Modern Baby Girl Names

North's image and gender status was irrevocably changed when Kim Kardashian and Kanye West announced it as the name of their newborn daughter. But why not? West is firmly established as a name, Easton is coming up strong, and North has a nice solid sound as well -- certainly as appropriate for either gender. South, though, not so much.

Loyal has history as a boy name—most popular in the late 19th century, later falling off the charts in 1948. This was back when loyalty suggested faithfulness to one's country, rather than fidelity to others. Today it would likely be interpreted as the latter.

Modern virtue names are rapidly rising in popularity—could Loyal be the next True?

Loyalty is one of the Modern Virtue Names rising precipitously for babies in recent years, used last year for nearly 300 children, about 85 percent of them girls. Loyalty may also owe some of its popularity to trendy sibling name Royalty.

A short form the Latin surname Casanova, a variation on Senovia, the Hispanic form of Zenobia, or an alternative spelling to Russian surname Sinova, this modern and international choice spiked in popularity in 2024, when it was given to 42 baby girls, compared to 9 the previous year. It is also the name of a dermatology and healthcare company.

Brixley is a modern feminine name that has emerged as part of the contemporary trend toward surname-inspired and location-based names with the popular '-ley' suffix. Likely derived from Brix (possibly referring to Brixham, a town in Devon, England) or Brixton (a London district), combined with the trendy '-ley' ending seen in names like Kinsley and Paisley. This recently created name has gained modest attention in the United States in the past decade, particularly among parents seeking distinctive, contemporary-sounding names. Brixley has a preppy, crisp sound that fits current naming trends while remaining uncommon enough to feel special. The name carries a modern, English countryside aesthetic without strong historical or cultural associations.

With not one but two trendy letters, Maddyx is a modern variation of the already modern Maddox, predominantly used on boys, but given to nearly 100 girls in a recent year. Derived from Welsh, it means "son of Madoc", Madoc meaning "good, fortunate".

Grace, meet Grayson. The stylish classic girls' name Grace -- it's in the Top 20 -- and the trendy boys' name Grayson or Greyson, a member of the Jason-Mason-Cason club, combine to create the girls' name Gracen. For a little girl, we'd stop at Grace.

This variation of Marley is gaining momentum due to the popular -leigh suffix, which is all over the US popularity lists. This name in particular reentered the US Top 1000 in 2013.

This overly trendy spelling jumped into the Top 1000 names in 2013. It got there by being the fourth fastest-rising name on the 2013 list, riding the increasing popularity of Journey and Journee.

Gem name Onyx entered the US Top 1000 for boys in 2018 and has since risen to the Top 400 with its cool X ending and sleek polished feel. For girls, it is also on the rise, given to just under 200 babies in a recent year. Spelling variant Aunyx is far more obscure and has only been appearing in the US stats since 2021. Given equally to both sexes, but used less than 20 times each year, it might appeal to those who also like August and Audrey.

Arya has become a popular name thanks to the young heroine of Game of Thrones and because of the rise of similar Aria too. Variation Aarya has also seen increased use in English speaking countries, ranking in the Top 1000 in the UK in recent years.

As with many other names, the y seems to make this name more girl-appropriate for some parents. About three-quarters of the babies named Austyn are female.

Possibly created by blending a love for K initials and an interest in designer baby names (Dior), Kior is a modern invention, first appearing in the US charts in 2017. Used for girls and boys, it might also take inspiration from the likes of Kiara, Kora, Korey, Kyaire, and Kyzer, or perhaps Lior or Malchior.

Icelyn and its more popular sister Icelynn have been among the fastest-rising girls' names in the US in recent years.

Zeppelin is a fast-rising Z name for both sexes — a cool choice that evokes aviation and classic rock. Nick Cannon used it as the middle name for his 11th child, daughter Beautiful Zeppelin.

Legend joins cousins Story, Saga and Fable in the baby name pantheon of narrative words. Unlike Story and Fable, however, Legend comes with additional weight, being used for fame ("living legend") and to denote a person who is fantastic "what a legend"). Who can live up to that?

Ten times as many boys are named Oak as girls: about 50 boys last year to five girls. Of course, nature names don't have any traditional gender identification the way names like John and Mary do, so Oak works well for all babies. Oakley is the most popular Oak name for babies of all genders.

Place names like Memphis, Harlem, Cairo, Vienna, Milan, and Astoria are right on trend at the moment, and Egypt could fit in, thanks to its similarity in sound to the likes of Edith and Eden. Alicia Keys used the name for her son back in 2010, but before that, it was used as a stage name for three famous belly dancers.

Chosen is officially a baby name thanks to Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, who chose (can't resist) the word as the name of his newborn son. While it may inspire bad puns, Chosen is actually a pretty good word name: It's got the two-syllable, n-ending sound that is so fashionable for names, plus a positive, affirming meaning. Chosen is rising on the girls' side too now, given to 74 baby girls in 2022.