by Angela Mastrodonato of Upswing Baby Names

　　After years of long-frilly girl names, the winds of fashion are once again shifting and one syllable names are getting recognition.

　　There are several lovely one syllable names with quaint femininity such as Jane, Rose, and Mae. And then there are one syllable names that are less girly, the streamlined chic names.

　　Here are some names that are short on frill but full of spunk.

　　Bex – This diminutive of Rebecca makes a sharp edgy stand alone name with the trendy X.

　　Blair – was considered primarily a boy’s name until 80’s hit sitcom The Facts of Life introduced Blair to girls. Blair hit the girls’ top 1000 for the first time in 1980, one year after the show first aired.

　　Blake – still dominates for boys. This may soon change. Blake’s popularity on girls has gone up dramatically, most likely due to actress Blake Lively.

　　Blythe / Blyth – Hollywood actress Blythe Danner familiarized the name, but the main character in the animated kids’ show, The Littlest Pet Shop, may inspire contemporary children to name their future daughters Blythe.

　　Bree – The name of Fancy Nancy’s best friend, Bree, exudes energy with just one syllable.

　　Greer / Grier – are both forms of a Scottish surname and have been used on Hollywood children. Greer is Kelsey Grammer’s daughter and Grier is Brooke Shields’ little girl.

　　Jill – A mid-century favorite with nursery rhyme credentials that has been passed over for Jillian in recent years. A renewed interest in short names makes Jill stylishly mod.

　　Joss – British soul singer Joss Stone (born Jocelyn Eve Stoker) made this name familiar. While a good nickname for Jocelyn, it’s very uncommon as a given name.

　　Laine / Lane – Striking yet simple as a stand alone name and a great nickname for Delaney. The nickname could also modernize Elaine.

　　Lark – boasts many wonderful meanings. Not only the name of a songbird, Lark also means “carefree adventure” or “prank”. The ideal name for the mischievous girl.

　　Neve – Canadian actress Neve Campbell reportedly loves her unique name, the maiden name of her mother. While the name remains unique in the U.S., in the U.K. it recently hit the top 150.

　　Noor – A multicultural choice with both Arabic and Dutch roots (as a short form for Eleonora). Known by American-born Queen Noor of Jordan. Makes an elegant stand alone name or a terrific nickname for Eleanor.

　　Paige – For a relatively modern name that wasn’t widely used until the mid-20th century, Paige seems timeless and sophisticated.

　　Quinn – Quinn was once predominately a male name. 2010 was a pivotal year for the well-known Irish surname. That year the name was almost equally popular on boys and girls, but since then, Quinn has exploded on girls. In 2012 there were nearly twice as many girls as boys named Quinn. The name’s success on girls goes back to the 90s, possibly due to influences from 90s TV shows Dr. Quinn, Medicine Women and the animated series Daria with Quinn as the younger sister of the title character.

　　Reese – Made famous by actress Reese Witherspoon (born Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon), this anglicized form of Rhys has become very fashionable on girls since the turn of the millennium. The Rhys spelling is still predominately male.

　　Rue – An unexpected color name and a medicinal herb. This could become one of the next connector middle names that is unusual as a first name.

　　Shea – A multifaceted name with origins from an Irish surname and the African shea tree where shea butter is extracted. A sleek nature name.

　　Sloane – Perhaps best known as Ferris Bueller’s girlfriend in the classic 80’s comedy. This name–until recently–remained low-key. Sloane is zooming up the chart now, but had potential to become a hit decades ago.

　　Wren – A tiny songbird with a tiny offbeat name.

　　Wynn / Wynne – A Welsh surname with a breezy style that means “blessed” or “fair” .

　　This list is dominated by surnames and Hollywood personas (both real and fictional). But these nature names add some diversity: Lark, Rue, Shea, and Wren.

　　Regardless of origins, these names are perfect for those who like a smart, sporty, sophisticated image.

　　Angela created Upswing Baby Names to celebrate names on the upswing. She is an avid name-watcher and periodically features names she watches on UBN. One of these Names to Watch: Blythe, inspired this list of short, sassy girl names.