American Names for Girls

  1. Amia
    • Origin:

      Variation of Amy
    • Description:

      This Amy/Mia combination debuted on the US Top 1000 in 2013. It could also be seen as a variant of Amaya.
  2. Emmalynn
    • Origin:

      Combination of Emma and Lynn
    • Meaning:

      "universal lake"
    • Description:

      An updated form of Emmeline or Emmaline or a compound name that makes your chosen pronunciation more obvious. Spelling variation Emmalyn reached the US Top 500 in2017, but has since fallen out of Top 1000. However, if you put the two spellings together, this smoosh name is given to nearly 400 girls, placing it above Emmeline or Emmaline. Influence Emmalynn Minassian and Canadian singer, Emmalyn Estrada are notable bearers.
  3. Marilee
    • Origin:

      English combination of Mary and Lee
    • Meaning:

      "drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + meadow"
    • Description:

      Marilee is one of the cheeriest – if least substantial – combinations of Mary with another name.
  4. Sundae
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      I'm sure the parents of the six little girls named Sundae in the US last year were thinking, "well, if Nicole Kidman can use Sunday..." In this case, we think the day of the week spelling is preferable to the dessert spelling.
  5. Saige
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Sage
    • Description:

      What works for Paige just doesn’t work for Sage. The added i will likely create a lifetime of spelling mistakes.
  6. Riana
    • Origin:

      Contemporary American variation of Rhiannon
    • Description:

      The original Rhiannon has more appeal.
  7. Escarleth
    • Origin:

      Spanish
    • Meaning:

      "scarlet"
    • Description:

      Scarlet or Scarlett with a Spanish twist, based on the Spanish pronunciation of the name. Escarlett and Escarlet are also occasionally used.
  8. Maleah
    • Origin:

      Variation of Malia
    • Description:

      Oh dear! We can see where you were going with connecting this name to the classic "Leah," but it just doesn't work. We recommend sticking with the classic Malia.
  9. Raylan
    • Origin:

      Modern invented name
    • Description:

      Raylan may be on the rise as a baby name thanks to (male) TV lawman Raylan Givens, but the name is also occasionally used for girls: the statistical gender split is 15 to 1. The -lan ending might be thought of as Lynn-like, with Raylan an updated spin on such midcentury concoctions as Rae-Lynn.
  10. Nichelle
    • Origin:

      American, contemporary variation of Michelle
    • Description:

      A modern twist on Michelle spotlighted by Star Trek actress Nichelle Nichols.
  11. Caylee
    • Origin:

      Modern invented name
    • Description:

      Caylee was the third fastest-rising name in 2009 and peaked then at Number 263, but has since dropped in the charts, perhaps due to the Caylee Anthony association.
  12. Addisyn
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Addison
    • Description:

      Addison has been a wildly popular surname name, mostly for girls, for a few decades now, and Addisyn is one of its many spelling variations.
  13. Jaylynn
    • Origin:

      Modern invented name
    • Description:

      This spelling of the name entered the US Top 1000 in 2001, rising until it found its apex at Number 487 in 2009. It has since been trending in the opposite direction. As with all her sister spellings—Jaelyn, Jaelynn, Jaylin, Jalyn—we urge you to consider a name that has more substance and doesn't sound like the word "jail."
  14. Brooklynn
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Brooklyn, place name from Dutch
    • Meaning:

      "marshland"
    • Description:

      This extra-N variation matches up with the current preferred spellings of Oaklynn, Raelynn, and Adalynn, however it has always been outranked by popular Brooklyn. Though both spellings have trended downwards since their peak in 2011, Brooklyn maintains its place in the US Top 100, while Brooklynn lags behind in the #300s.
  15. Shantal
    • Origin:

      American variation of Chantal
    • Description:

      Yet another phrase of the sha chorus.
  16. Qunyquekya
    • Origin:

      Modern invented name
    • Description:

      Sister to rising young actress Quvenzhané Wallis.
  17. Denisha
    • Origin:

      American variation of Denise, French from Greek
    • Meaning:

      "god of Nysa"
    • Description:

      Typical of formula that takes a traditional name syllable and adds -isha ending.
  18. Jaylene
    • Origin:

      Variation of Jayleen
    • Meaning:

      "pretty jaybird"
    • Description:

      Jaylene is one of those modern creations that could be seen as an attempt to be trendy yet retro at the same time. Part Jaylee, part Arlene, Jaylene could be an honor for a Jane or a James, a Helene, or a Darlene.
  19. Qulyndreia
    • Origin:

      Modern invented name
    • Description:

      Mother of rising star actress Quvenzhané Wallis.
  20. Jaylee
    • Origin:

      Modern invented name
    • Description:

      Jaylee belongs to the family of names including Haylee and Caylee, all of which experienced their greatest popularity five to ten years ago.