Ava

Ava was given a huge popularity boost -- Ava's currently at Number 5 -- when dozens of high-profile stars such as Reese Witherspoon and Hugh Jackman chose Ava for their daughters. This Glamour Girl name via Hollywood beauty Ava Gardner is attractive but epidemically popular!

Some parents who love Ava's simplicity and style have looked on to other choices that might take her place: Eva, Avery, Ada, Aveline and so on. The result, as with other popular names such as Hailey and Aiden that have spawned a raft of imitators, is that Ava is beginning to feel even more ubiquitous than it might based on its Top 5 standing.

Ava seemed to be headed towards Number 1 -- it's no accident we titled our most recent book on baby name style "Beyond Ava & Aiden" -- but, though it seems to have been somewhat side-swiped by the Olivia-Isabella-Sophia group, it will still certainly stay in the Top 10 for years to come. It's a lovely name on many levels, but if you want something that will stand out, keep looking.

One of the most fascinating things about Ava is that it's a much more ancient name than its modern-feeling sleekness would suggest. St. Ava was the daughter of King Pepin who was cured of blindness and became a nun.