Paisley

For a name related to a Scottish town, a patterned Indian fabric, and a country singer named Brad, Paisley has seen remarkable success. After appearing, seemingly out of nowhere, it is now an American favorite.

Deriving from a Scottish surname and town near Glasglow, Paisley means “church” or “cemetery.” It has been given to a tiny handful of girls each year since the 1960s, but it wasn’t until the late 2000s that it had any significant usage.

Then, between 2010 and 2015, the number of girls named Paisley quadrupled, and it entered the US Top 50.

So what did make Paisley so popular? Perhaps parents drew inspiration from the American country singer, Brad Paisley, who’s dueted with Dolly. Maybe the 2009 appearance of ‘Peppermint Paisley’ on the controversial TV show “Toddlers and Tiaras” turned some heads?

Or perhaps it simply emerged as a fresh spin on both Ashley and Paige, the once popular choices that were falling rapidly out of style?

However it made its way to the charts, Paisley remains in the US Top 100 and is given to over 4000 girls each year. Athlete Jennie Finch, The Guns ‘n’ Roses musician Richard Fortus, and the actress Gabrielle Anwar are among those who have chosen Paisley for their daughters.

Nameberry users tend not to share this love of Paisley and it ranks outside the Nameberry Top 1000. For more ‘Berry-style’ choices, you could try Maisie, Daisy, Astrid, Romy, Blair or Marlowe.