Popular Names and Name Trends
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 8 pages
of 8
Scottish
"resolute protection"
Scottish surname-turned-nickname from William or its female equivalents. Wilkie has ranked for girls just a handful of times since US baby name records began.
Welsh
"loveable"
Mabli is the sweet Welsh variant of Mabel, first used at the beginning of the 20th-century making it a relatively modern choice. Cute but energetic with the appeal of other Welsh names like Cadi and…
Greek variation of Margaret
"pearl"
Margalo could make an intriguing spin on Margaret, with Margo as a nickname. The name appears in E. B. White's Stuart Little — as a bird. Margalo Gilmore (born Margaret) was a well-known British-born…
English and French diminutive of Matilda, German
"battle-mighty"
Maud, lacy and mauve-tinted, was wildly popular a hundred years ago but has been rarely heard in the past fifty. Some stylish parents are starting to choose Maud again, especially as a middle. Maude…
Diminutive of James or Jeremiah
This name of the ten-year-old boy in the much loved and acclaimed modern classic To Kill a Mockingbird could find favor along with that of the character's sister, Scout.
French and English, diminutive of Ottolie
"prospers in battle"
Curiously appealing, in a hoop-skirted, wasp-waisted way, Ottoline has recently entered the realm of modern possibility, especially since Sienna Miller chose it as the middle name of her daughter…
Cornish variation of Jacob or James
"supplanter"
A dashing alternative to the popular James and Jacob, Jago is the jaunty Cornish form of the Biblical names. Occasionally (or historically) appearing as Jagoe, Jego, and Jaego, it may have been…
English variation of Yves
"yew wood"
Smooth and sleek one-syllable name, sometimes suggested for Sagittarius boys.
English from Greek
"leaf"
Petal is the soft and sweet-smelling name of a character in the novel and film, The Shipping News . With the rise of such flower names as Poppy and Posy, we believe Petal — down-to-earth yet romantic…
Greenlandic
"sweet little thing who belongs to me"
Consistently among the top 5 girls' names in Greenland for the past four decades, Pipaluk has one of the most adorable meanings going, and could make for a quirky route to Pip or Pippa. A famous…
Slavic
"spark"
A vocabulary word used as a name in many Slavic countries, Iskra means "spark" or "sparkle". It was the name of a revolutionary communist newspaper founded by Lenin in 1900. A famous modern bearer is…
German
"peaceful warrior"
Humphrey is an old name that might have faded completely were it not for that Bogie flair. A royal name in Britain, where it's used somewhat more frequently, Humphrey might just have some life beyond…
Irish
"red"
Anglicized form of Ruadh
English
While in Armenia, Italy and Nigeria Saro is regarded as a masculine name, in English Saro is a rare feminine name, familiar because of the old English folk song Pretty Saro, which was rediscovered in…
Greek
"youth"
The name of the Greek goddess of youth, daughter of Zeus and Hera, is rarely used today but may be ripe for revival considering the popularity of rhyming Phoebe. Sweet as Bebe but with the…
"fair, blessed"
Short, simple, gentle, undeniably Welsh but easy to spell and pronounce – there's a lot to like about this underused gem. In the States it's been almost exclusively female, perhaps due to the greater…
"sun born"
Said to be the name of the most learned man in ancient Wales, in this country it would be open to mispronunciation, making it rhyme with Julien.
Literary name
"wandering as water"
The name of the (male) otter protagonist of Henry Williamson’s 1927 novel Tarka the Otter . It is in rare use as a male and female name in England, especially among the Telegraph-reading classes. A…
English diminutive of Antigone, Greek
"worthy of one's parents, in place of one's parents"
An energetic nickname name occasionally encountered in England, particularly among Telegraph-reading circles. It is traditionally short for Antigone, but nowadays it's just as often bestowed as a…
Scottish occupational name
"piper"
Fifer is a musical name that fits in seamlessly with the likes of Harper and Piper, but is much more unusual. It's also a Scottish demonym, referring to an inhabitant of the historic Scottish county…
