By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 139 pages
of 139
Catalan, Occitan variation of John, Hebrew
"God is gracious"
There are now more boys than girls given the name Joan each year in the US, although the two are distinct names. The masculine version, pronounced with the emphasis on the second syllable, is among…
Spelling variation of Carter
"transporter of goods by cart"
The K-spelling of Carter has been in the boys' Top 1000 since 2005. In 2014, Karter cracked the girls' Top 1000, too. Karter joins the plethora of surnames turned boys' names that are now entering…
English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Italian
"pledged to God"
Elvis naming his daughter Lisa Marie and Nat King Cole's hit song "Mona Lisa" conspired to catapult one of Elizabeth's many offshoots to a high of #4 in 1970. It has largely fallen from favor in the…
Spelling variation of Jasmine
Leave the Z behind, please. You're better off with the classic Jasmine spelling -- though all of this name's variations have been falling in popularity in recent years.
Spelling variation of Kaya and Kaia
"pure"
Kaiya might have peaked in 2002 and has since fallen behind its sisters Kaya and Kaia, however, in recent years, it has been slowing climbing back up the charts. A fast rising choices in the UK in…
French feminine variation of Simon, Hebrew
"listening, hearkening"
Simone, the elegant French feminization of Simon, strikes that all-important balance between unusual and familiar, and it's oozing with Gallic sophistication. A dated choice in its native France,…
French variation of Greek Korinna
"maiden"
Corinne is one of the names that, it might surprise you to learn, ranked among the US Top 1000 girl names until 2020, when it fell off the charts after 140 years. Its most popular year was 1926, when…
Spelling variation of Harmony
With Harmony on the rise, this spelling variation is getting some attention as well. It was a newcomer to the US Top 1000 in 2015 and has remained in the latter end of the charts ever since.
Russian and Greek variation of Zoe, Greek
"life"
Now that Zoe is getting wildly popular in the U.S. and the U.K. -- one poll puts it at number one in Wales -- parents may start hunting down fresh twists like this.
Variation of Bailey, English occupational name
"law enforcer, bailiff"
This Bailey variation is the second most popular spelling for girls, and while the -ee ending does make it more feminine, it feels more substantial in the original form. Bailee and Bayley are two…
Feminine variation of Joel, Hebrew
"Jehovah is his God"
Joel is one of those boys’ names that's never been super-popular yet has never been UNpopular either -- it's been in the Top 400 in the US since we started keeping statistics in 1880. So it's…
Spelling variation of Alan
"handsome, cheerful"
This extra-L variation of Alan isn't quite as popular in the US as the original. Both spellings remain popular in Ireland and England.
Spelling variation of Josiah
Attempts to update traditional Josiah have landed this name in the Top 1000. It falls in line with trendy spellings of names that opt for an additional x , y , or z whenever possible.
Spanish variation of Yadiel
Jadiel and Yadiel are Spanish versions of the Hebrew Yehudiel, the name of one of the archangels. It's been in the US Top 1000 since 2008, but still hovers towards the bottom.
Scottish variation of Margery, diminutive of Margaret
"pearl"
Scottish Marjorie and her English twin Margery were early twentieth century favorites that date back to medieval times, when it was popular among the royals. They were at their height in the 1920s,…
German, Scandinavian, Polish, and Russian variation of Stephen, Greek
"crown, garland"
An elegant, continental name for the post-Steve era. It debuted on the US Top 1000 in 1949, fell off in 2008 for one year, then dropped off again in 2024 and seems to be heading downward along with…
Italian and Spanish variation of Seraphina
"ardent"
Serafina is a name so lovely it's worthy of an angel. But the more stylish spelling today is Seraphina.
English, variation of Cooper
"barrel maker"
This spelling of the popular surname ranks just inside the Top 1000.
English, Slavic, Persian, Arabic
"from Denmark, gift, or wise"
This name found in both Celtic and Scandinavian mythology has gone from all-boy to almost all-girl, retaining a strong, unisex quality. However, it has dropped following its three-decade heyday from…
Variation of Caius, Latin
"rejoice"
Kaius is a K-ization of the Latin Caius, the name of an ancient poet, introduced by style maven Rachel Zoe. More recently, it was used by Derek Jeter for his son. The draw of Kaius over Caius is the…
