Two Syllable Names Reign Supreme

Updated Sun May 28 2023

Two syllables is the most common name length in the USA, so two syllable baby names cover every style you can imagine. Join us for a whistle-stop tour of them, from vintage classics to unique modern names, cute nicknames to cool cowboys and girls.

They even range widely in spelling length, from mini-names like Io and Ari, to lengthy Georgette and Caoilfhionn ("Keelin").

You might be be looking for a two syllable name to fit a sibling pattern, or because you like the way it sounds with your last name. Or maybe you’re just interested to see what’s out there… or how we can possibly cover the whole topic of bisyllabic baby names in one post.

Spoiler: we can’t! But here are the curated highlights, including the most popular two syllable baby names, and cool examples from styles that parents are loving right now.

Popular Two Syllable Names

Two is the most popular number of syllables in baby names now. There are 61 boy names and 48 girl names with two syllables in the US Top 100.

(This is a bit subjective because people's accents and pronunciations vary, especially when it comes to vowels. If you don't consider Liam or Violet to be two syllable names, I'm not going to fight you over it!)

Here are the top two syllable baby names in the US. If you're looking for something everyone will know and love, these are a great place to start.

Classic Two Syllable Names

Although not cutting-edge popular, these two syllable classic baby names are among the most enduring and timeless.

Unisex Two Syllable Names

Many of the hottest gender neutral names right now have two syllables, including:

Vintage Names With Two Syllables

Charmingly old-fashioned baby names from a hundred years ago are back in style — here are some of our favorite two syllable options.

Trending Two Syllable Names

These names encompass some of the coolest sounds, styles and trends of the moment. They include nicknames and place names, virtues and nature, names with a light sound and names with a high scrabble score, and more.

Names With Stress on the Second Syllable

In many varieties of English, most two syllable names put the emphasis on the first syllable: as in EM-ma and COOP-er. But there's a special group of names — often recently borrowed from other languages — where it’s on the second syllable instead.

Some parents like to use this rhythm for a middle name, especially for girls. But there’s no reason why they can’t shine in first position too.

Rare Two Syllable Names

Looking for unique names that your kid won’t share with anyone else? Here’s some two-syllable inspiration from outside the Top 1000 baby names.

About the Author

Clare Green

Clare Green has been writing for Nameberry since 2015, covering everything from names peaking right now to feminist baby names, and keeping up-to-date with international baby name rankings. Her work has featured in publications such as The Independent and HuffPost. Clare has a background in linguistics and librarianship, and recently completed an MA dissertation researching names in multilingual families. She lives in England with her husband and son. You can reach her at clare@nameberry.com

View all of Clare Green's articles