All Baby Names by Syllable
Explore our comprehensive database of 260,620 Baby Names sorted by Syllable Count
Browse Baby Names Organized by Syllable Count
How We Count Syllables in Baby Names
Syllable counts in our name directory are based on pronunciation data rather than the written form of a name. Each baby name is matched against available phonetic sources, with sources processed in a defined order to provide consistent coverage across common and less common names.
1. CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
When pronunciation data is available, we first use the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary from Carnegie Mellon University. Its phoneme and stress annotations provide the primary source for determining the number of syllables in a name.
2. OpenDictData
Names that are not available in the CMU dictionary are checked against the OpenDictData Project. This provides additional pronunciation coverage, particularly for names and linguistic forms that may not be represented in the primary source.
3. Phonetic Prediction for Unmatched Names
If a name cannot be matched to either pronunciation source, we use a Grapheme-to-Phoneme (G2P) model to estimate its pronunciation from its written form. The predicted pronunciation is then used to derive the syllable count.
The pronunciation source used for each name is recorded in our data. For details on pronunciation sources, processing, and validation, see our Name Characteristics & Pronunciation Methodology documentation.