhythm with a two- or three-syllable middle.
- Decide on a full name. You can give the short form directly (Tess) or a long name with the short one as a nickname (Theresa, called Tess). A full name gives her options later.
- Watch the letter count on popular picks. Short names like Mia and Ava are very common, so check how often you hear them locally.
- Avoid confusing spellings. Short names with multiple spellings (Zoe/Zoey, Leah/Lea) can still get misspelled; pick the one you’re happy to spell out.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular short girl name?
Ava, Mia, Luna, Nora, Isla and Ella are among the most popular short girl names in the US, according to recent SSA data.
What are some unique short girl names?
Esme, Oona, Zuri, Suki, Posy, Elin, Remy and Ilse are short, uncommon in the US and easy to pronounce.
What are three-letter girl names?
Ava, Mia, Zoe, Eva, Amy, Ada, Ivy, Una, Ida, Bea, Gia and Liv are all popular three-letter girl names.
Should I use a nickname as a full name?
Many parents now do. Names like Evie, Josie and Sadie are common on birth certificates, though some prefer the longer form for flexibility.
What short names go well with long last names?
Names like Ivy, Tess, Nell, Mae, Liv and Cleo balance long surnames nicely, for example Tess Montgomery or Ivy Vanderbilt.