American Names for Girls

Wrenley

Modern invented name, English

"small songbird; wren's meadow"

Inspired by the sweet but solid bird name Wren, this longer form has been storming up the charts since 2018. Given to just 13 girls back in 2014, a decade later in 2024, it ranked in the Top 150 and…

Kaylee

American variation of Kayla

"laurel, crown; pure meadow"

A widely used name, Kaylee pulls together something from Kayla and something from Hailey, making it a popular choice in the 2000s when it ranked in the Top 50, reaching #26 in the US in 2009. While…

Miley

Modern invented name

One-time overnight success name, thanks to Hannah Montana actress and singer Miley Cyrus, Miley fell just as quickly from her peak of Number 127 in 2008 as the star entered her rebellious era. Now…

Emory

Spelling variation of Emery, English from German

"industrious"

A child will find this name is neat, easy to pronounce, and able to fit in with the crowd. Emory or Emery nudge the popular Emma, Emily, and Emilia toward the gender-neutral side. Interestingly,…

Saige

Spelling variation of Sage

What works for Paige just doesn’t work for Sage. The added i will likely create a lifetime of spelling mistakes. Saige Thompson is an American actress.

Brooklynn

Spelling variation of Brooklyn, place name from Dutch

"marshland"

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…

Janelle

American, modern elaboration of Jane

It's far cooler to drop the first syllable and go for Elle.

Kimber

Diminutive of Kimberley

This diminutive of Kimberley is gaining momentum as a standalone name. For our part, we're stumped by its rise.

Ashlyn

Variation of Aislinn, Irish

"dream"

Though it relates to the Irish original, Ashlyn and its next most popular form, Ashlynn, owe more of their popularity as baby names in the US to the megastar Ashley, though all three have been…

Cailin

American variation of Caitlin or Kaylin

While the Cailin spelling doesn't appear on popularity charts, other forms such as Kaylin and Kaylen do, along with several similar names, from Caitlin to Jalen to Kayla. The result: a name that…

Denisha

American variation of Denise, French from Greek

"god of Nysa"

Typical of formula that takes a traditional name syllable and adds -isha ending.

Dashawna

American variation of Shawna

One of many now-downscale names that begin with Da- or De-, a prefix that originally indicated patrimony.

Emmalynn

Combination of Emma and Lynn

"universal lake"

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…

Jorja

Modern American phonetic spelling of Georgia

This simplified form of the lovely name Georgia was spotlighted by the actress Jorja Fox, and seems to be making inroads; rocker Bret Michaels chose it for his daughter. Still, we'd opt for the…

Kadence

Variation of Cadence, word name

"rhythm, beat"

K-beginnings are often substituted for Cs, and this spelling is definitely finding favor with many parents, among them skateboarding legend Tony Hawk. However, sometimes the original is the best - we…

Averi

Spelling variation of Avery

That i adds some extra spunk to mega popular Avery. It also adds some pronunciation confusion (as it could be pronounced AV-er-ee or AV-er-eye). We suggest sticking with the original Avery.

Jaylene

Variation of Jayleen

"pretty jaybird"

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,…

Shantal

American variation of Chantal

Yet another phrase of the sha chorus.

Janae

American, modern elaboration of Jane or Jan

Adds a soupcon of French flair to some old classics with the currently trendy ae ending.

Caylee

Modern invented name

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.