Modern Baby Girl Names

Neil Gaiman invented this name for a character in his comic book Sandman. It can now be seen on the TV show Lucifer.

Evocative of tranquil island escapes. One of several Hawaiian (and pseudo-Hawaiian) names ending in "-ani" that's soaring in popularity, Nalani made its debut on the US Top 1000 in 2016.

One of the designer baby names -- Chanel and Gucci are others -- that have appeared in this era of branding everything from your purse to your offspring. It helps that the name is similar to more established choices, such as Amani, Marnie, Amy, and Aria.

Glory sounds fresh and uplifting and a lot more modern than Gloria (which is definitely feeling the stirrings of a revival, though some might still view it as a terminal Old Lady name). Glory, as in "Glory Be" and "Old Glory," has both a religious and a patriotic flavor.

This distinctive spelling was popularized by the R&B singer Mya (Harrison) and entered the US Top 100 in 2009 after the singer appeared on Dancing with the Stars. While it has since declined in the US, it remains in the Top 100 in France, the Top 200 in Belgium, and the Top 300 in England and Wales.

This variation of Brinley is currently the most popular of the plethora of alterative spellings. Ranking in the US Top 250 and given to 1300 girls in 2024, it is twice as popular as the traditional Brinley.

Not quite a nature name and not quite a surname — whatever Laken is or isn't, we know it's definitely a name to watch.

Niko was used for 14 baby girls in the US last year, and twin sister Nico for another 30 -- though that's still far fewer than the 1500 baby boys who were given one of those two names.

So sweet it makes our teeth hurt. It has appeared in the US Top 1000 every year since 2006, though it dropped a significant 136 places from 2014 to 2015, and kept dropping to Number 974 in 2016.

A unisex surname now seeing some use for girls, as it fits right in with such trendy crossover girls' names as Everly. Ellery and Emery, and others with the popular ly/leigh/lea ending

Regal Kingsley seems like an all-boy name, but a growing number of parents have bestowed this name on a girl. Credit the ever-trendier -ley suffix.

Most names that start with Cam- are on the upswing, so why not this obscure term for Wales as well as for a prehistoric time period.

Skyla is the most feminine form of the Skylar / Sklyer trend - little Skyla will never be mistaken on paper for a boy.

Eighties spin on megapopular Whitney that currently ranks higher than the original. Whitley fell out of the Top 1000 for several decades but resurfaced in 2018.

Well, parents are naming their children Eden and Heaven...so why not?

Banks as a girls' name was brought into the lexicon by actress Hilary Duff and musician Matthew Koma, who chose it for their daughter, Banks Violet. As both a surname and a word name, Banks refers to financial establishments as well as river banks.

Shyla is a feminine name with multiple potential origins. It may be a variant spelling of Sheila, which derives from the Irish name Síle, a form of Cecilia meaning "blind" or "sixth." Alternatively, it could be related to the Hebrew name Shulamit, meaning "peaceful." Shyla gained modest popularity in the United States during the 1990s and early 2000s, appealing to parents who appreciated its soft sound and exotic feel. The name has a gentle, feminine quality with its flowing phonetics and the graceful 'y' in the middle. While never reaching the top tier of popular names, Shyla remains recognizable without being overly common, making it an attractive choice for parents seeking a name that balances uniqueness with accessibility.

New Presidential name, if you're ready to move beyond Lincoln and Jefferson. At the turn of the last century, during the original McKinley's heyday, as a first name it almost reached the Top 100.

A name with some sterling qualities, most associated with the British currency and silver markets. Sterling is more commonly a male name or surname, but is occasionally used for girls as well.

Currently gender-neutral in the US, although boys have the edge, as they do with Lane. The Y spelling makes it a bit more feminine.