Names that Peaked in 2002

Lisbeth is one of the many short forms of Elizabeth that are used on their own. Not only is it the name of the mother of the main character in George Eliot's novel Adam Bede, but it takes on a whole new, powerful image as the heroine of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo trilogy. Lizbeth is another spelling.

Authentic African name that blipped in popularity a few years ago when hip-hop singer Ashanti first arrived on the scene.

This unusual two-syllable K name relates to shipbuilding.

A fast-rising variation of Abigail that was shooting up the popularity charts a few years ago, but whose star is now falling now that Abigail is not quite as hot as she once was.

Iyana is a new name with a New Age feel that's been on the popularity charts since 2000, related to cousins Aiyana and Ayanna.

A condensed version of Elizabeth made more familiar by The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo's Lisbeth Salander.

A trendy sounding choice--if we had to give it a meaning would be either "three cities" or "town with trees," but since it's a modern invention, you'd have to pick it for its current feel alone. Another option: TRENTON, a real place name.

This spelling of popular Jalen ranks in the Top 1000 for both girls and boys.

Single-named R&B singer Jaheim could inspire others to pick up on this unusual name.

The Spanish version of Lysander is to some, more wearable than the original, perhaps due to the familiar — but not widely-used — Italian name Alessandro. It’s past its peak in the Spanish-speaking countries of Europe and South America, but France has caught on to Lisandro’s handsome charm.

Denisse was the fastest-rising name for girls of 2020 — influenced by Denisse Novoa, a contestant on the 2019 season of the popular reality TV show Exatlón Estados Unidos. Traditional spelling Denise also made a comeback. It looks to be short-lived, though: both spellings fell again in 2021.

See JALEN.