One-syllable Baby Names
420 One-syllable names with meanings, U.S. popularity, and audio pronunciation on every page.
One syllable. One beat. Nothing to shorten, nothing to misspell. One-syllable baby names have a confidence that longer names have to work for, and they are a genuine practical gift — your child will thank you every time they fill in a form.
One-Syllable Girl Names
Mae, Eve, Faye and Kate are timelessly pretty. For a fresher feel, Brynn, Blaire, Skye, Paige and the hopeful Hope and Joy.
One-Syllable Boy Names
Blake, Zane, Jax and Kade are punchy and modern, while Reed, Wade, Wells, Briggs and Hank bring rugged charm.
Short Name, Long Surname
One-syllable first names are the easiest fix for a long or complex last name — they give it space and stop the whole thing becoming a mouthful. Kate and Blake go with practically anything.
Every name below links to its own page with a sourced meaning, U.S. popularity, famous bearers, and a clear audio pronunciation — so you can hear it before you choose.
One-syllable Girl Names
Brooke#313 in the U.S.From the Old English word 'broc', meaning a small stream or watercourse. Originally a topograph▶Paige#346 in the U.S.From Old French 'page', meaning a young male servant or attendant to a knight, ultimately from ▶Hope#352 in the U.S.From the Old English 'hopa', meaning hope — the expectation and desire for a positive outcome. ▶Blaire#384 in the U.S.From Scottish Gaelic blar meaning a plain or flat area of land; originally a Scottish surname a▶Brynn#407 in the U.S.From Welsh bryn meaning hill; used as a given name particularly in Welsh and Welsh-American com▶Joy#419 in the U.S.From Old French joie and Latin gaudia meaning joy, happiness, or delight; used as a word name e▶Mae#501 in the U.S.Spelling variant of May, the fifth month; also a pet form of Mary (meaning 'beloved' or 'bitter▶Faye#515 in the U.S.From Old French fae meaning 'fairy' or 'enchantment'; also possibly from the Middle English wor▶Jream#518 in the U.S.Modern American creative name, a phonetic respelling of the word 'dream,' using the letter J to▶Eve#519 in the U.S.From Hebrew Chavah (Havva), derived from the root chava meaning 'to breathe' or 'to live'; the ▶Kate#522 in the U.S.Short form of Katherine, from the Greek Aikaterine; the meaning is uncertain but was popularly ▶Skye#532 in the U.S.From the English word sky combined with or inspired by the Isle of Skye in Scotland, derived fr▶Anne#619 in the U.S.French form of Anna, from Hebrew Channah meaning 'grace,' 'favor,' or 'God has favored me'; the▶Noor#659 in the U.S.From Arabic nur meaning light; in Islamic tradition Nur al-Din means light of religion and the ▶Drew#706 in the U.S.Short form of Andrew, from Old Welsh Dryw meaning 'vision' or 'wise man'; or a diminutive of th▶Sol#722 in the U.S.From the Latin sol meaning 'sun'; in Spanish-speaking cultures Sol is a common given name and n▶Gwen#725 in the U.S.Welsh short form of Gwendolyn or Gwenllian, from the Welsh element gwen meaning 'white,' 'fair,▶Pearl#777 in the U.S.Pearl; from the Old French perle and Medieval Latin perla meaning the lustrous gem formed in oy▶Luz#839 in the U.S.Spanish name from the Latin lux (light), used as a Marian name in honor of Our Lady of Light (N▶Sloan#840 in the U.S.Anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic surname Sluaghan, from sluagh meaning 'warrior', 'army', or▶Liv#896 in the U.S.From Old Norse hlif meaning protection, shield, or shelter; in modern Scandinavian languages li▶
See all 84 one-syllable girl names →
One-syllable Boy Names
Blake#316 in the U.S.From the Old English 'blac' (pale, fair) or 'blaec' (dark, black) — an interesting paradox mean▶Zane#324 in the U.S.Generally considered an anglicized form of John, from the Hebrew Yochanan, meaning 'God is grac▶Cruz#331 in the U.S.From the Spanish and Portuguese word 'cruz', meaning cross, derived from Latin 'crux'. In the C▶Jax#342 in the U.S.Short form of Jackson or Jaxon, themselves forms of John (from Hebrew Yochanan, 'God has been g▶Wade#344 in the U.S.From the Old English 'wadan', meaning to go or to advance (especially through water), or from a▶Wells#347 in the U.S.From the Old English 'wiell' or 'wella', meaning spring, stream, or well — a topographic surnam▶Kade#349 in the U.S.From the Old Welsh 'cad' (battle) or Old English elements, possibly meaning 'spirit of battle'.▶Briggs#356 in the U.S.From an Old Norse or Old English place name, a plural form of 'brig' or 'bridge', meaning 'dwel▶Bryce#357 in the U.S.From the Scottish Gaelic 'Bricius' or possibly from Celtic 'brig' (high, strong). Saint Brice o▶Clark#377 in the U.S.Occupational name from Old English clerc, meaning a scribe, scholar, or clergyman, itself from ▶Jay#392 in the U.S.Used as a given name from the bird name jay (from Old French jai), or as a short form of names ▶Rhys#412 in the U.S.From Welsh Rhys meaning ardor, enthusiasm, or passion; a historic Welsh royal and warrior name▶Hank#413 in the U.S.Short form of Henry or Hankin (medieval diminutive of John/Johannes), from Germanic Heimrich me▶Reed#419 in the U.S.From Old English read meaning red; used as a surname for red-haired people, and also related to▶Boone#423 in the U.S.English surname from Old French bon meaning good or boon meaning a blessing or benefit; also as▶Pierce#505 in the U.S.Medieval English form of Piers, itself the Anglo-Norman French form of Peter, from Latin Petrus▶Kyle#509 in the U.S.From Scottish Gaelic caol meaning 'narrow' or 'narrow strait,' referring to a narrow channel of▶Frank#514 in the U.S.From the Germanic tribal name Frank (the Franks), possibly derived from an ancient word for 'ja▶Tripp#522 in the U.S.English nickname/surname name, derived from 'trip' in the sense of a journey or traveler; also ▶Roy#525 in the U.S.From the Old French roi meaning 'king,' used as a nickname; alternatively derived from the Scot▶Ridge#530 in the U.S.From Old English hrycg meaning 'spine' or 'ridge,' referring to a long raised strip of land; us▶
See all 336 one-syllable boy names →
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Frequently Asked
Are short names better with long surnames?
Generally yes — a single-beat first name balances a longer surname and keeps the full name easy to say.
What are one-syllable names that work for any gender?
Blake, Skye, Jay and Reed are all used across genders. Each page shows current U.S. usage for that spelling.
How many one-syllable baby names are on More4Kids?
More4Kids lists 420 one-syllable baby names, each with a sourced meaning, U.S. popularity, and an audio pronunciation.