Names That Peaked in 2021
Across 22 pages
of 22
Malani
Invented name
Girl names ending in lani are one of the hottest trends of recent years, thanks to the lilting and lyrical Hawaiian name Leilani. Leilani has inspired a number of offshoots, including Kehlani and…
Astrid
Scandinavian
"divinely beautiful"
Astrid has been a Scandinavian royal name since the tenth century, and many people associated it with the Swedish author of the Pippi Longstocking stories, Astrid Lindgren. Astrid is derived from the…
Ivory
Word name
"hard, white material from the tusks and teeth of animals; pale, white"
Ivory was last popular a hundred years ago. In 2013, it finally began to regain some momentum in the female rankings, reentering the Top 1000, while 2024 saw it jump up the charts again by over 100…
Blaire
English variation of Blair, Scottish
"dweller on the plain"
Blair with a little something extra, which some parents may feel feminizes the name. The Blaire spelling was given to a surprising number of baby girls, with about a third of baby girls with the name…
Baylor
English occupational surname
"one who delivers goods"
Baylor's 2014 ascension to the US Top 1000 for boys is probably thanks to its fashionable two-syllable, r-ending, occupational surname feel. Think of it as Taylor with a twist. Baylor is also the…
Liana
Short form of -liana names, Portuguese, Italian, Georgian, French
"to climb like a vine"
Liana is a pretty, graceful and simple name that doesn't fall flat. The name of a flowering tropical vine that grows in forests, it's an international gem that works well in multiple languages. As a…
Kalani
Hawaiian
"the heavens"
Kalani is a rhythmic name that can be used for either gender though it is predominantly used on girls in the US. With its celestial meaning, and cool K beginning, it only entered the US Top 1000 for…
Elio
Italian, Spanish
"sun"
Elio is a sunny and spirited Italian and Spanish name that makes a great crossover prospect, which could catch on as Enzo has. Derived from the Roman Aelius and the Greek Helios, it has an appealing…
Ari
Diminutive of Ariel, Hebrew
"lion of God"
Ari, the short form of Ariel (or any other Ari- beginning name, such as Aristotle) stands up better as a boys’ name than its progenitor does. It is also short for Aristotle, as in Onassis, and is a…
Murphy
Irish
"sea warrior"
This surname name was popularized for girls in the 80s and 90s by TV's Murphy Brown and it maintains that cool breezy energy today, while also having an appealing sea-related meaning. Ultimately…
Briar
English
"a thorny patch"
Fairy-tale memories of Sleeping Beauty inspire some parents—such as Rachel Bilson and Hayden Christensen—to call their daughters Briar Rose. But Briar plus a different middle name might work even…
Leandro
Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian variation of Leander
"lion-man"
Leandro is a variation of the Ancient Greek name Leander, created by combining the Latin words leo and Andro together, to get a meaning that suggests strength, power, and bravery. The Hero and…
Annalise
German, combination of Anna and Lise
"grace and pledged to God"
Variously spelled Annalise and Annaliese as well as several other forms, this is not a modern smoosh but a traditional German combo-name with a definite Heidi-esque feel. Anna of course is familiar…
Koda
Japanese, Sioux
"friend"
A word in the Yankton-Yanktonai and Santee dialects of the Lakota Sioux language, meaning "friend" or "ally", used for one of the main characters in the movie Brother Bear . Also a common Japanese…
Rhys
Welsh
"ardor"
Rugged but gentle, Rhys is the traditional Welsh spelling of this name, which can also be anglicized as Reese or Reece. Up until 2010, Reese was the preferred spelling in the US, perhaps because…
Hank
Diminutive of Henry, German
"estate ruler"
Hank is a midcentury guy nickname (which actually dates back to the seventeenth century) of the Al/Hal/Dick school, which has been on recess from the playground for decades. Now it's just beginning…
Charlee
Variation of Charlie, English diminutive of Charlotte, French "free man"
"free man"
Charlie in all its forms has been a popular gender neutral name since the early 2000s and is now given almost equally to girls and boys. While it did once lean more (statistically) masculine, it has…
Boone
English from French
"blessing, lucky"
Boone is one of the advancing herd of lean and lanky cowboy names with a laid-back, backwoods, Western feel—and surprising French roots. It's inevitably linked with legendary frontiersman Daniel, and…
Tadeo
Spanish variation of Thaddeus
Has a lot of energy and charm, as does the Italian form, Taddeo.
Lian
Variation of Leon or German short form of Julian, Chinese
"waterfall; lotus"
As a masculine name, Lian has historically been used as a nickname for names such as Julian and Killian, particularly in Europe. It’s also a unisex Chinese name pronounced as a single syllable. Lian…