Are you looking for a elaborate, dramatic girl name with plenty of cute nickname possibilities? If so, a four-syllable name might be the perfect fit.
Currently, the most popular four-syllable names for baby girls born in the United States are Isabella (ranked 2nd in 2007), Olivia (7th), Elizabeth (10th), Victoria (29th), Gabriella (38th), Alexandra (49th), Angelina (58th) and Valeria (98th).
Other (slightly less) popular names are:
Anastasia, Carolina, Catalina, Elisabeth, Esmeralda, Esperanza,
Evangeline, Felicity, Gabriela, Galilea, Giuliana, Graciela,
Guadalupe, Izabella, Juliana, Julianna, Lilianna, Lillianna,
Lilyana, Magdalena, Mariana, Marianna, Mariela, Natalia,
Penelope, Serenity, Tatiana, Valentina, Veronica, Yuliana
(The only five-syllable name on the list right now seems to be Alexandria, at 164th.)
Four-syllable names that are used less often nowadays for baby girls include Adelina, Alexandrine, Bernardetta, Celestina, Christabella, Cornelia, Donatella, Eleanora, Ferdinanda, Henrietta, Josephina, Marylouise, Michelangela, Philadelphia, Philomena and Wilhelmina.
So...what are the pros and cons of four-syllable girl names?
On the pro side, these names tend to be unmistakably feminine-sounding, and are therefore not in danger of becoming "unisex" (as names like Payton and Addison are). Also, they offer plenty of nicknaming options. Finally, they're very useful for balancing out short surnames (such as Hart, Kim and Lane).
On the con side, long names can be cumbersome. They can be hard for young girls to learn to say and spell, and they can be a pain for adults to continually have to write down or spell out. Also, there's the possibility that someone who goes only by a nickname (i.e., Liz instead of Elizabeth) might grow to dislike her long and somewhat unfamiliar "real" name.
If you want something elegant, though, and you don't mind bestowing a name that's a bit complicated, a four-syllable name could be a great option.
